SAFETY AND SECURITY

Youth development is fostered by having safe and peaceful communities and enabling environments. Crime emerges as a major impediment to the prosperity of cities and major deterrent in the use of public spaces. Youth mostly face obstacles in accessing public spaces due to a combination of high crime rates and unfit public spaces, derived from lack of lighting and proper access. Young women face the same challenges as young men, but in addition they are also especially vulnerable to harassment and discrimination; hence their need for safe public spaces becomes crucial to ensure access to the social and cultural public life of cities as well as other services, such as education, health services, employment, and leisure activities26.

The Youth CPI Survey outcomes show that 95% of youth feel either fairly safe or very safe to live and work in their cities. This is in line with the findings of the KSCLG Social Media Study that shows that only 10% of youths are demanding for improved safety measures on their city’s public spaces.