This study of slum culture and gender relations compares two slums in Asia - Ratmalana, Colombo and Khlong Toey, Bangkok - and shows how the impact of urbanization, economic change and national politics in Sri Lanka and Thailand differ significantly, despite their common cultural background in Theravada Buddhism. The author draws on direct accounts from women in the slums to explore how these differences influence the lives of the very poorest men and women, and how they affect gender relations. The book discusses how gender identity is defined; the contradictions between culture as publicly expressed and as privately practised in women's daily activities; and how female identity may be understood in each country. It argues that gender has a vital impact on both local culture and political organization, and on how women understand their lives and opportunities.