By Chris Onuoha

…as Africa Women County initiative enters second phase

In a society that is enmeshed with preferential consideration of certain gender when it comes to priority setting, it would be unheard of when some go out of their way to rewrite the wrongs especially when it is a selfless venture.

This suffices to mean that inequality for a minute sect is inequality in all. That also counts to a troubling issue of gender disparity, marginalization, and impediment of the rights of African women.

Considerations when it comes to the rights of the African woman is the propelling factor that triggered the likes of Belema kalada Meshack-Hart , the executive director of Engage Empower Educate Initiative to initiate an advocacy, to allow women in Africa to inherit properties and also own lands and landed properties in their names.

Although this advocacy has been adopted by some State government in Nigeria, but the number is not encouraging enough. According to International Human Rights Commission, Nigeria’s housing deficit currently stands at 28 million as of 2022.

Statistics also show that 51% of the Nigerian population currently live in rented homes. This poses a huge problem for the average Nigerian with the high inflation rates and constant increase in the prices of basic necessities.

Meshack-Hart has been consistent in his quest to empower the woman and girl child and his latest project is the African Women County, a real estate development solely for women.

According to him, the issue of minimal female ownership of properties poses a great risk, especially to African women who are at risk of losing ownership of the properties co-owned with their spouses in the unfortunate loss of their spouses, or the dissolution of marriages.

“The same goes for the Girl child who is not given top priority when it comes to inheriting their father’s wealth.

“It is in this view that ‘Engage Empower Educate Initiative,’ a non-governmental, non-partisan organization with the vision of advocating, safeguarding, and empowering African women, initiated the African Women County program,” he said.

Meshack-Hart also noted that the African Women County is an ongoing project of Engage Empower Educate Initiative that is targeted at providing women in Africa with sustainable and affordable ownership of real estate properties all over Africa.

“The project also provides these women with the necessary collateral needed to access loans to develop their lands and also grow their businesses.

“The first phase of the African Women County in partnership with Kairos Hof kicked off in the Karsana area of Abuja Nigeria, with over 150 Nigerian women subscribing to the program, thus making the program a huge success.

“The second phase of the African Women’s County which is partnered by Bamboo Real Estate and Construction Limited is about to roll out and it promises to be bigger and better as it plans to extend to other cities across Nigeria and Africa,” Meshack-Hart added.

This is also as the firm calls for interested would be house owners to check their website for information.