AfDB plans to safeguard women property rights
What you need to know:
- Kenya’s representative in the WIP Florence Mutua said only a handful of countries in Africa have laws that speak to women’s access to property.
- Apart from Kenya, others include Burkina Faso, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) in partnership with female MPs is pushing for women property rights as a means of hastening development.
Vice-President and special envoy on gender Geraldine Fraser Moleketi yesterday said securing women’s property rights will deliver positive development outcomes on the society.
“Our collaboration with women MPs is precisely to take forward the first part of our strategy because the legal status of women is closely intertwined with the strengths of the bank, which is economic empowerment,” said Ms Moleketi.
Ms Moleketi was speaking in Nairobi during the launch of a Women in Parliament (WIP) Council on property rights.
WIP Council will ensure that national legislations and policies provide the best framework for women to enjoy the same property rights as men. This will in turn support pursuit for economic empowerment.
Kenya’s representative in the WIP Florence Mutua said only a handful of countries in Africa have laws that speak to women’s access to property.
Apart from Kenya, others include Burkina Faso, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
In July, AfDB approved a $12.4 million (Sh1.2 billion) grant for a project called “50 million Women Speak” to create a networking platform dedicated to sub-Saharan women entrepreneurs.
It will be spread between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), the East African Community (EAC) and the Economic Community of West Africa States (Ecowas).
