East Africa: GrOW Project Advances Gender Equality in Labour Markets
By Gift Briton
The Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) East Africa program has been lauded as a catalyst for economic change across the region.
As the program culminates in a Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, policymakers, experts and researchers have described it as a stepping stone for inclusive labour markets and policies that work for women.
The workshop has brought together different stakeholders to discuss the transformative impact of the initiative and how its evidence-based interventions can be scaled and embedded into national policies.
Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), GrOW East Africa has been a leader in driving transformative change through research, policy engagement, and scalable interventions across the region.
It supports partners to address challenges such as occupational gender segregation, unpaid care responsibilities, and enhancing women’s collective agency.
Speaking at the workshop, Kathryn Toure, IDRC Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, emphasized that women’s economic empowerment is not just a social issue but a financial necessity.
“When women have equal access to decent work and decision-making opportunities, entire communities thrive. The evidence generated through GrOW serves as a stepping stone towards transformative change not just for women but entire economies,” she stated.
Since its inception, the program has focused on bridging the gap between research and policy. Toure highlighted four key areas where GrOW has made a tangible impact: developing scalable childcare solutions, engaging policymakers on unpaid care work, equipping young women with gender-sensitive skills for employment in non-traditional sectors, and supporting women entrepreneurs through gender-responsive public procurement research. Evidence generated by GrOW has directly informed practical interventions across many East African countries.
Representing Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Gender at the event, Florence Chemutai, Deputy Director, Gender commended GrOW’s efforts adding that: “I want to appreciate GrOW for advancing women’s economic empowerment across the region. Women’s economic participation is key to sustainable development. It is not just about equality but a fundamental driver of economic growth and national prosperity. I am excited that GrOW has generated evidence to inform policies that remove barriers to women’s economic empowerment.”
The event’s Keynote Speaker, Cleopatra Mugenyi, Founder and CEO PAICA Consultancy, stressed the importance of ensuring that interventions are cost-effective and fit within existing government structures. “If governments cannot afford to implement these interventions, it becomes problematic,” she warned, adding that with the changing landscape of international aid there is need to focus inwardly and become more independent financially.
She encouraged stakeholders to integrate the interventions from the GrOW project into existing systems to maximize their impact beyond the initial study populations.
Mugenyi also emphasized the need to translate research findings into actionable policies, stating “It is great to have policymakers in the room, but they need to convince others to act on the evidence.”
IDRC Senior Program Officer Annet Mulema echoed these sentiments, highlighting the challenge of scaling up successful interventions. “We need to ask ourselves, are these interventions affordable? What stands in our way of taking these interventions to scale so that many more people can benefit?” she asked.
Mulema emphasized the need to ensure that these interventions align with current economic dynamics and policy priorities to increase their chances of adoption.