A. Groups of women in vulnerable situations
30. There are different groups of women who can be particularly vulnerable to discrimination and, due to a combination of factors, face additional obstacles in accessing adequate housing. The Special Rapporteur reiterates the fact that special attention is required for some groups/categories of women who can be more vulnerable than others, at higher risk of becoming homeless, facing violence or suffering from the consequences of inadequate housing and living conditions.
Such groups often include victims of domestic violence, widowed, elderly, divorced or separated women, female-headed households, women forcibly separated from their children, women victims of forced evictions, indigenous and tribal women, women with disabilities and women in conflict/post-conflict situations, women from ethnic and national minorities, including refugees, migrant women workers, women from descent- and work-based communities, domestic women workers, sex workers, and lesbian and transgender women. The testimonies from recent regional consultations have highlighted additional groups of women who can be particularly vulnerable to violations of their right to adequate housing including Roma/traveller women, women who have become widows as a result of HIV/AIDS, and young women – particularly young homeless women.
Link to full text of the report: Report-SR Adequate housing-2006-eng