The increased realisation of the importance of women’s housing rights has led to major advancements at both national and international levels
In all parts of the world, women’s human rights advocates and housing rights advocates alike have fought to make housing rights laws, policies and standards work for women Not all housing policies – even despite some good intentions – are prowomen
Women and Housing Rights STRATEGIES TO ENFORCE Women’s Housing Rights
Over the past decade, women’s housing rights have increasingly garnered the attention of the international community. Once seen as being issues merely peripheral to human rights concerns, it has become ever clearer that in order for women to realise the full range of their human rights, housing security is -- indeed essential. Without a doubt, advocates all over the world are increasingly recognising that issues such as domestic
violence, disinheritance, women’s health, women’s experience of forced evictions, the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on women and girls, and women’s food security, are all fundamentally and intimately connected to the theme of women’s housing rights. Women’s housing rights are also now understood in a more inclusive way, with the understanding that housing security for a woman implies more than just a roof over her head. Rather, adequate housing consists of basic components, such as the rights to water and sanitation, which are in fact indispensable to women’s daily lives. Perhaps one of the greatest achievements in the field of women’s housing rights advocacy is that activists increasingly view housing rights in conjunction with other human rights, including the rights to water and sanitation, the right to health, the right to information and the right to
full and effective participation. In all regions of the world, advocates have made critical inroads. Globally, despite the increased attention given to women’s housing rights, it remains essential to actually secure these rights in practice. The good news is that international, regional and national systems now have widespread jurisprudence to secure and promote women’s housing, land and property rights. However, gender-based bias grounded on traditional norms that favour men still prevent too many women from enjoying these rights. One of the leading mistakes that lawmakers and government authorities make is to believe that ‘gender neutral’ laws will not, in fact, disadvantage women. The truth, however, is that unless advancing women’s equality becomes a central focal point for the development of housing policy, women’s needs and rights will continue to be marginalised, and their status will remain second-class.
Strategies to Enforce Women’s Housing Rights Awareness raising: Women often lack awareness about their human rights in general, and their housing and land rights in particular. There is also lack of awareness on the existing legal provisions and systems that protect the women’s rights, including housing and land rights. Women should be educated on their rights so that they can claim them. Advocacy: Advocates for women’s rights should use various strategies at national, regional and international levels to ensure the realisation of women’s housing and land Advocacy on women’s housing and land rights, however, cannot e removed from the broader context of omen’s human rights advocacy, including the inclusion of women’s rights within the broader human rights framework.
Working at local levels: Community-based initiatives are an important part of both advocacy and awareness-raising. Implementation of human rights norms at the local level, particularly with the support of local leaders, and can help to address issues such as access to justice for women when national mechanisms and resources are unavailable, inaccessible, or ineffective. Legal reform: Governments must repeal laws that discriminate against women and should be encouraged to adopt new laws which recognise and protect women’s housing and land rights, including incorporating a gendersensitive perspective in housing and land related laws and policies.
Using the international human rights framework: Advocates should bring international human rights instruments which protect women’s housing and land rights to the attention of national and local governments, and encourage ratification of international human rights treaties. Advocates can inform government authorities of their responsibilities under international law. In many cases, this can be an effective platform for change. Media campaigns: Media campaigns can be particularly useful on their own, and can also be used to complement other strategies, including litigation and legislative lobbying to generate awareness of international human rights norms and encourage support for women’s housing and land rights at the national and local level. Taking a woman-centred approach: Women’s housing rights advocates are increasingly working to define and highlight what housing rights really mean for women and to address women’s practical and strategic housing needs.