IPS Researchers Attend Women RISE Initiative End-of-Project Meeting in Kenya

3 – 5 February 2025

During a panel discussion on “The Impact of Economic and Labour Policies on Women’s Health and Wellbeing,” Dr Wijesinghe, who is the principal investigator of the IPS study conducted under the Women RISE initiative titled “Improving Pandemic Responses to Reduce Adverse Health Effects on Women Workers in Sri Lanka’s Export Sector,” highlighted the importance of establishing a gender-sensitive pandemic response protocol.

Such a protocol is crucial for mitigating the disproportionate economic and health impacts on women workers, especially those in the apparel sector. In his presentation, Dr. Wijesinghe highlighted the need for a financial support system for unemployed workers, proposing options such as using Sri Lanka’s Employers’ Provident Fund (EPF) to support these female workers. He also stressed the importance of standardising accommodation facilities for workers in the apparel sector, increasing women’s representation in decision-making roles both at the firm and national levels, and ensuring their meaningful contribution to developing gender-sensitive responses to the pandemic.

The Women RISE initiative is funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) Canada in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada. The initiative supports action-oriented and gender-transformative research on how women’s health and their work (paid or unpaid) intersect and interact in the context of preparedness, response, and recovery from COVID-19.

The end-of-project meeting for the Women RISE Initiative featured several panel discussions and interactive breakout sessions for sharing knowledge and experiences. It was hosted by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications, and the African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET) from the 3rd to 5th February in Nairobi, Kenya. IPS Research Fellow Dr Asanka Wijesinghe and IPS Research Economist Sunimalee Madurawala participated.