The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned that millions of displaced and migrant women and girls around the world continue to lack access to safe and adequate shelter, increasing their exposure to violence, exploitation, and exclusion from essential services. Marking International Women’s Day, the organisation urged governments and partners to increase investment in gender-responsive shelter solutions that protect the safety, rights, and dignity of women and girls affected by crises.
Women and girls make up nearly half of the global displaced population, yet many remain without secure and dignified housing. In emergency situations, inadequate living conditions can significantly increase the risk of gender-based violence, abuse, and exploitation. The lack of safe shelter also makes it more difficult for women and girls to access support services and rebuild their lives after displacement.
Across many displacement settings, women and girls often live in overcrowded, unsafe, or temporary shelters that negatively affect their health, education, and overall wellbeing. In addition, many lack identity documentation, which prevents them from accessing services, reclaiming property, or securing housing solutions. This lack of documentation further deepens their vulnerability and limits opportunities for recovery.
Even after returning home, many women face barriers in reclaiming land or property due to discriminatory legal systems and limited documentation. Globally, women represent less than 20 percent of landholders, highlighting persistent inequality in land and property rights. Without secure tenure, women remain at risk of eviction, secondary displacement, and exclusion from humanitarian assistance.
To address these challenges, IOM works with women, local communities, and authorities to design shelter programmes that are safe, dignified, and adapted to local needs. These efforts aim to link emergency shelter support with long-term housing and land tenure solutions to strengthen resilience and reduce future risks. However, significant funding gaps continue to limit the scale of these programmes.
IOM is calling for stronger gender-responsive humanitarian and development actions that go beyond providing shelter to include legal and policy reforms that improve women’s access to housing, land, and tenure rights. As the organisation prepares to co-lead the Global Shelter, Land and Site Coordination Cluster, it reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that safe shelter remains central to protection and recovery efforts for displaced women and girls worldwide.
