The Africa Women in Housing and Construction has called for deliberate actions to create more opportunities for women in Africa’s housing and construction sector.
It stated that greater inclusion is essential for the continent’s economic growth and sustainable urban development. The group made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday to mark International Women’s Day 2026.
According to AWHC, although women are increasingly contributing to fields such as architecture, engineering, urban planning, real estate development, and housing finance, they remain underrepresented in decision-making roles and continue to face barriers, including limited access to funding, land ownership challenges, and unequal professional opportunities.
Founder of AWHC, Flora Anne, said empowering women within the built environment should be viewed as an economic priority rather than merely a gender issue.
“Women are not just participants in the housing and construction ecosystem; they are innovators, builders of communities, and drivers of economic growth. If Africa must close its housing deficit and build inclusive cities, women must be deliberately integrated into the entire value chain, from policy formulation and project financing to design, construction, and real estate investment,” she said.
Anne urged governments, policymakers, financial institutions, and private sector leaders to adopt policies that support women’s participation across the industry.
She identified key areas requiring urgent attention to include the inclusion of women in national housing policies and urban development planning, improved access to finance and credit for women-led construction and real estate businesses, and reforms that guarantee women’s rights to own and develop land.
The AWHC founder also stressed the importance of technical training for women in construction trades, engineering, architecture, and project management to help bridge the gender gap in the sector.
She further called on governments and major developers to create procurement frameworks that allocate a portion of housing and infrastructure contracts to women-owned businesses.
According to her, mentorship and leadership programmes are also necessary to support the next generation of female professionals in the industry.
The discussions will feature prominently at the Africa Women in Housing and Construction Conference and Business Expo 2026, scheduled to hold on March 16 and 17 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre.
The event is expected to bring together architects, engineers, builders, real estate developers, investors, policymakers, and financial institutions from across the continent to discuss ways of strengthening women’s participation in the built environment.
Anne noted that the conference would also celebrate women already making significant contributions to housing development while encouraging a new generation of female leaders in the sector.
She added that empowering women to build, invest, and lead in housing development would help strengthen communities, expand economic opportunities, and accelerate Africa’s development.
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