Blog
PEP Update: Programme Delivery in 2025 and Engagement Priorities for 2026
By Prof. Jane Mariara
In this issue, Prof. Jane Mariara offers a snapshot of how efforts to deepen policy engagement, align research and capacity development, strengthen organisational systems, and improve evidence communication shaped programme delivery and engagement milestones.
Leading with Local Evidence: How Southern Voices Shaped Development Thinking in 2025
By Prof. Jane Mariara
In this issue, Prof. Jane Mariara brings together the lessons she has shared throughout 2025 to put forward the case for why sustainable development cannot be imported and that local challenges require locally-led solutions.
When global crises hit home: lessons from Kenya’s Russia-Ukraine war shock
By Prof. Jane Mariara and Jorge Dávalos
This briefing was first published by ODI Global. In this briefing, the authors examine a critical failure point: how institutional capacity, rather than just macroeconomic buffers, determines the severity of global shocks in countries like Kenya.
Empowerment: Kenya’s path to a Giant Leap
By Prof. Jane Mariara
Originally published by Earth4All, in this article Prof. Mariara examines how empowerment sits at the heart of Kenya’s current socio-political moment—linking youth protests, women’s movements, unpaid care, and policy reform—and outlines practical pathways to translate rising public demands for inclusion into lasting economic and social transformation.
Beyond a Seat at the Table: What Fair Collaboration Really Looks Like
By Prof. Jane Mariara
In this issue, Prof. Jane Mariara argues that balanced North–South collaboration is central to addressing the mismatch between development research agendas and the realities and priorities of the people the evidence is meant to serve. She then asks: what does fair collaboration really look like?
The Future of Work in Africa: From Evidence to Action
By Prof. