‘Women’s Inclusion in Housing, Construction Key to Africa’s Development’

The Africa Women in Housing and Construction (AWHC) has called on governments, financial institutions and private sector leaders to take deliberate steps to promote women’s inclusion and leadership in the housing and construction sector across Africa. The call was made to mark the 2026 celebration of International Women’s Day. Founder of AWHC, Flora Anne, said […]

The Africa Women in Housing and Construction (AWHC) has called on governments, financial institutions and private sector leaders to take deliberate steps to promote women’s inclusion and leadership in the housing and construction sector across Africa.

The call was made to mark the 2026 celebration of International Women’s Day.

Founder of AWHC, Flora Anne, said empowering women in the built environment is critical to addressing Africa’s housing deficit and driving economic development.

Speaking ahead of the Africa Women in Housing and Construction Conference and Business Expo 2026 scheduled to hold on March 16–17 in Abuja, Anne said women continue to face barriers in the sector despite their increasing participation in fields such as architecture, engineering, construction, urban planning and real estate development.

She identified challenges including limited access to finance, constraints around land ownership, policy exclusion and unequal professional opportunities.

“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 also stressed the need for gender-responsive housing policies, improved access to capital for women entrepreneurs, strengthened land ownership rights, and expanded training opportunities in technical and professional fields within the built environment.

She further urged governments and major developers to create procurement frameworks that allocate a share of housing and infrastructure contracts to women-owned businesses while encouraging mentorship programmes to support emerging female professionals in the industry.

The conference and business expo, scheduled to take place at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, will bring together architects, engineers, developers, policymakers, real estate investors and financial institutions from across Africa.

Organisers said the event, themed “Work, Wealth and Worth — Redefining Work, Building Wealth and Elevating Worth,” will focus on expanding economic opportunities for women and strengthening their role in Africa’s housing and construction ecosystem.

Anne said the gathering would also celebrate women already contributing to housing development while inspiring a new generation of female leaders in the sector.

“When women are empowered to build, invest and lead in the housing sector, communities grow stronger, economies expand and nations develop faster,” she added.