We have pioneered flagship studies like Women in Manufacturing, which are transforming Kenya’s industrial sector by mainstreaming gender, and the REBUILD assessment, which exposed gaps in COVID-19 recovery policies in Kenya and Uganda that left informal women workers behind. Insights from these studies now fuel reforms in social protection systems, where we are working with governments to design gender-responsive coverage, accountability frameworks, and more inclusive safety nets. Our work on the care economy in Kenya has elevated unpaid care from an invisible burden to a policy priority, embedding gender equality into national and county planning. Meanwhile, the AGYW Consortium Project across Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique is rewriting the rules of development by placing adolescent girls and young mothers at the center of decision-making through participatory grant-making and learning partnerships. We also convene Africa’s brightest changemakers:
This is not research for the shelf. Every study is translated into gender-smart toolkits, policy briefs, dashboards, and training programs that governments, businesses, and civil society can act on. And the results speak for themselves:
Since 2019, our research-to-action engine has delivered thriving women and girls, resilient communities, and stronger economies. By combining rigorous evidence with authentic storytelling, we are shaping the policies, institutions, and markets that make gender equality
not just possible—but inevitable.
At ICRW-Africa, we define economic empowerment as “Creating an enabling environment for gender-responsive policies that dismantle systemic barriers, promote equitable economic outcomes, and foster inclusive, just, and sustainable economies.
This two-year project seeks to enhance understanding and implementation of effective social protection measures for women in Uganda and Kenya. The overarching goal is to promote the design and delivery of social protection interventions that speci fi cally cater to the needs.
ICRW Africa in partnership with Mastercard foundation has taken the initiative to train young female researchers in different aspects of research to not only empower their careers but to continue instilling evidence based approach to problem solving to the next generation of researchers.
At ICRW-Africa, we define economic empowerment as “Creating an enabling environment for gender-responsive policies that dismantle systemic barriers, promote equitable economic outcomes, and foster inclusive, just, and sustainable economies.”
In Kenya, women spend seven times more hours on unpaid care work than men cooking, cleaning and caring for children and elders. This invisible labor sustains families and communities but it also robs women of opportunities for education, work and leadership.
ICRW Africa is changing that. Through our Care Economy project, we are helping Kenya finalize and roll out its first-ever National Care Policy. Backed by the Gates Foundation through UN Women, this initiative brings government, civil society and communities together to recognize, reduce and redistribute care work.
Our work goes beyond policy. We are:
Shifting mindsets through media and influencer campaigns that elevate the value of care
Strengthening government systems with technical expertise to embed sustainable change
Building coalitions across national and county levels to ensure care is prioritized in Kenya’s development agenda
The impact is clear: women gain more time to pursue livelihoods, access healthcare and lead in their communities. Families thrive and societies grow stronger.
In Kenya, childcare is more than a family concern it is a national economic issue. Millions of women remain locked out of the workforce because safe, affordable childcare is still out of reach. Informal women-run childcare enterprises are filling this critical gap in low-income communities yet they operate with little support, weak infrastructure and without recognition in policy. The result: women’s economic participation is stifled and children’s development is compromised.
ICRW Africa with support from the Co-Impact Gender Fund is changing this. In Nairobi, Kisumu and Vihiga we are:
Mapping childcare enterprises to understand their challenges and potential
Centering women providers’ voices through interviews, surveys and participatory storytelling
Partnering with government and civil society via a Technical Advisory Group that bridges research and policy
Driving reform by translating findings into policy briefs, convenings and advocacy campaigns
Already, over 50 women-owned childcare centers have been documented and a growing coalition of providers, policymakers and advocates is championing change. Together we are shaping a childcare system that recognizes care as essential infrastructure unlocking women’s work, fueling economic growth and ensuring every child has the chance to thrive.
Project Duration: Sept 2023 – June 2026
Donor: Co-Impact Gender Fund
In much of Africa, adolescent girls and young mothers are often seen as a problem to be solved. We see them as the solution.
The Early Childhood Development Project flips the script on traditional aid. In Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique we are placing young mothers at the very heart of decision-making, empowering them to lead the grant-making process and design solutions rooted in their own lived realities.
