Housing Show: NGO seeks partnership with FG to shelter indigent women
By Ella Anokam
Women
Abuja, July 18, 2018 (NAN) The Women in Housing Sector Initiative (WIHSI), a housing NGO, has appealed for Federal Government’s partnership, to achieve its objective of providing affordable housing for indigent women.
Mrs Adenike Fasanya-Osilaja, Founder of the NGO, made the appeal during the convention of the NGO on the sideline of the ongoing 12th Abuja International Housing Show, organised by FESADEB Communications Ltd.
WIHSI Promotes the visibility, advancement and well-being of women in the housing sector and advocates increased empowerment of women through housing stability and home ownership.
Fasanya-Osilaja, an International Housing Finance Consultant noted that the NGO, was focused to ease the plight of indigent women, who were victims of catastrophic circumstances.
Fasanya-Osilaja said that the NGO was interested in working with the government at all levels, to identify and prepare women for duties and privileges of home ownership.
According to her, women have typically been the silent unseen partners in housing arrangements since the olden days, even though in several cultures women could still not own land or property in their names.
“This has created a position of great vulnerability for women, who literally have a roof over their heads at the mercy of one man or the other in their lives.
“The woman’s capacity to have enjoyment in her residence is also directly affected by her relationship with the benefactor, who it is his cultural right to evict her from the property for any reason at any time.
The consultant stated that in Nigeria the cultural norm was for a husband to evict a spouse in case of divorce or separation.
She noted the death of a spouse as another prevalent cause of eviction for women in many Nigerian cultures, noting that the eviction typically involves the children too.
“This is why the WIHSI, an NGO formed by women professionals in the housing sector, has created a highly specialised platform to assist our sisters with this type of need.
“The platform, aptly named `Housing Women, Housing our Future’ is created out of the recognition that those of us with expertise in the sector must pool talents together to support women.
She said “Operation Earn Your Own Home’’ was the pilot programme of the NGO, to ensure that every displaced woman, who achieved home ownership through grant passed it on through specific steps.
Also speaking, Dr Chi Akporji, Nigeria Mortgage and Refinancing Company (NMRC), advised the NGO to key into its Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, which had empowered many artisans.
Akporji said that NMRC was planning to wrap up the programme by involving many women to enhance the sector skill. (NAN)
ELLA/IFY
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Edited by Ifeyinwa Omowole