Gender Disparity and Housing Development: Examining Socioeconomic Barriers and Policy Solutions in Nigeria

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2025.v9n1-7

Keywords:

Gender Disparity, Housing Development, Housing Types, Disparity Effects, Socioeconomic Barriers

Abstract

Gender disparity (GD) significantly impacts housing development, especially in developing countries like Nigeria, where socioeconomic and cultural barriers constrain equitable housing access. This study investigates the features and effects of GD on housing development in Iwo Central Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. Using a mixed-method approach, data were collected from 328 respondents through questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including indices and ANOVA. Key findings highlight societal mindsets as the most influential feature of GD, followed by lack of bodily autonomy and employment equality, with respective relative significance indices (RSIs) of 4.23, 4.06, and 4.00. Denied access to housing and homelessness emerged as the most critical effects of GD, with effects indices (EGDIs) of 4.36 and 4.31. Regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between GD characteristics and housing development (F = 99.964, p = 0.04), emphasizing the pervasive impact of GD on housing equity. The study concludes that GD restricts women's access to adequate housing, perpetuating socioeconomic inequalities. Recommendations include promoting gender-responsive housing policies, enhancing women's access to affordable housing finance, and integrating gender equity into urban planning and housing design. Addressing GD is crucial for fostering inclusive, equitable, and sustainable housing development in Nigeria.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Adeosun, O. T., & Owolabi, K. E. (2021). Gender inequality: Determinants and outcomes in Nigeria. Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development, 1(2), 165–181. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBSED-01-2021-0007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JBSED-01-2021-0007

Adeoye, D. O. (2018). Factors influencing gender differentials in involvement in housing development in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Ibadan Planning Journal, 7(1&2), 30–40. Retrieved from https://journals.ui.edu.ng/index.php/ipj/article/view/382/335

Asiyanbola, R. A. (2010). Urbanization, gender and transport research issues and insights in Nigeria: Towards a sustainable gender sensitive transport development. The Nigerian Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 8(1), 159–176. https://doi.org/10.36108/NJSA/0102/80(0120) DOI: https://doi.org/10.36108/NJSA/0102/80(0120)

Asiyanbola, R. A. (2011, July 7–9). Gender and urban housing settings in Africa–Nigeria. The International RC21 Conference 2011, Session 22: Reconstructing Gender in Urban Space (RT 22.1: Gendered Struggles to Belong). The Struggle to Belong: Dealing with Diversity in 21st Century Urban Settings, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Atser, J., & Beulah, O. (2007). A study of the demand and supply of housing in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Nigeria. Journal of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, 20(1).

Baker, E., & Bentley, R. (2023). Housing and health: A time for action. International Journal of Housing Policy, 23(2), 197–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/19491247.2023.2204650 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19491247.2023.2204650

Bengtsson, R., Iverman, E., & Hinnerich, B. T. (2012). Gender and ethnic discrimination in the rental housing market. Applied Economics Letters, 19(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2011.564125 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2011.564125

Blau, F. D., & Kahn, L. M. (2017). The gender wage gap: Extent, trends, and explanations. Journal of Economic Literature, 55(3), 789–865. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.20160995 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.20160995

Center for American Progress. (2018, March 20). Fact sheet: The state of women in America: Housing and homelessness. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/state-women-america-housing-homelessness/

Chant, S. (2012). Gender and urban housing in the global south. In S. J. Smith (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Housing and Home (pp. 255–263). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-047163-1.00005-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-047163-1.00005-9

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167. http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8

Devlin, A. S. (1994). Gender-role and housing preferences. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 14(3), 225–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(94)80058-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(94)80058-8

Gülcimen, S., Uzal, N., & Varışlı, T. (2021). Comparison of environmental performance of single-family house and multi-storey apartment in Turkey using life cycle assessment. Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1027577/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1027577/v1

Harcourt, W., & Escobar, A. (2002). Women and the politics of place. Development, 45(1), 7–14. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.development.1110308 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.development.1110308

Healy, J., & Zucca, L. J. (2004). The gender equity gap in top corporate executive positions. Mid-American Journal of Business, 19(1), 55–62. https://doi.org/10.1108/19355181200400006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/19355181200400006

Henry, M. (2000). Gender and housing development in the low-income suburbs of Jinja Municipality: Uganda. (Gender Issues Research Report Series No. 17). Centre for Basic Research.

