Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 51

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Paragraph text: Women who face intersectional discrimination are more vulnerable to losing their homes, and have more difficulty accessing adequate housing in the first place. In the case of women affected by HIV/AIDS, for example, advocates have shown how "One of the greatest obstacles HIV/AIDS infected women confront is their inability to secure property. Women's inability to possess and manage property may result in their impoverishment, particularly in cultures which have a propensity to humiliate or shun HIV/AIDS infected women and girls. In many cases, subsequent to the HIV/AIDS related deaths of male partners or disclosure of their HIV/AIDS status, women are divested of their marital property, inheritance rights, livelihoods, and at times even their children, by relatives who forcibly evict them from their homes." Yet, access to housing and land can also serve as a pivotal means by which to improve the lives of women affected by HIV/AIDS. There is growing evidence to suggest that where women's right to adequate housing is upheld, women are far better able to mitigate the negative impacts of AIDS, and that enjoyment of this right may even help to prevent further spread of HIV/AIDS by promoting women's economic security and empowerment. This example shows how the needs of women who are especially marginalized and disadvantaged must be prioritized.

Body: Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living

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Person(s) affected