There is broad global agreement that secure property rights help eradicate poverty and that securing women’s land rights reduces gender inequality.

By Sarah Logan and Mallory Baxter

African cities are rapidly expanding as the number of urban residents rises due to rural-urban migration and population growth. Ad hoc urban expansion contributes to an increase in unplanned settlements, urban poverty and inequality, and constraints on new residents, who are attempting to secure access to adequate housing, property rights, employment, and basic services.