In Ghana, homeownership is a process, as the most common method is using personal savings to build the home over time. Housing and its location are especially important for women, as it is often the location of an income-earning activity, such as food vending. However, a gender gap exists both in homeownership for women, as well as access to financial services and bank accounts. The government passed laws around financial inclusion and digital financial services that are promoting women’s access to these services, but these don’t effectively connect women to housing finance.
However, the 2020 New Land Act does attempt to protect women’s rights to property ownership and land tenure. The law makes it illegal for one spouse to lease, sell, or exchange land rights acquired during their marriage. Despite the good intentions of this law, many of the issues involving land tenure in Ghana aren’t just gendered, but also cultural. 80% of land in Ghana remains under customary land tenure, which makes ownership based on membership in landowning groups.
Source:
International Finance Corporation. (2023) Her Home II: Housing Finance in Ghana, Senegal and Indonesia. International Finance Corporation.