Inclusive services for youth in Cairo’s informal areas

This paper studies access to basic services and infrastructure among youth populations in Cairo’s informal areas. Inequality in access to services has been garnering increasing attention particularly in the wake of the 2011 “Arab Spring” uprising. Calls for justice and equality were at the heart of the protests and urban youth were the main protagonists. In Egypt, where the majority of the population is below the age of 30, youth also make up the bulk of the demand for services. Yet in the face of the increasing need for services, coupled with institutional fragmentation, the Egyptian government has continually struggled to keep up with demand, and inequality in access has remained persistent. This paper focuses on how location of residence, specifically, how residing in an informal area, impacts youth’s access to basic services and infrastructure. Focusing on educational, health and recreational facilities, as well as water and sanitation, electricity and solid waste management services, the study draws on research that has shown that informal areas are inadequately served in terms of the availability of basic services as well as connection to public infrastructure networks. In light of this, the paper aims to answer the following questions: What/who are the different entities providing basic services to informal areas in the Greater Cairo Region? What are the gaps in the service provision system, and the different barriers towards youth accessing these services? How do gaps in access to services and infrastructure contribute to youths’ long-term vulnerabilities and jeopardize their transition to adulthood?