Sleeping Rough: A Gendered Reality 

Think Piece
Written By D. O'Reilly
Pregnant and Hungry Sign Photo by D. O'reilly

In Canada, homelessness is defined as the situation of an individual without stable, safe, permanent, and appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect of acquiring it. ‘Rough sleeping’ is the most visible type of homelessness - it refers to when people do not have access to physical shelter of their own and resort to sleeping in public spaces (such as in doorways or on the sidewalk) and places not intended for human habitation (such as cars or tents). Photo Credit: D. O’Reilly 

Introduction  

Navigating day-to-day life presents significant challenges for all unhoused people who often struggle to acquire food, shelter, and other basic resources.  But for unsheltered women, there can be additional – and compounding – gender-related layers of hardship in their daily routine. From managing menstrual cycles, to evading gender-based violence, and coping with pregnancy – gender plays a heavy hand in the experience of women who sleep rough.

Periods

Menstruation is one example of a gender specific problem that women who sleep rough have to deal with. Periods don’t stop when you’re homeless and they can add an additional, largely unavoidable, and frequently occurring complexity to a woman's experience of homelessness.  

Period Products

Periods are bloody expensive. Menstruation products can be pricey for many Canadians and they are an additional and specific cost, borne (almost exclusively) by women. Trying to budget upwards of $20 every month for tampons or pads can be prohibitive for unsheltered women who are already facing extreme financial strain. Some women turn to makeshift  solutions to deal with their periods such as wadded up tissue paper, cotton balls, and socks. However, using improvised menstrual products can result in negative health implications. Common risks include vaginal cuts, chemical irritation and yeast infections, but more serious cases can result in life threatening conditions like toxic shock syndrome. 
If homeless women don't have the proper hygiene products, then what do they use?Image Credit: The Student Period Movement

With limited financial and material resources, many unsheltered women ‘make do’ during their period. Image Credit: The Student Period Movement 

Appropriate Facilities for Menstrual Management 

If and when they are able to acquire menstrual products, unsheltered women then need to regularly find a secure and private space to change them. A shortage of public washrooms negatively affects all women but women who sleep rough are doubly disadvantaged, as the alternative - privately owned but publicly available facilities (like those in cafes) - can be a hostile environment for these individuals. The ability to care for oneself during menstruation can be further hindered by unsheltered women’s precarious access to other sanitation resources, such as laundry and shower facilities. 
Ladies restroom sign. Photo by D.O'reilly

There is a lack of quality public washrooms in Canada cities. Some are only open seasonally or at certain times of day. Many cost money to use.  In almost all Canadian cities  public toilet facilities are scarce. This can be a significant issue for unsheltered women, particularly when they are on their period and have nowhere else to go.  Photo Credit: D. O’Reilly 

Proactive Period Policies 

Period management is an important health issue. Lack of access to menstruation products and related facilities – such as washrooms, showers, and laundry – can result in  poor sanitation, social stigmatisation, and problematic health outcomes.
Yet, menstruation has historically been overlooked in policies addressing healthcare for homeless and unsheltered individuals. Recently this has started to change. Advocacy groups and not-for-profit organisations,  such as Edmonton’s  No Period Without,  are pushing for greater access to menstrual products for women in need. And in 2023 the Government of Canada, in association with Food Banks Canada, announced a Menstrual Equity Fund Pilot aimed at combating period poverty across the country.

Gender Based Violence 

The threat of gender-based violence (GBV) is another ever-present hardship that disproportionately affects unsheltered women compared to their male counterparts. 

‘Easy Targets’ 

In Canada, homeless women and girls experience high levels of physical and sexual violence; a harrowing one-third of women reported experiencing major violence whilst homeless. Women who sleep rough or are residing in shelters are particularly susceptible to being targets of GBV. Without access to private, safe, and stable shelter,  these women often fend for themselves on the street – frequently alone, and at night – and can be viewed as exposed and vulnerable. Perpetrators of violence against unsheltered women are, primarily, male and research suggests that some men can ‘interpret women’s homelessness as a licence for abuse’

A safe place to sleep? Women who sleep rough spend a significant amount of time in public space, including during times of day when there are limited ‘eyes on the street’. This exposes unsheltered women to an increased risk of gender-related violent crimes. Photo Credit: D. O’Reilly

Daily Threats 

The risks that unsheltered women face whilst sleeping rough are serious and they can exact a high psychological and physical toll. These risks range from being subjected to unwanted sexual attention and threats,  to being physically and sexually assaulted, raped, or exploited via human trafficking. For a variety of reasons –  including discrimination, fear of re-victimisation, and lack of trust in the system – many of these violent encounters are not formally reported.

