04/06/2026
Housing took centre stage at the 70th UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), the principal global intergovernmental body dedicated to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, held at UN Headquarters in New York.
On March 18th, 2026, a virtual side event held during CSW70 focused on strengthening access to justice to advance women’s equitable rights to land and housing. Co-hosted by Rooftops Canada and the Habitat International Coalition (HIC), the session highlighted community-based practices alongside policy and legal frameworks aimed at protecting women's housing rights.
The event featured speakers from Rooftops Canada (Genevieve Drouin), HIC (Yolande Hendler and Diana Wachira), Development Workshop Angola (Allan Cain), Mazingira Institute Kenya (Laureen Odero), Shelter and Settlements Alternatives (SSA) Uganda (Dorothy Baziwe), and the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) (Lauren Royston).
Nearly 50 participants from Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, Europe, and the Middle East joined the discussion, contributing to a rich and globally inclusive exchange.