The Agency of Women and Men in Urban Vertical Gardening: Qualitative Insights From Nairobi's Informal Settlements of Kibra

Background: Rapid urbanization has exacerbated food insecurity in urban informal settlements, prompting the emergence of vertical gardening as a viable and adaptive solution. However, the success and sustainability of such interventions are deeply shaped by gender dynamics, which influence access to resources, levels of participation, and the distribution of benefits. This study explored the intersection of gender and vertical gardening within urban informal settlements to illuminate how women and men differently experience, contribute to, and benefit from this emerging localized food system. By interrogating agency, social norms, economic pressures, and evolving policy landscapes, the research reveals how vertical gardening simultaneously serve as a site of empowerment and a mirror of entrenched inequalities. Drawing on in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, unstructured observations, and key informant interviews, the study critically unpacks gender regimes and their influence on adoption, sustainability, and outcomes. Result: Findings indicate that while both women and men participate, women are primarily responsible for routine tasks such as watering, pruning, pest control, and monitoring plant health, roles aligned with caregiving and proximity to the home. Men typically undertake labor-intensive responsibilities like constructing garden structures, fencing, transporting materials, and preparing soil beds. This division reflects broader socio-cultural norms and differential access to time and resources. Access to key agricultural inputs like land tenure, quality seeds, compost, tools, training, market linkages, and financial services, remains deeply gendered. Women face structural constraints including limited land ownership, male-dominated extension services, and mobility restrictions. Many rely on informal networks, community groups, and reciprocal labor to sustain gardening activities. Although women often have limited influence over household financial decisions, vertical gardening collectives have emerged as sites for exercising agency—defined as the ability to participate in decision-making, own assets, and control produce and proceeds. Within these collectives, women demonstrated autonomy through resource allocation, planning, and intra-group negotiations, reconfiguring power dynamics and expanding strategic influence over food and income pathways. Conclusion: To ensure inclusive participation, the study proposes gender-responsive design and delivery of vertical gardening initiatives. Governments should formally recognize vertical gardens in urban agriculture policies, integrate them into municipal planning, and mobilize partnerships to support infrastructure and innovation. Adoption should be incentivized through mechanisms such as subsidized materials, inclusive training programs, and access to microfinance tailored to women and marginalized groups. Embedding a gender lens will position vertical gardening as a platform for advancing women’s agency, economic inclusion, and climate resilience.