Gender mainstreaming and women’s right to adequate housing

The existing gender gap regarding housing mainly affects women negatively. In Ecuador, this disparity is highly significant (Acosta, 2019). This has affected the women’s right to adequate housing, hampering their socio-economic rights that limit their access to proper accommodation. Therefore, a gender-sensitive approach is required to fulfil their housing rights. Despite there is a regulatory framework of gender mainstreaming for the Ecuadorian public institutions, the housing sector little embraces regarding gender perspective in its structural, regulatory and participation levels. This study aims to comprehend how gender is mainstreamed in the housing sector, using the Ecuadorian case as an example. This research tries to analyse the gender theories and housing literature and how they are implemented in practice. The study also looks into the gender barriers women face daily and how it affects their affordability and accessibility, culminating in gendering the right to housing. The research adopts a case study approach as a research strategy with an emphasis on qualitative techniques. The study was done with semi-structured interviews based on open-ended questions. The research was conducted on 18 respondents, nine from housing civil servants and nine from non-government organisations and gender experts. Additionally, content analysis was used to analyse existing housing public policies and gender plans to identify how the public policies in Ecuador are implemented under the lens of gender. The study has found that housing has not been fully recognised as a gender equality issue in the housing policies of Ecuador. It has been acknowledged that housing as a gender problem has much to do with the inactions of public decisions. Besides, it has been challenging to study gender mainstreaming in the housing sector as an isolated strategy. The study suggested that gender mainstreaming should be done comprehensively for all public institutions at all levels as an integral component. It is imperative to include gender awareness and gender inclusiveness at the national and municipal levels to achieve horizontal gender equality in public institutions, allowing them to develop knowledge and tools to implement housing policies under affordable and accessible adequate housing principles.