About Us

Latin America Women and Habitat Network is made up of NGOs and individual women committed to the promotion of women's rights and to greater gender equity in the field of human settlements OR in issues related to the Habitat Agenda OR in relation to urban land and housing issues.. The structure consists of a regional coordinator, representatives from NGOs and institutions in diverse Latin American countries, and individual women members. Since its formation in 1989, the Women and Habitat Network has advanced in the development of knowledge and action related to women's right to land, housing, and the city.

Latin America Women and Habitat also forms part of the MARCOSUR Feminist Articulation, a space made up of diverse regional networks that proposes consolidating a line of thinking to potentialize women's political participation in processes of regional integration and in defense of their rights. Latin America Women and Habitat is also a part of HIC (Habitat International Coalition), with representatives on its board.

Latin America Women and Habitat Network also participates in regional and international campaigns that push for the fulfillment of social, economic, and cultural rights of all citizens, with particular attention to women's as-yet-unmet rights.

Latin America Women and Habitat collaborates closely with Women and Cities International/Femmes et Villes, another member newtork of the Huairou Commission, on shared goals and common projects, particularly on safer cities work in the Governance campaign.

We focus on:
* Producing knowledge related to gender-differential issues in access to land, housing, urban services, safety in the city, and participation in local management, with an emphasis on situations of poverty and social inequity that affect women in the region.
* Developing initiatives, programs, and projects that contribute to bettering women's living conditions in human settlements.
* Strengthening women's leadership, demands, and dialogue with local governments to promote their citizenship and drive change in their living conditions.
*Awareness raising, training, and cooperative work with civil society organizations and municipal employees and politicians to influence public policies, programs, and projects in the field of habitat and territory from a gender-equity perspective.
* Disseminating and exchanging knowledge and experiences in the field of habitat from a gender perspective, through publications, websites, workshops and seminars, and participation in international events and forums.
* Coordinating actions with other women's networks and feminist networks in Latin America and other continents with the goal of influencing governments' agendas and promoting the fulfillment of their international commitments with regard to equal opportunity policies for women.
* Combining forces with other social movements and organizations, driving actions and proposals at local, regional, and international levels for a more fair and equitable society for men and women.
Approach

Latin America Women and Habitat Network understands that to be effective, the commitment of various actors are necessary. Commitments are need for transferring capacities and tools to governments to design equality policies., andCommitments are also needed for women's organizations and community leaders to empower them and strengthen dialogues on women's proposals with those responsible for the design and implementation of public policies.

We believe that when women recognize their rights, it is possible to demand that governments make these rights a reality.

Latin America Women and Habitat has implemented different programs with the participation of institutions and women's networks from various countries, from a feminist and women's human rights perspective. The actions realized address the following issues:

- Women's right to safe cities.
- Right to housing and the city: territorial, cultural, and legal dimensions.
- Local development and territorial management.
- Public spaces and urban services: differential impact based on gender.
- Daily life and use of time.
- Governability and citizenship: the role of local governments and public policies on gender.
- Structural adjustment programs and poverty in Latin America and their impact on women.
- Credit and finance programs.

To learn more about our network and get updates on our work, please visit us at: www.redmujer.org.ar

HC Campaign Activities

Community Resilience Campaign

Seminar-Workshop "Rebuild the country, citizenry, gender, and territory" held in Talca, Chile, June 29 - July 1, 2010, as part of the UNIFEM Regional Program "Cities without Violence against Women, Cities Free from Violence for All" implemented in Chile by SUR Corporation, member of the Latin America Women and Habitat Network, with the participation of leaders of the Community Resilience Campaign from GROOTS International and the Women and Peace Network in Central America. Also, members ofthe Latin America Women and Habitat Network from Chile, Colombia, and Guatemala. The seminar brought together professionals, authorities, civil society representatives, and representatives of women's groups to dialogue and share experiences and proposals about a participatory reconstruction with gender equality.

Governance Campaign

Latin America Women and Habitat Network contributes to this campaign through the Regional Program "Cities without Violence against Women, Cities Free from Violence for All", executed by UNIFEM with the support of AECID and implemented by the Women and Habitat Network; and the Gender Inclusive Cities Program coordinated by WICI and financed by the Trust Fund, with different activities in Latin American countries:
• Training and transferring tools to governments and women's organizations.
• Public consciousness-raising campaigns in the street, transport, and the media.
• Supporting the elaboration of women's agendas regarding the right to the city and their dialogue with governments.
• Participating in regional and international events together with other women's networks, feminists, local female authorities, and grassroots women for political advocacy.
• Contributions to policy or development of campaigns (a member network might have contributed to a campaign without doing a specific "activity," so we want to highlight that).

