Dear colleagues and members of the Housing, Land, and Property Area of Responsibility,

Access to, use and control of housing land and property (HLP) is one of the principal factors determining the economic and social wellbeing of women and is essential for women to survive displacement and recover from conflict when their rights are violated at a mass scale. Women’s insecurity of tenure in relation to land and property threatens food security and the well-being of their families, particularly when they are the head of the household. During conflict and displacement, existing patterns of discrimination are exacerbated. Displaced women face intersectional discrimination – as women, as refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), as returnees, as members of economically disadvantaged groups, and as members of ethnic and/or religious minorities. They experience higher rates of poverty than men, face increased risk of gender-based violence, and shoulder the responsibility of caring for their children and other family members.

This month we are pleased to share with you the special edition of our newsletter featuring security of tenure for displaced women. With contribution from several agencies and sectors and covering country examples, this edition aims to speaks of the key challenges and trends. Beyond that this edition aims to illustrate important initiatives carried out by local civil society, NGOs and international agencies to support women access to HLP.