International Housing Coalition. (2021). Women and housing. https://www.internationalhousingcoalition.org/women-and-housing

International Labour Organization. (2021). Gender discrimination. https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/gender-equality/gender-discrimination/lang--en/index.htm

Iqbal, H., Afzal, S., & Inayat, M. (2012). Gender discrimination: Implications for Pakistan security. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1(4), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-0141625 DOI: https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-0141625

Kabeer, N., & Waddington, H. (2015). Economic impacts of sanitation in Bangladesh: Summary report. Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. Retrieved from

Kim, S.-W., Cho, H., & Kim, L. Y. (2019). Socioeconomic status and academic outcomes in developing countries: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 89(6), 875–916. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654319877155 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654319877155

Makinde, O. O. (2014a). Housing delivery system, need and demand. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16(1), 49–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-013-9474-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-013-9474-9

Makinde, O. O. (2014b). Influences of socio-cultural experiences on residents’ satisfaction in Ikorodu low-cost housing estate, Lagos State. International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development, 5(3), 205–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/2093761X.2014.927810 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2093761X.2014.927810

Makinde, O. O. (2016a). Evaluating indigenous environmental consciousness for residents of Ogbomoso in Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning, 9(5), 87–103. https://doi.org/10.5897/jgrp2015.0524 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5897/JGRP2015.0524

Makinde, O. O. (2016b). Evaluating public housing quality in Ogun State, Nigeria. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 18(3), 679–695. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-016-9832-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-016-9832-5

Makinde, O. O. (2020). Prefiguring housing quality in urban communities in Ibadan Nigeria. SIASAT Journal of Social, Cultural and Political Studies, 5(4), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.33258/siasat.v5i4.72 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33258/siasat.v5i4.72

Mani, J. R., Bello, M., Oladimeji, Y. U., & Olayiwola, F. (2024). Standard of living, gender dimensions and women empowerment among Fulani pastoralist in Kaduna State, Nigeria. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 20(7), 530–546. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJAR2023.16556 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5897/AJAR2023.16556

Marcus, R., & Somji, A. (2024). Transforming gender norms for women’s economic rights and empowerment. ALIGN Report. London: ODI.

Meth, P., Buthelezi, S., & Rajasekhar, S. (2019). Gendered illegalities of housing formalisation in India and South Africa. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 51(5), 1068–1088. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X18792898 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X18792898

Munir, F., Ahmad, S., Ullah, S., & Wang, Y. P. (2021). Understanding housing inequalities in urban Pakistan: An intersectionality perspective of ethnicity, income and education. Journal of Race, Ethnicity and the City, 3(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/26884674.2021.1986442 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/26884674.2021.1986442

Philippine Commission on Women. (2015). Gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved from https://pcw.gov.ph/gender-equality-and-the-sustainable-development-goals/

Pohl, P., Tormey, M., & Dalton, N. (2007). Gender-based wage differentials among registered dietitians. The Health Care Manager, 26(1), 52–63. https://doi.org/10.1097/00126450-200701000-00007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00126450-200701000-00007

Rabia, M., Tanveer, F., Gillani, M., Naeem, H., & Akbar, S. (2019). Gender inequality: A case study in Pakistan. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 7, 369–379. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2019.73031 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2019.73031

Rakodi, C. S., & Bhatla, A. (2011). Gender and property rights: A critical issue in urban economic development. International Housing Coalition and Urban Institute.

Royal College of Nursing. (2012). Health inequalities and the social determinants of health. Policy & International Department, RCN.