As the learning partner, the International Center for Research on Women - Africa is pioneering a new model of research. We work alongside young women and a powerful consortium—including the Children’s Rights Innovation Fund (CRIF), Children’s Rights and Violence Prevention Fund (CRVPF), International Resource for Impact and Storytelling (IRIS) and Purposeful—to co-create a system that measures what truly matters: their voices, their insights and their leadership.
Together we are generating actionable knowledge to transform early childhood development and shift power to the experts who know best: young mothers themselves.
Funded by: Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Implementation Period: 2024–2027
This two-year project seeks to enhance understanding and implementation of effective social protection measures for women in Uganda and Kenya. The overarching goal is to promote the design and delivery of social protection interventions that cater to women’s specific needs.
Across East Africa, millions of women rely on informal work to sustain their families. Yet without access to social protection, a single crisis—illness, job loss or climate shock—can undo years of progress. Despite increased investment, most systems in Kenya and Uganda failed to reach women effectively. In Kenya, fewer than 1 in 10 informal workers were covered by any scheme. In Uganda, only 15% of working-age adults were enrolled. The barriers were stark: discriminatory eligibility rules, corruption, stigma and women’s exclusion from decision-making.
From 2023 to 2025, ICRW Africa set out to change this narrative. With support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, our two-year initiative brought women’s lived experiences into the heart of policy debates, filled evidence gaps and built coalitions to push for more inclusive, gender-responsive systems.
What We Learned and Achieved
Women’s Realities Must Shape Policy
Through in-depth research in rural areas and informal settlements, women shared powerful testimonies of how exclusionary systems left them vulnerable. Their stories challenged policymakers to see beyond numbers and design protections that reflect women’s lived realities.
Evidence Changes Conversations
Our scoping review and policy briefs synthesized fragmented research into actionable insights for governments and advocates. These became reference points in Kenya and Uganda for how to strengthen inclusion.
Policy Influence is Possible
In Kenya, our evidence-based advocacy contributed to the Social Protection Bill, 2025 which seeks to consolidate fragmented schemes and address gendered exclusions. In Uganda, our high-level convenings reframed social protection as not just income support but a tool for dismantling entrenched gender inequities.
Partnerships Drive Momentum
By working with ministries, civil society organizations, community groups and academic institutions, we built bridges between evidence and action. These alliances now carry forward the push for stronger, more equitable systems.
Key Milestones
Policy Briefs & Evidence Reviews (2024–25) consolidated what works for women in social protection
National and Regional Convenings brought together leaders, communities and advocates to champion reform
Direct Policy Engagement in Kenya informed the drafting of the Social Protection Bill, 2025
Evidence Briefs with Women’s Testimonies gave policymakers a human lens on systemic barriers such as corruption, stigma and discriminatory rules
The Legacy
This project leaves behind clearer pathways for reform, stronger coalitions for advocacy and a body of evidence that policymakers can no longer ignore.
Women’s voices are now more central in social protection debates
National dialogues in Kenya and Uganda are better connected to lived realities and evidence
Policy conversations are shifting from short-term safety nets to long-term empowerment.
ICRW-Africa, in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, is training young female researchers in different aspects of research both to empower their careers and to continue instilling an evidence-based approach to problem solving to the next generation of researchers.
Behind the Scenes (BtS) project is a multi-country initiative designed to address systemic gender barriers in Africa’s creative industries. Focusing on Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal, the program identifies and addresses key challenges faced by young women, including limited access to opportunities, economic barriers, and policy gaps within the creative sector.
This initiative brings together local research institutions, creative industry professionals, and advocacy organizations to provide evidence and insights to drive policy and industry reforms to dismantle barriers and foster inclusion and empowerment for young female creatives across the industry. Key partners include the Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA), the University of Cape Coast (Ghana), the University of Lagos (Nigeria), the University of Rwanda, and LAREM (Laborative de Recherches Economiques et Monétaires) in Senegal.
Funded by: Mastercard Foundation
Implementation Period: 2023-2026
