A/HRC/4/18 page 34 Q29. What has been achieved in terms of building capacities and awareness on the right to adequate housing among women in your country? What is your assessment of remaining needs and challenges? (p) Freedom from violence against women. The State must prevent all forms of violence against women committed by either State or non-State actors to ensure women’s RAH. The definition of VAW as per the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) is, “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”. Further, the State is responsible for addressing both individual and structural forms of violence, in the family, the community and by the State, and for ensuring that there is legal redress for any acts or threats of VAW. Q30. What forms of VAW and what threats of VAW occur as a result of housing violations, such as rape, domestic violence, assault, trafficking, family abuse, forced marriage, dowry deaths and others? How do housing violations make women more vulnerable to VAW? Q31. Who are the perpetrators? What kinds of housing violations do victims of VAW face, e.g. battered women, rape survivors? Show information where realization of RAH has led to less VAW. Q32. What strategies/best practices have been used to address VAW related to housing rights violations, e.g. are there adequate shelters for victims of domestic violence? -----