East Africa marked International Women's Day with big progress for women at work. Dr. Annet Mulema from the International Development Research Centre works hard to knock down barriers that stop women from joining jobs, politics, and leadership roles. She wants to cut back on unpaid care duties and end job market divisions based on gender. Her team runs projects across Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda that use research to boost women both money-wise and socially.
"We helped young women build skills and prepare for jobs. We tested ways to reduce unpaid care work and improve government buying programs that support women business owners," she explained at a workshop about Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women in East Africa. This five-year plan receives money from the Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Canada's International Development Research Centre.
Dr. Mulema said they first figured out what blocks women from earning money. These blocks include unfair shares of unpaid care tasks, and gender splits in available jobs. The second part of their work created fact-based answers for policymakers, researchers, and workers in the field. This helped everyone understand cultural rules that limit what women can do in business and political leadership.
"Our research made real changes through 15 projects that tested ways for women to join the job market and win government contracts," said Mulema. "We want to make sure our findings shape policies and change how things work day-to-day." Prof Jane Mariara, who leads the Partnership for Economic Policy, found that teaching soft skills matters a lot. Research on students from technical schools in Nairobi showed these skills helped them land jobs better.
Women gained even more from this training than men did, which surprised the research team. Dr. Mulema added that the workshop talked about the heavy care load women carry at home. They searched for ways to lighten this burden and keep leaders talking about it. They also stressed how important women are in care work, noting how much they add to families and neighborhoods.
"We need to cheer for the care work women do with children and sick family members," Dr. Mulema said. "We must create rules and habits that include everyone, making sure both women and men can succeed financially and still help with care duties at home." The research continues to find practical ways for women across East Africa to overcome barriers and reach their full potential.
"We helped young women build skills and prepare for jobs. We tested ways to reduce unpaid care work and improve government buying programs that support women business owners," she explained at a workshop about Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women in East Africa. This five-year plan receives money from the Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Canada's International Development Research Centre.
Dr. Mulema said they first figured out what blocks women from earning money. These blocks include unfair shares of unpaid care tasks, and gender splits in available jobs. The second part of their work created fact-based answers for policymakers, researchers, and workers in the field. This helped everyone understand cultural rules that limit what women can do in business and political leadership.
"Our research made real changes through 15 projects that tested ways for women to join the job market and win government contracts," said Mulema. "We want to make sure our findings shape policies and change how things work day-to-day." Prof Jane Mariara, who leads the Partnership for Economic Policy, found that teaching soft skills matters a lot. Research on students from technical schools in Nairobi showed these skills helped them land jobs better.
Women gained even more from this training than men did, which surprised the research team. Dr. Mulema added that the workshop talked about the heavy care load women carry at home. They searched for ways to lighten this burden and keep leaders talking about it. They also stressed how important women are in care work, noting how much they add to families and neighborhoods.
"We need to cheer for the care work women do with children and sick family members," Dr. Mulema said. "We must create rules and habits that include everyone, making sure both women and men can succeed financially and still help with care duties at home." The research continues to find practical ways for women across East Africa to overcome barriers and reach their full potential.
