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Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Housing law, policy and programmes should also ensure that women have the legal literacy and legal resources needed to effectively claim and enforce their rights within the context of eviction. Women must "have the right to relevant information, full consultation and participation throughout the entire [evictions] process, and to propose alternatives that authorities should duly consider" and in the event of eviction "[w]omen and men must be co-beneficiaries of all compensation packages. Single women and widows should be entitled to their own compensation."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- On the positive side, the design of housing itself can certainly encourage greater equality vis-à-vis enjoyment and use of domestic space. An example of new ways of thinking about domestic space from a gender perspective can be seen through the development of housing projects which seek to promote non-hierarchical and more flexible uses of the home. For example, creating personal workspaces inside the home can support women who are more likely to engage in home-based income-generating activities. Another interesting development which can be found in certain policies relates to the design of kitchens, a traditionally female space which is often cramped and separated. The design of housing from a gender-sensitive perspective can better promote family integration, as well as a more equitable sharing of household responsibilities between women and men through openness and shared use of spaces.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- As awareness has grown, many countries have taken steps to amend their laws to ensure that women and girls are able to inherit housing, land and property on an equal basis with men and boys. In Sierra Leone, for example, equality in matters of inheritance is now provided for by a 2007 law, while the Registration of Customary Marriages and Divorce Act of 2007 (amended in 2009) recognizes the right of women to acquire and dispose of property in their own right, and to enter into contracts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Centrality of the right to adequate housing for the development and implementation of the New Urban Agenda to be adopted at Habitat III in October 2016 2015, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Under international human rights law, policies and programmes must be designed in ways that take into account the experiences and realities of marginalized groups so that their disadvantage is addressed in real terms. This is because equality is understood "substantively" and not just "formally". Even where laws and policies appear to be "fair" by treating everyone the same, the experience or effect of laws and policies can be discriminatory owing, for example, to a person's socioeconomic status, housing status or gender. States and subnational governments are obliged to address the needs of those in the most desperate housing situations as a matter of priority and urgency. Positive measures must be taken to reduce stigmatization and address the needs of homeless women and men, residents of informal settlements, low-income households and other groups lacking access to adequate housing.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- States should eliminate discrimination against women and girls in all matters related to inheritance, so they benefit from inheritance on an equal footing with men and boys. States should ensure that the application of customary law and practice does not interfere with the basic right of women and girls to gender equality, including in matters related to housing and land, such inheritance.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Family status depends on honour. In patriarchal and patrilineal societies, maintaining the honour of the family is a woman's responsibility. The concept of women as commodities and not as human beings endowed with dignity and rights equal to those of men is deeply embedded in these societies. Women are seen as the property of men and must be obedient and passive, rather than assertive and active. Any assertive behaviour is considered to be an element that would result in an imbalance of power relations within the parameters of the family unit (E/CN.4/2002/83, para. 27). UNICEF reports that in some countries, early marriages are regarded by families as a means of protecting girls from premarital sex that would undermine their honour and that of their families.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Under article 5 of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, States parties are to take all appropriate measures to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- Customary and traditional justice systems can also threaten women's access to fair and equal justice. Informal justice systems based on custom, tradition or ethnic or religious identity often contain unequal provisions for women and men, do not have sanctions against gender-based violence or other abuses which take place in the domestic sphere, and are sometimes procedurally biased against women. This is especially problematic as it is family laws and property laws that are most often subject to the jurisdiction of such legal systems.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Economic shocks affect women and men differently. Owing to discrimination and gender inequality, women are disproportionately represented in the informal economy and thus have less access than men to many social insurance benefits, such as pensions and unemployment and sickness benefits. Even where women are employed in the formal labour market, discrimination often results in lower wages. Moreover, an interrupted work history as a result of care responsibilities, in particular child-rearing, and a longer life expectancy worldwide reduce the ability of women to contribute to social protection schemes and further disadvantage them in old age.