The role of culture and gender in mediating the impact of official interventions in informal settlements : A study from Colombia

The United Nations Global Strategy for Shelter emphasises participation and the role of women in shelter programmes. These two interrelated components will be discussed in the context of Colombia where progressive housing and social development policies echo the United Nations approach in attempting to target those most in need. Using empirical data from the coastal city of Santa Marta this paper1 explains how cultural values impact on the ability and motivation of households to consolidate their housing situation in self-help settlements. This analysis of household structures and gender roles is then used to examine the impact of government policy in such settlements by looking at two programmes: social housing subsidy and nursery provision. For the housing subsidy programme it is believed that the differences between the groups are likely to be accentuated, with the group with values closer to the dominant society potentially able to make better use of the opportunities provided. However, the nursery programme (which is linked to housing improvement loans) is building on shared values amongst women and is leading to significant improvements in both housing and health.