Saez, E., & Zucman, G. (2020). The rise of income and wealth inequality in America: Evidence from distributional macroeconomic accounts. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 34(4), 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.34.4.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.34.4.3

Saleemi, S., & Kofol, C. (2022). Women’s participation in household decisions and gender equality in children’s education: Evidence from rural households in Pakistan. World Development Perspectives, 25, 100395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2022.100395 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2022.100395

Sanders, C. K., & Scanlon, E. (2000). Mortgage lending and gender. Affilia, 15(1), 9–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/08861090022093804 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/08861090022093804

Santos, S. M., & Klasen, S. (2021). Gender inequality as a barrier to economic growth: A review of the theoretical literature. Review of Economics of the Household, 19, 581–614. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-020-09535-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-020-09535-6

Schlyter, A. (Ed.). (1996). A place to live: Gender research on housing in Africa. The Nordic Africa Institute. http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:277422/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Skaburskis, A. (1997). Gender differences in housing demand. Urban Studies, 34(2), 275–320. https://doi.org/10.1080/0042098976186 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0042098976186

Small, S. F. (2024). Gender marker laws and access to emergency rental assistance for transgender renters in the United States during COVID-19. Housing Policy Debate, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2024.2365255 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2024.2365255

Stewart, A., & Cloutier, D. (2021). More than a roof; challenges for older women renters in British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Women & Aging, 34(5), 582–595. https://doi.org/10.1080/08952841.2021.1948791 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08952841.2021.1948791

Turner, M. A., Ross, S. L., & Galster, G. C. (2002). Discrimination in metropolitan housing markets: National results from Phase I HDS 2000. Final report. The Urban Institute. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/e717912011-001

UN Habitat. (2014). The right to adequate housing. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Fact Sheet No. 21/Rev.1. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Publications/FS21_rev_1_Housing_en.pdf

UN Women. (2018). Gender and housing in the Pacific. Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2018/10/gender-and-housing-in-the-pacific

UN Women. (2021). Women’s right to adequate housing. Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/housing-and-land-rights/womens-right-to-adequate-housing

United Nations Human Settlements Programme. (2012). Gender issue guide: Housing and slum upgrading. UN-Habitat. https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2020/09/unhabitat_housing_and_slumupgrading.pdf

United Nations Population Fund. (2021). Reproductive health. Retrieved from https://www.unfpa.org/reproductive-health

United Nations. (2019). The right to adequate housing. Environment and Urbanization, 22(2), 230–245.

Unterhalter, E., Longlands, H., & Peppin Vaughan, R. (2022). Gender and intersecting inequalities in education: Reflections on a framework for measurement. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 23(4), 509–538. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2022.2090523 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2022.2090523

Vásquez-Vera, C., Fernández, A., Sánchez-Ledesma, E., Bennett, M., & Borrell, C. (2023). Gender-based differences in the meanings and uses of housing for health and everyday life: An intersectional approach. Women’s Studies International Forum, 99, Article 102761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2023.102761 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2023.102761

Wacquant, L. J. D. (1996). The rise of advanced marginality: Notes on its nature and implications. Acta Sociologica, 39(2), 121–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/000169939603900201 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/000169939603900201

Wang, J., Hadjri, K., Bennett, S., & Morris, D. (2020). The role of cohousing in social communication and sustainable living environments. In A. G. Sayigh (Ed.), Global dwelling: Approaches to sustainability, design and participation (pp. 247–256). WIT Press. https://doi.org/10.2495/GD170201 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2495/GD170201

World Economic Forum. (2020). The global gender gap report 2020. Retrieved from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf

World Health Organization. (2021). Violence against women. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women

Downloads

Published

2025-01-01

How to Cite

Makinde, O. O., & Makinde , O. T. (2025). Gender Disparity and Housing Development: Examining Socioeconomic Barriers and Policy Solutions in Nigeria. Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 9(1), 115–142. https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2025.v9n1-7

Issue

Section

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities

Plaudit

Metrics

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.