CEDAW/C/51/D/19/2008 8.13 As to the author’s allegation that the State party has contravened article 14, paragraph 2 (h), of the Convention, the State party submits that the author does not have standing to represent the interests of women in general, women living in rural areas generally or women living in the specific area of Rae-Edzo, Northwest Territories. It maintains that there is no evidence that the State party’s authorities have applied their policies or procedures in respect of housing unfairly, in a discriminatory manner, in contravention of article 14, paragraph 2 (h), of the Convention. The author has not advanced any evidence indicating that the removal of her name from the Assignment of Lease was motivated by or in any way a by-product of a failure on the part of the State party’s authorities to refrain from engaging in any act or practice of discrimination against women in general or women in rural areas in particular, or a failure on the part of the State party’s authorities to ensure that the agents of the Government of the Northwest Territories refrain from engaging in any such acts or practices of discrimination against such women. The State party submits that the author has failed to substantiate this allegation and to demonstrate any violation of article 14, paragraph 2 (h), of the Convention. 8.14 The State party further submits that many of the constitutional protections and legislative measures set out above in response to the author’s allegations under article 2, paragraph (e), of the Convention serve to demonstrate that it has appropriate measures in place, as required by article 14, paragraph 2 (h), of the Convention, to eliminate discrimination against women in rural areas in order to ensure, on the basis of equality of men and women, that they participate in and benefit from rural development, and in order to also ensure that women have an equal right to enjoy adequate living conditions. It proceeds to describe the policies and programs designed to meet the housing needs of women. 8.15 With respect to the author’s allegations in regard to article 15, paragraph 4, of the Convention, the State party questions the applicability of this article of the Convention, given the Committee’s general recommendation No. 21. The State party also submits that the author has failed to bring forth any evidence demonstrating that she was precluded in any manner from choosing the domicile (―country‖) in which she intended to reside ―on the same basis as a man,‖ or that her freedom to choose her residence was restricted on account of any discriminatory conduct, whether direct or indirect, on the part of the authorities. The State party does acknowledge that it became legally impossible for the author to acquire the specific Rae-Edzo property as a consequence of the fact that the property came to be lawfully occupied by third-party individuals in the years following the removal of her name from the Assignment of Lease, but it notes that various positive steps had been taken in order to remedy the situation of the author, and to allow her to once more reside in the community of Rae-Edzo, thus respecting her particular spiritual connection with the land where that community is located. 12 The State party submits that the author is currently living in housing provided by the North Slave Housing Corporation, and has been living in housing provided by this housing authority since 2006. The State party submits that the facts fail to demonstrate that the author has been denied the opportunity to choose her place of residence as required by article 15, paragraph 4, of the Convention, and accordingly maintains that the author has not demonstrated a contravention of article 15, paragraph 4 of the Convention. 8.16 With respect to the author’s allegations in regard to article 16, paragraph 1 (h), of the Convention, the State party submits that the author has not pointed to any property laws or customs that discriminate against married or unmarried women in respect of the ownership, 12 The State party refers to the various other housing options that were offered to the author over the course of the many years leading up to the filing of her communication before the Committee, as well as the various housing programs and options currently available in the Northwest Territories. 13