MOTERŲ BENAMYSTĖ: PRIEŽASTYS, ĮTAKA SVEIKATAI, IŠGYVENIMO STRATEGIJOS IR BENAMĖMS TEIKIAMOS SOCIALINĖS PAGALBOS FORMOS
WOMEN’S HOMELESSNESS: CAUSES, IMPACT ON HEALTH, SURVIVAL STRATEGIES AND FORMS OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS WOMEN

Summary/Abstract: This article presents a scientific literature review of foreign and Lithuanian publications revealing the specifics of women’s homelessness. The concept of homelessness, types of homelessness, general homelessness and the causes why women are becoming homeless are discussed. The peculiarities of women’s homelessness are analyzed, revealing the vulnerability of homeless women and the victimization they experience, and describes the various consequences that homelessness has for physical and mental health. The article also presents a summary of strategies applied by homeless women that help them survive on the street: they involve having an intimate partner as a protector, changing their image according to particular circumstances, strategies of invisibility and breaking the rules of public space as well as using alcohol as a means of reconciliation with homelessness. We discuss the services provided by the Special Help Centers in Lithuania, which are provided for victims of domestic violence, other specialized forms of assistance for women and social assistance measures provided by the Vilnius and Kaunas municipalities to homeless people and social risk persons. Finally, we suggest directions for future empirical research.

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