Urban Planning, Housing and the Socio-Economic Development of Women in a Developing Country

The paper identifies aspects of housing and urban development legislation that inhibit the socio-economic progress of women in Cameroon. Three components of the legislation, namely the urban master plan, the land use decree and the building control ordinance are shown to imbibe elements that are overtly biased against women. Measures deemed capable of making housing and urban development policy outcomes more equitable for male and female members of the Cameroonian society are proposed. By focusing on the implications of government policies for women, the paper promotes understanding of the factors that have historically contributed to gender-based socio-economic disparities in Cameroon, in particular, and in developing nations in general