Mainstreaming Gender in Housing Policies and Programs

Worldwide, women are more exposed to poverty and unpaid work, which generates an undeniable gender pay gap and lowers the socio-economic position of women. Such discrimination makes women’s access to adequate housing more difficult, and the result is that women are more vulnerable to risks such as homelessness, forced evictions, and violence and health issues associated to unsafe and low-quality housing. Under the framework of human rights, women’s right to adequate housing is a key aspect towards reducing inequality.

Even though international bodies and national legislations may recognize the issue of women’s unequal access to adequate housing, the reality is that gender gaps are almost never tackled by housing policies. While some countries’ constitutions may have included wording on equal rights of women to access land, property and housing, the actual effectiveness of these commitments, and their translation into active housing policies, is still far from reality. Reformulated housing policies could be one of the most important vectors to reduce gender inequality.

Accordingly, what are the most effective ways of mainstreaming gender issues in housing policies? How to raise awareness of governments and other stakeholders to the fact that the reduction of gender inequality is crucial to achieve urban sustainability?

How to involve women in the processes of decision-making and strategic planning? What are some existing policies and best practices that showcase the success of the integration of gender-related aspects in housing policies?