Fostering Inclusivity: Community-Based Research on Gender and Development in East and Southern Africa

Perspectives in Global Development: Fall 2023 Seminar Series

Abstract

Many research initiatives undertaken in low and middle-income countries are collaborations with actors in high-income countries. Yet local researchers and even the local communities are seldom involved in the design of research that involves them. 

To increase the likelihood that research findings will promote safety, equity, and justice for all, researchers and institutions should promote and practice inclusive research policies. In this talk, Brenda Oulo will address inclusion and what inclusion means for research practice from the perspective of involving both local researchers and community-based practitioners in the entire research cycle. Using illustrative examples of her personal professional experiences as a community-based gender, health and social researcher working with a network of 45 community-based organizations in East and Southern Africa, she will also make a case for the emphasis of research collaborations grounded in the participation innovation praxis methodology for complex systems thinking. 

About the speaker

Dr. Brenda Oulo is a distinguished scholar with a profound passion for advancing global health and empowering adolescent girls. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBchB) from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and a Master of Science (MSc) in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in the Wellcome Trust Public Health Economics and Decision Science program at the University of Sheffield, poised to make a significant contribution to gender-transformative initiatives on the African continent through a multi-disciplinary research approach.

As a feminist researcher, Dr. Oulo is championing the rights and well-being of adolescent girls. Her work centers on researching, promoting, and fostering girls' agency, recognizing that empowering girls is crucial for sustainable development and societal progress. In line with this vision, she co-directs the Girls Agency Lab (GAL), a pioneering multi-country initiative committed to localizing research, development, and investment in adolescent girls' agency. Under her co-leadership, GAL focuses on amplifying the work of community-based programs aimed at supporting girls to transform their lives and communities in five African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Rwanda.

Perspectives in Global Development

The Perspectives in Global Development seminars are held Wednesdays from 12:20-1:20 p.m. eastern time during the semester. The series is presented in a hybrid format with some speakers on campus and others appearing via Zoom. All seminars are shown in Emerson Hall 135. Students, faculty and the general public are welcome to attend. The series is co-sponsored by the Department of Global Development, the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and the School of Integrative Plant Science as part of courses GDEV 4961, AEM 4961, NTRES 4961, GDEV 6960, AEM 6960, and NTRES 6960.