A/HRC/14/30 and regeneration of the areas concerned, or for the holding of major events.71 In the absence of alternative accommodation provided by States, the evicted residents are often rendered homeless and pushed into areas where they have no access to basic services, employment opportunities or sources of livelihood.72 Reports suggest that irregular migrants are often arrested and arbitrarily deported to their countries of origin following forced evictions.73 These practices of forced evictions clearly undermine not only migrants’ right to adequate housing, but also other related rights such as the rights to health, food, water and education. C. The right to adequate housing for migrant women 53. Women face significant barriers in accessing adequate housing due to discrimination74 and migrant women are subject to multiple discrimination given their marginalized status in societies. Labour market opportunities for women from developing countries are often skewed towards care activities, domestic work and the informal sector, which often provide very low wages and labour protections.75 Clearly, the resultant low socio-economic status of migrant women adversely affects their access to housing. 54. In some occupations, such as domestic work, women migrant workers may be provided with housing by their employers or legally required to live with them as part of the conditions for their visa sponsorships.76 However, numerous reports indicate that the housing conditions of domestic workers are often grossly inadequate, without running water or adequate sanitary facilities.77 Such workers may also have no privacy and may be forced to sleep on the kitchen or bathroom floor, which degrades the workers’ dignity and leads to psychological abuse.78 Even in such situations, migrant women would be reluctant to complain about the housing conditions for the fear of the loss of employment and forced evictions, thereby perpetuating the violations of their right to adequate housing. 55. The Special Rapporteur also recalls the linkage between violence against women and the right to adequate housing.79 Many migrant women are vulnerable to various forms of violence, including domestic violence, sexual abuse and harassment, physical violence and forced evictions. Such violence is a serious concern for migrant domestic workers, whose options are effectively reduced to either enduring violence or reporting it to the authorities, thereby risking homelessness and eventual loss of employment and deportation. Further, migrant women at risk of homelessness are made even more vulnerable to further violence, such as sexual exploitation and trafficking. 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 GE.10-12615 A/HRC/4/18, para. 8 and A/HRC/13/20, para. 6. UNDP, Human Development Report 2009 (see footnote 17), p. 87. See for example COHRE, Forced Evictions: Violations of Human Rights 2003–2006 (Geneva, 2006), p. 93. See reports by the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, E/CN.4/2006/118 and E/CN.4/2005/43. UNDP, Human Development Report 2009, p. 51. See for example Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights and Caram-Asia, “The situation of women migrant domestic workers in Bahrain”, report submitted to the forty-second session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, October 2008, sixth page. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, general recommendation No. 26, para. 17. Human Rights Watch, “As if I Am Not Human”, p. 51. E/CN.4/2005/43, para. 41. 15