Premise three

In order to focus on the issue of gender and shelter it must be recognized that no one, man or woman, exists independently of the local context. Everyone lives in a complex web of relationships in a particular society, and individual experience is determined by the nature and form of those relationships. In order to understand what lies behind the shelter that low-income households develop, manage and occupy, it is necessary to explore the complexities of their social, economic and political relationships in a wider context. The extensive coverage of the survey questionnaire and the range of topics covered in the case studies reflect this premise. They provide a basis for the development of recommendations that are designed to impact upon shelter but that, sometimes, require the involvement of actors not normally associated with the shelter sector.