Urban Contexts

Save the Children’s vision is for inclusive, safe, sustainable and resilient cities where children survive, learn and are safe. We are committed to the rights and wellbeing of the most marginalized children in urban areas across the globe. Save the Children believes that the vitality of urban areas with their concentration of human capital, technology and governance structures are central to achieving our breakthroughs and achieving child rights globally. However, cities also pose a unique set of challenges for children that can undermine the realization of their rights. Save the Children seeks to empower the most marginalized and deprived children and their families to claim their rights, for example, by supporting children's engagement with local authorities and by investing in strategic partnerships with municipal governments, the private sector and civil society on local, national and international levels. The goal is to work with thematic leaders to ensure that our programming is responsive the unique conditions that exist in urban areas. We hope to achieve this by conducting targeted research, driving city-to-city learning, and ensuring that local governments and their partners focus on children’s needs. Save the Children also works directly with urban communities to prepare for and respond to complex urban disasters, taking a risk reduction approach in our longer-term urban programmes.