CHALLENGES FACING RURAL WOMEN IN HOUSING CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

This research project employed case study methodology to explore challenges encountered by rural women in housing construction within the Nkangala region in Mpumalanga Province. Women‟s involvement in housing delivery can positively impact upon poverty alleviation and issues of governance. Imbalances in access to social and economic resources require long term strategies for women‟s empowerment in the drive for poverty alleviation. Participation in housing and human settlement development can act as an entry point for rural women to gain greater control over access to such resources. The study investigates current developmental interventions by the South African government such as Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), the People‟s Housing Process (PHP) to try and insert a firm agenda for the empowering and socio-economic advancement of women in the public provision of housing