By Gift Briton
From March 5 to 7, 2025, policymakers, experts, and researchers from East Africa will gather in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss pathways for promoting gender-inclusive economic growth in the region.
The Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) organized the three-day workshop, marking the end of the Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) East Africa initiative.
It will feature keynote speeches from influential policymakers, panel discussions with economic experts, and research presentations from leading institutions working on gender equality.
The discussions will cover several important topics. One key focus is reducing and redistributing women’s unpaid care work, where experts will explore evidence-based interventions that lighten the burden on women.
Another central theme is breaking gender barriers in the labor market. Participants will discuss strategies to enhance skills training, employment retention, and career growth for women in male-dominated fields.
Another key issue is empowering women entrepreneurs through public procurement. Experts will examine policies that enable women-led businesses to access government and corporate contracts.
The event will also explore ways to expand the impact of gender-focused policies beyond the GrOW East Africa initiative. Discussions will highlight how to incorporate gender-responsive policies into broader infrastructure and clean energy projects.
Women’s economic empowerment is a critical driver of sustainable development. Yet, persistent barriers such as unpaid care work, gender-based labor market segregation, and inequitable public procurement opportunities continue to hinder progress.
The upcoming workshop seeks to tackle these challenges by promoting research-driven policies and programs that enhance women’s participation in economic activities. It will serve as a platform to share successful strategies and inspire action.
This groundbreaking initiative has been supported for several years by leading international donors, including the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Gates Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
The initiative has been instrumental in funding projects to address unpaid care work, labor market inclusion, and women’s access to economic opportunities across the region.
It has supported research and pilot programs designed to dismantle structural barriers women face in the workforce, such as childcare provision initiatives, gender norm shifts, skills training for employment, and including women-owned businesses in public procurement.
These efforts have yielded significant findings and policy recommendations that will be shared at the workshop to drive gender-inclusive economic growth.
The event also seeks to ensure that progress continues beyond 2025. Participants will explore new partnerships and opportunities to scale up successful programs.
Integrating gender equity into more significant development initiatives, such as infrastructure and clean energy projects, will be a key focus.
The workshop is also part of a larger global conversation on women’s economic empowerment. It aligns with the themes of International Women’s Day 2025 and the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69).
