PEP - Partnership for Economic Policy

The Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) Online Course is now live! Yesterday, we celebrated the successful launch of PEP's much-anticipated Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) Online Course, funded by International Development Research Centre (IDRC)!   This self-paced, interactive training is designed to empower researchers to integrate #GEI principles effectively in their work. Drawing on the expertise of African and Southern-based experts, the course explores GEI concepts, analytical frameworks, methodologies, and strategies to bridge data gaps for greater inclusion.   Available in English and French, this course emphasizes practical insights tailored for the African research experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your research skills!   Know more about the course here: https://lnkd.in/gPT5dU-K   👉 Start your journey and access the course here: https://lnkd.in/gPtT2sMd   #GenderEquality #Inclusion #CapacityBuilding

Women play a vital role in national economies. Empirical evidence from a study titled Pursuing Women's Economic Empowerment by the International Monetary Fund and another by the UN Women surveying the role of women in development has demonstrated that countries supporting women’s socio-economic development have a competitive edge globally. Yet, gender-based inequalities in the labor market persist. In her latest LinkedIn newsletter edition, PEP's ED Prof. Jane Mariara highlights the key findings from this study on how the state can intervene with targeted schemes to level the playing field for women. This initiative aims to promote sustainable changes through the adoption, funding, and implementation of gender-responsive policies and advocacy for women's economic empowerment in support of the Foundation’s Strategy for Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE), funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

The National Policy Conference titled “SMS Campaign to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Take-Up in Tanzania” took place in Dodoma on October 16, 2024, as part of the PEP experimental impact evaluation initiative. This initiative, funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation under the Strengthening Impact Evaluation Capacities for Development (SIECD) program, is designed to promote evidence-based policymaking and foster local capacities for autonomous research in East and West Africa. The conference was led by the project team and supported by principal research scientists from National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) - Tanzania and the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF). 🗞️ Read the full news story here: https://lnkd.in/gpf__DNC

It was indeed a good roundtable discussion with constructive interaction between different stakeholders PEP - Partnership for Economic Policy Center for Global Development Heinrich Bohlmann

Professor Ingrid Woolard has been appointed to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.    On this exciting appointment she shared: “I am deeply honoured to be appointed by President Ramaphosa to PEAC. It is a privilege to serve our country at such a pivotal time, and I look forward to collaborating with fellow experts to help shape policies that drive inclusive growth and sustainable development for all South Africans”. Prof Woolard is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences - Stellenbosch University.   According to the President in the letter of appointment, “the PEAC’s mandate, under this administration, will be to provide strategic and evidence-based advice on economic policy to advise my Cabinet on policy decisions that promote economic growth and inclusivity”.     Beyond an extensive list of publications on poverty and inequality, social protection and redistributive fiscal policy, Prof Woolard served on the Employment Conditions Commission from 2008 to 2014 and on the Davis Tax Committee from 2014 to 2018.     She is a Research Fellow of the Institute for the Study of Labour based in Bonn; a Senior Research Associate at the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research in Helsinki; a Research Associate of the Commitment to Equity Institute at Tulane University in New Orleans; Board Member of the Partnership for Economic Policy in Kenya; and Honorary Professor of Economics at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Stellenbosch University #EconomicPolicy

Pleased to moderate a lunch time session today on Navigating uncertainty: building resilience of African economies as part of the AfDB/UNECA/UNDP annual African Economic Conference (Gaborone, Botswana). A big thank you to great panelists including a Minister, a Prof and 2 Bankers: - Hon. Monica Musenero Masanza, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, in Uganda, on a proactive approach to STI in building resilience - Prof. Jane Mariara, Executive Director, PEP - Partnership for Economic Policy on how the Russian - Ukraine war affects African economies and African women and strategies for resilience building incl safety nets - Dr. Pagnamam George YEKPA, PhD., Economist, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) on a three pronged approach to building resilience to shocks: agricultural production, industrialisation and human capital - Colin Bermingham, Senior Economist, European Investment Bank (EIB) on the role of the financial sector in building resilience and the remarkable growth in fintech companies on the continent. Background material is the joint African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), ERF Latest, PEP and ODI Global study supported by International Development Research Centre (IDRC) https://lnkd.in/e_RTpuDu ODI Trade and Economic Development

Subsidizing school fees for girls and granting arable land to women farmers in Cameroon can drive structural economic transformation, according to local PEP researchers who evaluated macroeconomic solutions to promote women's economic empowerment These policies address persistent gender inequalities, enabling more women to access education and productive resources. The subsidy increases formal employment for women, particularly in technical and professional sectors, while facilitating land access boosts agricultural production and job creation. 📜 Read the policy brief here: https://lnkd.in/gPsw2ZGu   PEP supported this research with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as part of the Women's Economic Empowerment in Africa initiative. Find out more about the program: https://lnkd.in/gTMna4ze.

A team of local PEP researchers hosted a national policy conference to present findings from their innovative research on ICT-enabled climate services to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers in Benin. The event brought together approximately 25 policymakers and stakeholders to discuss how the introduction of ICT tools can mitigate climate variability, a significant threat to agricultural productivity and smallholder incomes. The research, conducted under PEP’s Fostering Autonomous Local Impact Evaluations for Policymaking (FALIEP) program, was supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The conference attracted representatives from Benin's @Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries (MAEP Benin), the Ministry of Development and Government Action Coordination, academics from Beninese universities, and leaders of farmer organizations and NGOs supporting agricultural resilience. 🗞️ Read the full news story here: https://lnkd.in/gZupgnWA

It was indeed an insightful session. We cannot build resilience in Africa without taking into account the disproportionate impacts of shocks on women in general, marginalized women in particular, and other vulnerable groups. Typical policy responses around controlling inflation, price subsidies and traditional forms of inward foreign direct investment that typically favour male employment, have not been sufficient. This is due in part to the longstanding structural gender inequalities that continue to persist. To improve women’s plight, it is important that the full potential of policies ranging from social protection, financial inclusion, access to credit and board macroeconomic policy are re-considered. Many thanks to African Development Bank Group, UNDP and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa for a great #2024AEC conference. Thanks to the team of researchers from African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), ODI Global and PEP - Partnership for Economic Policy for the excellent work on the impact of the Russia–Ukraine war on Africa. Thanks too to International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada for funding this work. #2024AEC #AfricanEconomicConference #ResilienceBuilding