Martin, Carol L.Eng, Cassandra S.2025-07-312025-07-312025-04-07https://theses-dissertations.princeton.edu/handle/88435/dsp01g732dd43vPersisting social inequalities and intergenerational poverty has left many communities frustrated with seemingly stagnant progress in improving their quality of life. This dissatisfaction with governance is reflected in voting trends that point to a less active citizenry. Previous studies on the Philippines and South Africa have examined the implications of spatial segregation on current inequalities and the growing voter disillusionment, but it has done so in isolation. Furthermore, there have been no attempts to bring these two nations into conversation with each other. Scholars have extensively discussed systems of poverty in the Philippines and South Africa but have not acknowledged the intersections between them. This thesis seeks to bridge these academic conversations to understand how spatial segregation and poverty have shaped aspirations for civic participation, using case studies of the informal settlements of Tondo, Manila, Philippines, and the townships of the Cape Flats, Cape Town, South Africa. Drawing on insights from 28 interviews with community residents, resident activists, and policymakers, this thesis seeks to enhance the existing scholarship. Through the lived expertise of the interviewees, I found that the primary barrier to full democratic participation in spatially segregated communities in both the Philippines and South Africa is a diminished sense of personal power and voice, exacerbated by entrenched social inequality and intergenerational poverty. Drawing on the interview findings, I propose eight policy recommendations to amplify the voice and power of residents in informal settlements and townships: increase government commitment to community development; improve the accessibility of transparency and trust mechanisms; recognize NGOs for their successful policy implementation and expertise; strengthen pathways for mutual understanding between politicians and community members; teach advocacy; engage NGOs in thoughtful government partnerships; foster NGO coalition-building and cross-country dialogues; and increase NGO capacity through the empowerment and training of residents.en-USPrinceton University Senior Theses