Susi has lived all her life in Tanjung Kait, an informal settlement along the coast of Mauk District, Indonesia. As a mother and volunteer in the village health office, she has seen how overcrowded, polluted surroundings affect the health of families around her, especially young children.
“Tanjung Kait is polluted with trash. It’s filthy and has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Many people got dengue fever. We also lack proper drainage and clean water,” she said.
Her house was small and cramped, with a leaking roof – a common sight in the area. During high tide or heavy rain, floodwater would flow through residents’ homes. Clean water was also difficult to obtain, and the dark, unlit alleyways made children fearful of walking home after sunset.
Despite the health and safety issues, Susi and her family chose to stay. “This is my home. I’ve been living here forever. I don’t know where else to go. My husband works here too,” she said.
Susi’s story mirrors that of millions of women living in informal settlements across the world. Women face unique health risks that are deeply intertwined with their living conditions. Entrenched gender norms mean women shoulder most caregiving and household responsibilities, spending more time indoors and being disproportionately exposed to health hazards such as indoor air pollution, dampness and mould. Inadequate cooking facilities, poor ventilation, and lack of clean water and sanitation further increase the risks of respiratory disease, infections, and reproductive health issues.
For many women, even managing basic hygiene can be a daily struggle. Limited access to water and private toilets makes menstruation and personal care difficult, increasing the risk of infection. The absence of safe sanitation facilities also exposes women to gender-based violence, including harassment and sexual assault. The lack of secure, clean spaces poses a serious health risk and is a violation of human safety and dignity.
The Widening Housing Gap
Rapid urbanisation and climate migration, coupled with a global housing crisis, are pushing more families into precarious living conditions. As rising temperatures and extreme weather events intensify, so too do the risks of vector-borne diseases, heat stress and waterborne illnesses, all of which disproportionately affect women and children living in substandard housing. Adequate housing is therefore not just a development priority; it is a public health necessity. Evidence in a report by Habitat for Humanity quantifies what many communities already know: improving housing in informal settlements can save lives and protect women’s health. Within the first year of upgrading, it is estimated that:
- 20.3 million illnesses could be prevented, including respiratory, enteric, reproductive and urinary tract infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heat sickness.
- 42.9 million incidents of gender-based violence could be prevented, including intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence. At least one in every 17 cases of sexual violence could be averted.
- 80,200 preventable deaths could be avoided, including at least one in four maternal deaths and one in every six deaths from heat stroke.
For Asia -Pacific alone, this translates to 6 million illnesses, 10 million incidents of gender-based violence, and more than 4,000 maternal or climate-related deaths prevented annually. Women living in slums in India and Bangladesh — among the most densely populated urban areas in the world — stand to benefit most, but gains are also visible in wealthier countries such as Japan and Korea. Habitat’s analysis found that even simple interventions in informal settlements could dramatically improve health outcomes:
- If all residents used clean fuel, one in 30 respiratory infections among women globally could be prevented.
- If all women had access to piped water, nearly one in nine, or 2.7 million, cases of enteric infections among women could be avoided globally.
- If all women had private toilets, over 8.6 million fewer women would experience sexual violence.
The connection between housing and women’s health is undeniably strong. These numbers are a powerful reminder that the path to gender equality and better health begins with something as fundamental as a safe home.
Building Better Futures through Collaboration
Grounded in 40 years of experience working with local communities across the Asia-Pacific region, Habitat for Humanity calls on governments to embed housing within urban and public health policies. Local civil society organisations can accelerate change by integrating gender-sensitive strategies into every initiative, from infrastructure and service delivery to public policy and behaviour change. But it is only through genuine collaboration among governments, the private sector and communities, that lasting impact can be achieved.
In Indonesia, that partnership is already taking shape. Through the Gotong Royong Housing Coalition – a partnership between Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, the Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Housing, a local cooperative, and the private sector – 110 low-income families from Tanjung Kait gained housing finance from the government and are moving into safer, climate-resilient homes with clean water, electricity, better drainage, and green spaces.
To address today’s health challenges and prepare for those ahead, global donors, and policymakers must move beyond treating illness to addressing its roots. That means tackling the environmental and social determinants of health, starting with housing.
When women like Susi have a safe place to live, their families flourish and the ripple effects extend across entire communities. Adequate housing is the foundation of health, safety and opportunity, and the cornerstone of a more equitable world.
