Evidence is mounting that secureproperty rights have positive effects for poor people ingeneral and women in particular. The aim of this report isto review what is known about women s access to and controlover land and real property in urban settings, identifyingapproaches to strengthening property rights that enhancewomen s agency, and sharing key lessons. Section twosynthesizes the evidence on urban women s priorities withrespect to land and housing; the factors that influencewomen s access to and control over land and secure tenure,including legal and institutional frameworks and socialrelationships, especially within the family; and what isknown about the extent to which women have access to,control over and use of urban land and housing, and throughwhat forms of tenure. In section three, recent reform oflaws, policies and practices to meet the needs of poorpeople in urban areas, especially women, will be assessed.Section four provides a short discussion of some of thestrategies, tactics and alliances that are being adopted tobring about legal reforms and to influence the content,design and implementation of programs in urban areas. Thereport draws on successive research projects by the authorand her colleagues on land and housing markets and policies,urban livelihoods, and urban politics and governance in avariety of contexts, in particular Rakodi (2010).