ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on three years of rigorous data collection and analysis in numerous urban areas of the Global South, under the auspices of the Safe and Inclusive Cities (SAIC) initiative. Jointly funded by the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, and Canada's International Development Research Centre, the SAIC programme sought to identify the drivers of urban violence, and examine how they relate to poverty and inequalities. The book presents an important counterpoint to the enduring perception, particularly in the Global North, that poverty alone causes crime and violence. It also focuses on the "normalised" violence of everyday urban life experienced by the female residents of Karachi and Rawalpindi-Islamabad. The book reflects on the actual process of doing research in challenging environments characterised by poverty, inequality, and violence.
