This week, the Arns Commission for the Defense of Human Rights delivered to the United Nations (UN) a report that exposes the growing vulnerability of homeless women in Brazil.
The document was presented to the UN Cedaw Committee (Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women) in partnership with the National Homeless Movement, the National Movement for the Struggle in Defense of the Homeless Population and the State Movement of the Homeless Population in São Paulo.
The report points out that, although they represent only 13% to 15% of all homeless people in Brazil, women are the victims of 40% of serious cases of violence against this population. Underreported, the data hide an even more serious reality, according to the Arns Commission.
Through interviews, the document delivered to the UN exposes the health problems faced by homeless women, such as lack of access to basic menstrual hygiene and sexual violence. The document lists reports of women who are forced to choose their sexual aggressors as a form of protection against other dangers on the streets.
“One of the most shocking reports was hearing from a woman that on the street they have to choose who will be their rapist. And which rapist will become a kind of companion who will protect her from other rapists. The women themselves say that it is It’s better to do that than to be left with a lost soul at the disposal of all types of violence”, sociologist Maria Victoria Benevides, president of the Arns Commission.
Street children
The Arns Commission and the homeless population movement proposed urgent measures, such as the establishment of decent shelters and access to specialized medical and legal services.
The president of the Arns Commission also noted an increase in the number of children living on the streets with their mothers and says that the situation was worsened by the economic crisis during the covid-19 pandemic.
“After the covid-19 pandemic, which led to unemployment and family breakdowns, the homeless population was added to those who had been homeless for some time. Families were forced to abandon their simple and poor homes on the outskirts, as they could not more pay the rent. This significantly increased the population on the streets, intensifying the presence of women and women with children.”
Arns Commission recommends detailed census with homeless population
The report highlights the need for a detailed census that traces the demographic characteristics and causes that led these women to homelessness, in order to target efforts more effectively.
Given this scenario, the Arns Commission hopes that the report delivered to the UN will stimulate concrete actions on the part of authorities, not only to fulfill international commitments to combat discrimination against women, but also to protect the most basic human rights of those who face harsh realities of Brazilian streets.
“The issue of homeless women is not just a question of social assistance, but rather a question of justice and human dignity that requires an urgent and coordinated response from all sectors of society and government”, concluded the president of the Arns Commission.
Editing: Thalita Pires