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Unpaid care work and women's human rights 2013, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Undoubtedly, women cannot enjoy this right equally if they have a disproportionate share of (unpaid) work at home. Gendered distribution of, and stereotypical assumptions about, family and caring responsibilities are at the root of much of the discrimination and limitations women experience in the labour market: barriers to entering employment, fewer opportunities for advancement, lower wages and higher levels of informal and insecure work. Moreover, women's right to decent work is consistently perceived as inferior to that of men. Simultaneously, discrimination against men who seek to perform a greater share of caring and family responsibilities further entrenches gender stereotypes and disadvantages women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Unpaid care work and women's human rights 2013, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- The Convention obliges States parties to take all appropriate measures to modify or abolish laws, regulations, customs and practices that discriminate against women (article 2 (f)). This includes the obligation to modify "the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women" (article 5). The gendered division of unpaid care work, fostered by stereotypes which delineate men as breadwinners and women as carers/nurturers, is clearly one such practice.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Penalization of people living in poverty 2011, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- In this respect, women are particularly vulnerable to penalization measures. Due to structural discrimination, women have less representation in structures of power and therefore are disproportionately disadvantaged in their dealings with State authorities and less able to claim their rights. Often penalization measures have a much more onerous impact on women than men, given that women are overrepresented among the poor, have less access to education, employment and economic resources, and assume the principal burden of care and domestic work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Unpaid care work and women's human rights 2013, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- While fostering sociocultural change is a medium- to long-term objective, ensuring the equal enjoyment of rights of men and women is an immediate obligation for States. Therefore they must take immediate actions to alleviate the intensity of women's unpaid care work and redistribute their disproportionate share, including through the "provision of the necessary supporting social services to enable parents to combine family obligations with work responsibilities and participation in public life" (article 11 (2) (c)).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Gender inequality and discrimination patterns greatly affect the equal opportunities of women and men to seek, share and receive information about social protection programmes, participate in decision-making processes and register complaints that can result in local authorities being held accountable. The designing and implementation of participatory channels without taking into account gender relations within the community may reinforce women's dependency on men. For example, women may be present at a community meeting, but gender roles may prevent them from expressing their concerns, especially if male members of the community are present.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The present report stresses the fact that a rights-based approach to social protection programmes will maximize their potential for ensuring the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. This section contains recommendations concerning how to frame the discourse on social protection and the Goals in human rights terms. Social protection interventions based on human rights can ensure that underlying obstacles cutting across all Millennium Development Goals are tackled. As the core of a rights-based social protection system, special attention to the various impacts of poverty on men and women must be provided by policymakers during the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Women rely on social services more than men owing to their reproductive and caregiving roles. Thus, if social services remain indifferent to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women, and if economic barriers such as service fees for health and education remain in place, the potential benefits of social protection will be undermined.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Unpaid care work and women's human rights 2013, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- The unequal distribution of unpaid care work is highly reflective and determinative of power relations between women and men. Discriminatory gender stereotypes, which construe women as second-class citizens whose place is in the home, cause and perpetuate this unequal distribution of work, rendering women's equal enjoyment of rights impossible. Addressing care responsibilities is thus an essential component of the obligations of States to ensure gender equality at home, work and in society more broadly.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Social protection programmes must respect and acknowledge the role played by women as providers of care, without reinforcing patterns of discrimination and negative stereotyping. Measures must be taken to promote the value of care and to combine societal and State responsibilities for care work, encouraging men to participate more actively in supporting and caring for family members.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The positive contribution of social protection to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals depends in large part on access (both economic and physical) to culturally and gender-sensitive social services of good quality. This requires that policymakers understand and take into account the various challenges faced by women and men in seeking to gain access to social services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Unpaid care work and women's human rights 2013, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- However, the demands of unpaid care work often force women into precarious and informal jobs not covered by social insurance schemes linked to employment, such as paid parental leave, unemployment insurance or pensions. This further contributes to their poverty and economic dependency on men.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Compliance with those principles is particularly important in the implementation of social protection systems. This stems from the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, which prohibits any form of discrimination in the fulfilment of all economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to social security, and ensures the equal rights of men and women. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, inter alia, obliges States parties to eliminate or amend policies and practices resulting in unequal access for women to public services such as health care and family benefits. It also highlights the unique challenges faced by working women during pregnancy and maternity and it encourages States to ensure that women have access to various social services that support them as they balance their work and family obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- The Millennium Development Goal review process is an opportunity to build and expand social protection systems, translating statements of commitment to the elimination of extreme poverty into reality. Raising awareness of human rights and how individuals can claim them would further contribute to poverty reduction. Human rights, such as the right to social security, an adequate standard of living and decent working conditions, and equality between women and men, are enshrined in numerous international human rights treaties, under which States are obligated to take concrete measures.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
