The positive trend of increasing girls’ education in developing nations has led to an unexpected economic challenge in the housing market. As more women enter the workforce with higher qualifications, dual-income households are becoming the norm, yet this additional wealth is predominantly being absorbed by escalating housing costs.
Rising property prices demonstrate a strong correlation with increased household incomes derived from women’s workforce participation. This pattern emerged prominently in Britain during the 1980s, where the transformation in household earnings stemmed primarily from secondary incomes rather than significant raises for primary wage earners.
The diminishing social housing sector has forced dual-income families into the private market, creating a bidding war for properties near quality schools, efficient transport links, and employment hubs. This competition has driven prices to unprecedented levels, making housing costs the dominant factor in monthly household expenditure.
Social housing programmes, designed to balance local property markets and provide affordable options, remain insufficient worldwide. The World Bank projects that by 2025, approximately 1.6 billion people will be affected by global housing shortages. Even Nigeria’s state-funded initiatives, like many developing nations, fall short of addressing the magnitude of the crisis.
The economic reality presents a concerning paradox: whilst early-adopter dual-income families might secure property ladder positions, subsequent generations face crippling housing and childcare costs. Without robust social housing frameworks, developing nations risk replicating the Western pattern where private sector property investment continues to consume rising disposable incomes.
International financial institutions’ reluctance to intervene in property markets, coupled with global investors’ appetite for real estate returns, creates a perfect storm. The solution lies in establishing substantial socially owned, affordable housing programmes to counter private developers’ tendency to restrict supply and maintain elevated prices.
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