This series of six briefs celebrates the innovative efforts of organised groups of slum dwellers to tackle, recover from, and mitigate against the overlapping crises and multifaceted vulnerabilities of urban informality, such as inadequate infrastructure, environmental hazards, and social inequalities. By addressing these challenges, they work to mitigate the impact of these issues and improve their living conditions.
This brief highlights the significant efforts to integrate gender equality and youth empowerment into community-led initiatives within informal settlements.
It emphasises the critical importance of including women and young people in leadership, decision-making processes, and livelihood activities to foster a more inclusive and equitable approach to urban development.
Ensuring that these marginalised groups are actively involved not only enhances the sustainability of these initiatives but also strengthens the social fabric of communities by promoting diverse perspectives and equitable participation.
Examples include gender mainstreaming training programmes in the Philippines that engage local leaders and focus on culturally relevant strategies, skills development initiatives for young people in Zimbabwe aimed at enhancing economic opportunities, and leadership training in Kenya designed to equip young people with the tools to take on advocacy roles and contribute meaningfully to decision-making in their communities.
The brief is part of the Building Resilience in Informal Settlements programme, a broader initiative led by Cities Alliance and Slum Dwellers International (SDI), with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The programme aims to support sustainable and inclusive development in informal settlements, focusing on locally-led climate adaptation and resilience building.
Other briefs in this series
Brief 1: For Sustained Solutions to Urban Challenges, Focus on Strengthening Grassroots Leadership
Brief 2: Negotiating with Cities: Transformative Collaborations for Sustainable Resilience
Brief 3: Locally Led Infrastructure Projects: Small but Scalable Climate Adaptation
Brief 5: The Conflict Sensitive Nature of Working in Informal Settlements
Brief 6: Locally Led Environmental Management for Climate Resilience
