The geography of women’s livelihood activities in low-income settlements in Zambia: Place, mobility, and locational decision making

The role of geography in slum dwellers’ livelihoods has long been overlooked, which is unfortunate as the ability to spatially access markets and workplaces is crucial to sustainable livelihood performance. In this seminar, I will discuss my research findings from three slum settlements in Lusaka by  focusing on how female slum organize their economic activities spatially and how they motivate associated locational choices. I will demonstrate how female slum dwellers’ livelihood geographies are often complex and bound up in wider relationships pertaining to gender, poverty and regulatory frameworks. Particular attention is directed towards the critical role of informal spaces to women’s business activities, not only in terms of enablement but also of social fulfilment.

Cecilia Fåhraeus is a PhD and a senior lecturer in human geography at Uppsala University.

Her research interests revolve around urban inequality, slums and livelihoods among vulnerable populations in the Global South, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently involved in a research project on changing livelihood geographies after disaster in Indonesia.