World Rural Women's Day
15 October 2006

Poster 2006

 
To see and print poster A4, click here (1500 Ko)  

The logo of the poster is Trademark Registered T and may be reproduced for
information purposes without removing logos and names of the organiser and sponsors.
The use for commercial purposes needs prior permission in writing from
the campaign organizer. Reproduction of the Open Letter is
permitted provided the source is mentioned.
Copyright WWSF 2006

Open Letter to Rural Women of the World 2006

Claim your fundamental, inalienable right
to adequate housing!

Dear Sisters,

Each year for the past 10 years, WWSF raises awareness about the importance of your contributions to sustainable development, household food security and peace, and to finding creative ways to promote your basic human rights. This year's theme "Claim your fundamental, inalienable right to adequate housing", is another right to which you are entitled. It is estimated that today 1.2 billion people in developing countries do not have access to drinking water; 1.8 billion people live without access to adequate sanitation, and 1 billion people live in inadequate housing, with in excess of 100 million living in conditions classified as homelessness. This is totally unacceptable in a world as prosperous as ours where close to 1000 billion dollars are spent every year on defence. A mere fraction of this could build adequate housing for all.

Your right to adequate housing, as an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights, has been recognized, implicitly and explicitly in a range of international and regional human rights instruments. It is identified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art 25) and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art 11), which emphasize that everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate housing.

WWSF has a vision of a world that implements, promotes and protects your rights; provides opportunities to develop your potential, welcomes and respects your voices, views and experiences; a world where your life is free of poverty, discrimination and violence. In such a world, you could make informed choices and not fall victim to discrimination both legally and in practice. Given the importance of housing in our lives, the distinctive relationship between women and housing and the fact that for many women worldwide, home is their primary sphere of activity, placing women at the centre of housing rights is indispensable in enabling significant change.

". States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in rural areas in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, that they participate in and benefit from rural development and, in particular, shall ensure to such women (h) the right to enjoy adequate living conditions, particularly in relation to housing, sanitation, electricity and water supply, transport and communications". Article 14(2) (h) of CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women). As of today, 183 countries are party to the Convention (over ninety percent of the members of the United Nations) which entered into force on 3 September 1981.

Housing and land are key issues for women especially in Africa. The recent growth in numbers of the female poor has been directly linked to the absence of economic opportunities and autonomy, due to a lack of access to economic resources and failure to respect women's rights, including to land and housing. As a result, millions of women have been relegated to slums, squatter settlements, shantytowns, transit centres, refugee camps or the streets, often for no other reason than the circumstance of their gender and the discrimination this social status entails. One crucial way to combat women's poverty and economic marginalization is to make sure that all women realize their fundamental human right to adequate housing and land, without discrimination, and without exception.

The UN Commission on Human Rights reaffirms that discrimination in law against women with respect to having access to acquiring, securing and financing land, property and housing, constitutes a violation of women's human rights in the protection against discrimination. You need to ask yourselves: how do housing violations make women more vulnerable to violence against them? What kind of housing violations do victims of violence face? Has the realization of the right to adequate housing reduced women's vulnerability to violence? What strategies have been effective for addressing violence against women related to housing rights violations?

What you can do? Below are selected recommendations proposed by the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Mr. Miloon Kothari
www.ohchr.org
Demand that your Government

	Implements the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and ratifies the Optional Protocol Addresses women's rights to adequate housing and land in their poverty-reduction strategies, rural development and land reform programs Strengthens national, legal, and policy frameworks for protecting women's rights to adequate housing, land and inheritance and provide avenues for redress where violations occur Introduces constitutional recognition of right to adequate housing, non-discrimination and gender equality Ensures both at the policy and legislative levels, harmonization between provisions in international human rights instruments and religious and customary law and practice in relation to women's equal rights to housing, land, property and inheritance Ensures that gender-sensitive housing policies and legislation are developed, taking into account the situations of specific groups of women who are particularly vulnerable to homelessness and other housing rights violations due to multiple forms of discrimination Ensures access to affordable utilities such as water, electricity and heating, as well as access to education, employment and health facilities Acts with due diligence to prevent, investigate and punish acts of violence against women given the link between violence against women and women's adequate housing Ensures that women can access temporary, appropriate shelters and retain access to adequate housing on a longer-term basis so that they do not have to live in situations of violence in order to access adequate housing Introduces anti-violence provisions in housing legislation and policies and ensures that domestic violence laws include provisions to protect women's right to adequate housing Adopts alternatives to criminalizing activities commonly associated with homelessness and ensures that homeless women re not discriminated against in accessing adequate housing on the grounds of a criminal record; and Accords you equality with men before the laws and equal rights with regard to the movement of persons and freedom to choose your residence.

Dear Sisters,

Please remember that no country or government is allowed to deny you your fundamental universal human rights. On this World Rural Women's Day, let us reaffirm our determination to promote human rights, your well being, and our commitment to build a fairer world for all. We hope that this year's message continues to empower you in lobbying your government to proclaim 15 October a National Rural Women's Day, your Day, where you can show your contributions and remind your Head of State to keep the promises made in your name. We also invite you to nominate candidates for our Prizes for women's creativity in rural life, which we award to 20 or more Laureates every year. Nomination Guidelines are published on Internet http://www.woman.ch and are available via Email wwsf@wwsf.ch
Elly Pradervand, World Rural Women's Day-15 October campaign coordinator & WWSF Executive Director www.woman.ch

Convening organisation: WWSF Women's World Summit Foundation, 11 ave. de la Paix, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Email:  wwsf@wwsf.ch