Safe Shelters for Women

Whilst seeking refuge in the shelter system may appear to be a rational strategy to combat the dangers of sleeping ‘on the street,’ shelters are not always safe havens for women. Many shelters are co-ed and research consistently shows that many women avoid co-ed shelters out of fear of, or past experience of, violence within these spaces. In Canada, shelter facilities that are geared specifically towards women are limited,  especially in northern , rural, and remote communities. Where they do exist, women-specific shelters and shelter beds are often at (or over) capacity . Because of this, and despite their profound need, many unsheltered women are turned away from these facilities each day.  
The State of Women's Housing Need & Homelessness in Canada, Executive Summary excerpt

Women may not go to men’s or co-ed shelters due to fear of and experiences of violence and sexual assault. Photo Credit: The State of Women’s Housing Need & Homelessness in Canada, Executive Summary

The Complex Relationship between Unhoused Women & Violence 

The relationship between women, gender-based violence, and homelessness is a complex issue. Violence is often a cyclical experience for unsheltered women, as violence both shapes women's pathways into homelessness and also exists as a prevalent lived-experience whilst sleeping rough. An unsheltered woman's social location can also have a significant impact on her likelihood of experiencing GBV. In Canada certain subgroups of women – including young women and girls, Indigenous women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community – are particularly susceptible to being affected by violent crime whilst homeless.

In the confines of this article, It is not possible to provide a comprehensive overview of the multitude of intersections between women experiencing homelessness and the experience of gender based violence. Those looking to do a deeper dive into the issue should explore the resources available through Canada’s Women's National Housing and Homeless Network.    

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is not a part of every unsheltered woman’s experience of homelessness. However, approximately 50% of homeless women get pregnant, many within the first 12 months of becoming homeless. For unsheltered women who become pregnant, the experience can be extremely challenging – regardless  if the pregnancy is wanted, or not. 

Unwanted Pregnancy

Bringing a child into the world whilst experiencing extreme housing precarity is something that many women seek to avoid. While contraception can be used by unsheltered women to prevent pregnancy, it can be costly and difficult to obtain. Many contraceptive methods can be financially out of reach for individuals sleeping rough – especially since, unlike the U.K. and the U.S.A, there is no universal subsidy for contraception in Canada. Abortion is legal in Canada and the federal government states that ‘everyone should have access to safe and consistent reproductive health services, including abortion.’ However, unsheltered women seeking to terminate an unplanned pregnancy can encounter numerous barriers to accessing abortion services including a lack of local clinics (and subsequent costs related to travel and accommodation), lack of information about available services, and difficulties retaining official personal documentation. 

Stigma

Although being pregnant whilst homeless may come with significant challenges, this does not mean that all pregnancies experienced by unsheltered women are unwanted. Many women view expectant motherhood positively, and this can include those who sleep rough.  However, studies consistently show that unsheltered women who are pregnant are regularly the subject of  stigma, including preconceptions about laziness, addiction, and mental illness. Being subjected  to negative stereotypes can further perpetuate the marginalisation and exclusion of unsheltered pregnant women.

Prenatal Health

For those unsheltered women who continue their pregnancy, there are day-to-day challenges in managing prenatal health with rough sleeping.  Unsheltered women frequently have compromised levels of physical and mental health. This is understandable. It can be difficult or impossible to prioritise exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep when you don’t have a roof over your head; and sleeping rough can also trigger extended periods of extreme stress.  If not addressed, these adverse conditions can result in poor health outcomes for the woman’s fetus, including delayed neurobiological development, low birth weight, and an increased risk of pregnancy loss.  Getting professional prenatal care can help identify and address potential pregnancy complications for mothers sleeping rough. Programs, such as Toronto’s HARP team, are designed to provide unsheltered women with the support, resources, and information that they need throughout their pregnancy. 
Call to Action 2023 on Pregnancy, Reproductive Health, Homelessness

Unsheltered women often do not access reproductive and prenatal care programs, with reasons ranging from a lack of awareness,to financial barriers, to a fear of stigma. Image Credit: YMCA Hamilton 

Conclusion

Periods. Violence. Pregnancy. Discrimination. These gender-related complexities compound the day-to-day challenges faced by unsheltered women. 

A large part of the problem is access. Access to menstrual products. Access to washrooms. Access to trauma-informed shelters and shelter beds. Access to contraception. Access to reproductive education and services. 

Resources and services that address the unique needs of women sleeping rough are frequently overlooked and underfunded.  Going forward, things have to change. If we are to improve the circumstances and outcomes for women and girls currently (or at risk of) experiencing homelessness, a gender-specific lens is needed. 

Resources

D. O'Reilly

Doolin completed her undergraduate studies at UofT, and attended Dalhousie University and the University of Amsterdam to gain her Master’s Degree in Urban Planning. 

She has developed her career by gaining experience in Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Most recently, Doolin was employed as the Principal Sustainable Transportation Planner at  Hackney Council in London England, where she delivered projects such as Hackney’s trailblazing School Streets programme and the UK’s first public cargo-bike share service. She now works at the City of Toronto in the Transportation Division’s Policy and Innovation Unit. 

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