International Journal of Gender & Women's Studies

“The Right to Adequate Housing: Palestinian-Single Mothers in Israel"
Tal Meler, Ph.D

Abstract
This article presents the issue of housing for Palestinian-Israeli single-mothers, presenting both a gender analysis of their available housing options and the case for their right to adequate housing. A critical analysis from the perspective of gender mainstreaming on these women's rights to adequate housing creates a prism for examining additional spheres of life that relate to them and their children. The paper is based on a study I conducted among Palestinian-Israeli single-mothers, whether divorced, separated or widowed, which examined their situation and status in their families and communities. The data was collected through indepth semi-structured interviews which were analyzed according to the principles of feminist research. The findings indicate that in the absence of government solutions, women are relegated to repressive family arrangements without autonomous spaces for themselves and their children. Their existential and housing difficulties can in extreme cases even put their lives at risk.

Full Text: PDF      DOI: 10.15640/ijgws.v3n2a8