Open AccessUnderstanding shelter from a gender perspective: the case of Hawassa, Ethiopia
Author(s) -
Faraz Hassan,
Emma J. Grant,
Sophie Stevens
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
environment and urbanization
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.522
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1746-0301
pISSN - 0956-2478
DOI - 10.1177/0956247820942109
Subject(s) - economic growth , perspective (graphical) , socioeconomics , face (sociological concept) , political science , sociology , economics , social science , artificial intelligence , computer science
The city of Hawassa is growing fast, driven by construction of a flagship industrial park that is expected to attract up to 60,000 workers by 2021, mostly young women, arriving without families or dependents, and living off very low wages. Along with these young women, female-headed households; divorced, separated and widowed women; elderly women; and women with disabilities all face severe/acute shelter vulnerabilities. These groups are most likely to struggle to access both formal and informal shelter, related to their below-average income levels but also to other forms of bias and discrimination. This paper draws out key findings on gender and housing from a collaborative study investigating shelter provision in Hawassa, part of a wider research study on inclusive cities in East Africa led by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). It aims to highlight specific constraints faced by women in accessing shelter, and around such issues as informality, safety and security, and infrastructure provision.