Paper short abstract:

We discuss a local NGO's critical learnings of mentoring slum-women's groups in India. Collective efforts secure social justice but unequal power dynamics can exclude socio-economically weaker women. We will share practical methods on prioritizing weaker groups in development practice.

Paper long abstract:

Introduction: Local NGO led urban poor groups in Global South are developing capacities to access essential services. This study explores the potential and pitfalls of urban poor groups in reducing poverty and securing social justice.

Methodology: Urban Health Resource Centre (UHRC) mentors slum-based women’s groups in Indore and Agra, India. We conduced 20 FGDs with women’s groups to assess their capacity in pursuing collective savings and political negotiations to pull municipal services.

Findings: Women group members utilized collective savings in pursuing social justice through ensuring children’s education, upgrading livelihoods, and accessing timely healthcare services. However, over half of groups reported diffidence in bookkeeping of collective savings and loans and expressed dependence on UHRC social facilitators for financial records. In some groups few group members repeatedly borrowed large amounts, leaving little funds for other members to borrow.

Very few groups extended financial support to socio-economically weaker non-group member families in slums by lending money to meet financial exigency. Most women groups acquired capacity to negotiate with authorities for slum infrastructure improvement without relying on UHRC facilitators. Outcomes of infrastructure improvement benefited even the poorest households. Most groups guided socioeconomically weak families to obtain ID and requisite documentation required for accessing services.

Conclusion: The study holds crucial lessons for development practitioners towards the need to address unequal power dynamics in urban poor groups which can hinder social justice for socio-economically weaker group members. Holistic capacity building interventions can aid socio-economically weaker group members and other families gradually address poverty and associated challenges.