As part of Urban October 2025, the Habitat International Coalition Women and Habitat Africa Working Group (HIC-WHAWG) convened a focused engagement on women’s rights to land, housing, and livelihoods in urban crises. This online knowledge-sharing session brought together HIC members, grassroots women, youth, researchers, and civil society organizations from across Africa to reflect on challenges, share experiences, and co-develop strategies for inclusive urban responses.
Focus of the Event
Urban crises—driven by climate change, conflict, and forced evictions—disproportionately impact women, particularly those living in informal settlements. Women often face:
- Tenure insecurity and risk of displacement
- Limited access to shelter, basic services, and livelihoods
- Exclusion from urban planning and decision-making processes
HIC-WHAWG highlighted the double burden carried by women as primary caregivers and as frontline actors navigating these crises. The session emphasized that sustainable recovery requires gender-responsive, inclusive, and reparations-focused approaches.
Key Highlights and Discussions
- Women’s Struggles for the Right to the City – Case studies from Kenya, including impacts of urban development and environmental clean-ups such as the Nairobi River Regeneration Program.
- Climate Change Impact Assessment and Justice Tools – Showcasing digital tools and community-led mapping from Uganda that empower women to document land and housing rights, monitor violations, and strengthen claims for reparations.
- Reparations for Sustainable Recovery – Lessons from DRC, Sudan, and other conflict-affected countries, emphasizing the restoration of women’s rights to land, housing, and livelihoods as a central pillar for inclusive urban recovery.
Innovations and Approaches
The session explored people-centered, data-driven tools such as:
- Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) – mapping land use rights outside formal systems
- Violation Impact Assessment Tool – documenting forced evictions and climate-related displacement
- Climate Violation Assessment Tool – tracking the impacts of climate disasters on vulnerable communities
These tools help make invisible claims visible, support reparations processes, and strengthen advocacy for justice-oriented urban policies.
Outcomes and Next Steps
The engagement reaffirmed the importance of:
- Gender-responsive and community-driven urban crisis management
- Reparations as a key element of sustainable recovery
- Collective advocacy and knowledge sharing to influence policy dialogues and urban planning processes across Africa
HIC-WHAWG continues to consolidate its efforts in promoting women’s rights to land, housing, and livelihoods, strengthening the feminist approach across HIC Africa initiatives, and advancing inclusive, resilient urban development.
