Housing development and women’s right to land and property

Abstract

Preface. This review report is prepared for Norwegian Federation of Cooperative of Housing Associations (NBBL). In 2003 they entered into a three years development co-operation with Women Advancement trust (WAT) in Tanzania. 2005 is the last year of this cooperation and NBBL wanted a review of the work. The overall aim of the report is to reveal the lessons learned and to give direction to a possible three years extension of the programme. WAT’s programme is diversified containing an information lobby and advocacy component, a housing development and upgrading component and a housing finance scheme. The extraction of lessons learned require knowledge of the activities as well as knowledge about the context in which these activities are carried out. In this report the lessons and recommendations are therefore interlinked with a description of the different activities of WAT. The review team wishes to express gratitude to the members of the housing groups, the officers in WAT, and officers in different governmental offices, for their willingness to share their experience with the review team. We are also grateful to NBBL for the confidence shown by entrusting us the review of the programme. We have undertaken the task to the best of our ability and hope and trust that the views and attitudes of all interviewed persons, residents or officers, are reflected and interpreted in the manner they can identify themselves with. We hope the report is of use for WAT, NBBL and the Norwegian development authorities in their discussions of development policy, especially on issues related to right to urban land and property, women situation and housing development.