Source: the Star
Millions of people in Africa, especially women, have no access to adequate housing, no security of tenure and are at risk of being forcefully evicted. Mass evictions characterised by police brutality

and sexual violence against women have been witnessed, leading to loss of lives and property — pushing them deeper into poverty.

Last Saturday, with the help of a community worker friend of mine, I had a discussion with 28 women from different self-help groups in Dagoretti, Nairobi to get their views in regards to housing. I wanted to hear their experiences on what they know about their rights to property ownership; how their lives would improve if they had better housing; some of the reasons that lead to women being evicted from their homes; disinheritance; and their opinion on what the government should do to improve housing conditions in the country.
The response was overwhelming.

Poor housing, especially in informal settlements, they said, exposes women to insecurity like rape when they have to go out at night (even during the day) to the toilet or bathroom. Their daughters and sons are not safe either as paedophiles are on the loose, explaining the alarming rate of rape and sodomy in these settlements.

Poor housing also exposes women to health risks. Due to fear of going out at night, some women have devised a way of using containers to relieve themselves and this exposes them to diseases. The communal latrines and bathrooms are in most cases unhygienic. Genetically, women are more prone to disease and when they are exposed to contaminated environment, they get fungal or bacterial infections.

On the flip side, women are becoming more enlightened than before. When merry-go-round groups, popularly known as chama started, women used to put their money together to buy cutlery and sufurias for their homes. Today, they are jointly buying immovable property like land and putting up commercial and residential investments. This, they say, is a more secure and rewarding form of investment. It has empowered them economically and it earns them respect from their husbands. 

• Kenya