Complexities in Homeownership: An Exploration of Socio-Religious and Gender Dimensions

Housing literature across the globe is replete with the evidence of gender disparity in homeownership. The cause of this disparity has been associated with a variety of factors including economic, social, political and legal considerations. While these factors have formed the basis for analysing women’s disadvantaged position in homeownership attainment, little is known about the phenomenon in the Ghanaian context. This study uses in-depth interviews to explore the gender disparities in the ownership of housing assets. The findings suggest that social norms encourage male family headship, which is accompanied by the responsibility of providing the essential needs of the family such as a home. This leads to greater homeownership ambitions for men and as well promote the practice where wives allow their husbands to take credit for homes built with financial resources of the former. Religious norms and tenets also condone male family headship, requiring men to be providers of dwellings for their nuclear families.