The Latin America Women and Habitat Network has led public campaigns for International Habitat Day (2009), as well as for the International Nonviolence Day, International Women's Day, and other emblematic dates. The Network recently co-organized events within the 2010 World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Tthe Women and Gender Round Table "Towards Safer Cities for Women" and the Networking Event "Are Cities Safe and Inclusive for Women?".

To learn more about our network and get updates on our work, please visit us at: www.redmujer.org.ar

At the grassroots level, the Latin America Women and Habitat Network supports the strengthening of alliances among grassroots groups from the region's countries and has participated in the Women's Academies held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2010); Bogota, Colombia (2009); and Lima, Peru (2008).

Our Successes

Latin America Women and Habitat Network, as a member of the Hauirou Commission, is a regional reference for women's networks, local authorities, and women's organizations, because of its commitment to women's rights and specifically women's rights to land, housing, and the city. Women and Habitat Network can clearly see its influence in concrete institutional change throughout the region. Regional governments and women's organizations have incorporated issues into their agendas that are not traditionally included.

For example, currently many Equal Opportunity plans in Latin America now include women's right to the city. Other examples include the formation of Women's Safety Councils, as is the case in Bogota, Colombia, and the incorporation of a women's perspective in Strategic Plans and Territorial Order Plans (Rosario, Argentina and Bogota, Colombia).

The Women and Habitat Network has a website with information about current and past programs and projects, publications, articles, events, news, courses, congresses, etc. It is available at www.redmujer.org.ar

Diverse publications in Spanish, English, and Portuguese are available on the website at: http://www.redmujer.org.ar/publicaciones.html

Where We Work

CISCSA - Regional Coordination. (ARGENTINA)

Liliana Rainero
9 de julio 2482 - B° Alberdi
5003 Córdoba - Argentina
Tel. y Fax: +54 (351) 489 1313
E-mail: ciscsa@ciscsa.org.ar

RED HÁBITAT - FUNDAPROVI (BOLIVIA)
Anelise Melendez Lundgren
Av. Juan Pablo II Nº 606
Villa Tunari - El Alto, Bolivia
Casilla de correo: 4009
Tel: 591-2-2865350 / 591-2-2845515
Fax: 591-2-2864230 / 591-2-2845515

IBAM (BRASIL)
Delaine Martins Costa
Largo Ibam No 1. Humaitá 22271-070
Rio de Janeiro - Brasil
Tel : 55(21) 2536.9797 - Fax: 55(21)2537.1262
www.ibam.org.br

UNIÃO NACIONAL POR MORADIA POPULAR (BRASIL)
María das Graças de Jesus Xavier Vieira
Rua João de Barros N° 76 - Barra Funda
São Paulo - SP - Brasil
Tel.: 55-11-3825-5725 / 3667-2309 - Fax: 3822-0090

AVP - Asoc. Vivienda Popular (COLOMBIA)
Marisol Dalmazzo
Av. 39 No 14-66
Bogotá - Colombia
www.avp.org.co

SUR - Corporación de Estudios Sociales y Educación (CHILE)
Olga Segovia
José Manuel Infante 85. Providencia
Santiago - Chile
Tel: 56 2 235-8143/236 0470 - Fax: 2359091
www.sitiosur.cl

Colectivo Feminista para el Desarrollo Local (EL SALVADOR )
Morena Herrera
Colonia Buenos Aires, Calle Gabriela Mistral, casa 224
San Salvador - El Salvador
Tel: 503 22 260356
www.colectivafeminista.com

Fundación Guatemala (GUATEMALA)
Maite Rodríguez Blandón
7ª Calle A 20-53, Zona 11 Mirador
Ciudad de Guatemala
Tel: 502 5 2942490
Telefax: 502 2 4753470 / 2 4753474

Alejandra Massolo (MEXICO)

CMP Flora Tristán (PERU)
Programa de Participación Política y Descentralización
Diana Miloslavich Tupac, coordinadora
Parque Hernan Velar Nº 42 Lima 1
Lima - Perú
Tel.: 511 4339060 / 4332765 - Fax: 511 4339500
www.flora.org.pe

Cotidiano Mujer (URUGUAY)
Silvana Pissano
Montevideo - Uruguay
www.cotidianomujer.org.uy

To learn more about our network and get updates on our work, please visit us at: www.redmujer.org.ar