Gender inequality in property rights threat to women— NYA boss

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority (NYA) in charge of Finance and Administration, Mrs Akosua Manu has said gender inequality in access to property rights remains the biggest threat to women’s economic progress.

According to her, when women were denied the right to own property, it prevented them from thriving,hence forestalling economic development.

Mrs Manu was speaking at the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) handing over and leadership training for the newly elected officers of the NUGS at the University of Ghana, Legon.

Property rights

She explained that “property rights are about empowering the social and economic position of vulnerable women through less expected but equally important channels.

“Property rights are typically associated with access to housing, a critical need for urban women,” she said.

Throwing more light on the housing factor in property rights, Ms Manu stressed that secure housing provided safe shelter and protection from homelessness after divorce, widowhood, among others.

Enumerating other channels of empowering women with property rights, she said savings account in a woman’s name offered a basic form of security and insurance. She said, “a study from Nepal showed that 78 per cent of poor women who were offered a savings account actively used it and as a result increased their monetary assets by more than 50 per cent”.

The Deputy CEO advised that, “without the safety net ownership of property, women and other marginalised demographics will always be excluded from taking power in politics, industry and society”.

She also identified cultural biases and physical, psychological and sexual violence, as well as imposter syndrome among others as threats women in leadership face.