The Women and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Working Group (WESCR WG) of ESCR-Net undertook an analytical report in relation to housing, land, and natural resources (HLNR) beginning in 2015 and culminating in an analytical report. The main objectives of this project were to gain a greater understanding of the challenges preventing the realization of women’s rights related to HLNR, as well as the extent to which ESCR-Net members are working on these challenges currently, with the ultimate aim of guiding the WESCR WG’s strategy for future collective work in this area. This report sets out the findings of this mapping exercise, setting this analysis within a brief outline of the current context relevant to HLNR.
The mapping exercise consisted of two primary parallel activities. First was a member strategic exchange: the WESCR WG organized two capacity building workshops, one in Mexico City (November 2014) and the second in Nairobi (June 2015). Subsequently, the WESCR WG organized a more extensive strategy meeting in Montevideo focused on HLNR in August 2015. Secondly, a survey on housing, land and property was conducted over the course of about a year (primarily in 2015). In this process, 57 participants completed a survey initiated by the WESCR WG, the majority of these being ESCR-Net organizational members from across Working Groups. The survey contained both qualitative and quantitative questions and was designed to provide an overall snapshot of key issues in relation to women’s rights related to housing, land and property, as informed by the experience and work of respondents, and to determine the scope and extent of the work conducted by ESCR-Net members in relation to these issues. To complement these findings, the survey also included a number of detailed qualitative questions for the purpose of better understanding the complexities connected with the realization of relevant rights, the specific activities of members, and the possible collective work respondents considered useful to address existing challenges and advance work in this area.
ESCR-Net is grateful for the support of Michael Clark in the analysis of survey material and drafting of this report.