The importance of social protection measures in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2010, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Social protection programmes must devote particular attention to intra household dynamics and the inequalities and processes that create them. For example, qualifying conditions for benefits should move beyond the household and address how resources are distributed within it. The use of household targeting methods can put women at a disadvantage by ignoring the fact that women, in particular older women and girls, often receive fewer resources than men and boys, regardless of household income.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Without explicit recognition of the different life experiences of minority women and men, such discrimination against women and minority women will often go unnoticed and not be addressed adequately. It is therefore crucial that the diversity that exists within each minority group and the fact that minority women and girls may experience multiple forms of discrimination in the course of their interactions both inside and outside their community be recognized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- The ability to claim rights in front of the courts is important for changing social and cultural attitudes. The courts play a role in condemning practices that reinforce gender stereotypes and can require the State or third parties to adopt measures to address them. Recently, a group of students asked the Supreme Court of India whether menstruation could be a criterion for denying women of a certain age the right to enter a temple and worship in it. The Supreme Court addressed the following questions to the administration of the Sabarimala temple: "If men can go till a point (near the temple) without undertaking austere activities, why can't women go? … Are you associating menstruation with impurity? You are making a classification. Can a biological phenomenon be a reason for discrimination? All practices are acceptable till there is no distinction between genders."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Sociocultural norms, notions of "female modesty" and masculinity and stereotypes concerning gender-assigned roles, including of women as caretakers, translate into unequal opportunities, unequal power and control over finances and resources, as well as unequal household responsibilities. Where legislation and policies reflect stigmatizing attitudes, thereby institutionalizing and formalizing stigma, they must be repealed. States may design and implement, in collaboration with civil society, awareness-raising programmes to enhance positive and non-stereotypical portrayals of women. Initiatives should aim to reveal "invisible" social norms and power relations through a context-specific gender analysis. WaterAid, for example, has undertaken qualitative research to explore how the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services has led to positive changes in gender roles and social relations among men and women .
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The attitudes, stereotypes and prejudices that make up stigma must be uncovered and challenged. In that context, article 5 (a) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women requires States parties to take all appropriate measures "to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women". Similar provisions requiring States to combat stereotypes and prejudices are included in article 8, paragraph 1 (b) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and article 7 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The rationale of these provisions can be transferred to stigmatized groups in general, since prejudices and ideas of inferiority and superiority are central to the formation of stigma.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- In addition to risking physical violence, women and girls may also experience sanitation-related psychosocial stress, including fear of sexual violence. Women and girls who have limited access to sanitation facilities experience environmental barriers when they engage in water, sanitation and hygiene practices, including carrying water, managing menstruation, defecating and bathing, that contribute to that kind of stress. Examples include the fear of encountering snakes and mosquitos when walking to a defecation site, or the stress caused by social norms that view the fact of being seen by men while bathing as negative, among other issues. A better understanding of the range of causes of stress and adaptive behaviours is needed to inform context-specific, gender-sensitive water and sanitation interventions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 1
- Paragraph text
- Inequalities based on gender exist in every country and in all aspects of social life, and are echoed in the vast divides between men and women in their ability to access, manage and benefit from water, sanitation and hygiene. A large and growing body of studies suggests that women and men often have differentiated access, use, experiences and knowledge of water, sanitation and hygiene. Cultural, social, economic and biological differences between women and men consistently lead to unequal opportunities for women in the enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation, with devastating consequences for the enjoyment of other human rights and gender equality more generally.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 77c
- Paragraph text
- [In line with the above, the Special Rapporteur recommends that States:] Make a legitimate effort to prevent and combat the root causes of gender inequalities, including the impacts of social norms, stereotypes, roles and taboos with regard to both women and men, through public campaigns, education and the media, among other measures;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph