Citation

Namupala N, Nangolo E, Edwards-Jauch L. Namib. J. Soc. Just. 2021; 1: 132-147.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Economic and Social Justice Trust)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Access to urban land and housing in Namibia remains a complex and contentious subject. On the one hand, the pressure on urban land is becoming increasingly acute; on the other, the demand for serviced land and adequate affordable housing is exceeding supply. This article explores the relationship between gender and access to housing in urban areas and its implications for human rights and gender justice in Namibia. Mindful of the fact that housing provides security and stability to individuals and families, discussion is framed in the Intersectional Feminist approach to housing. It questions whether incremental approaches can deliver adequate housing under conditions of precarity and calls for gender-sensitive and gender-transformative approaches to housing. Recognising that women are not a homogenous group, their access to housing depends on where they are socially situated in terms of their "race", class, nationality, marital status, age, ethnicity and disability. Their differential social locations afford privileged access to housing for some while excluding others.

Language: en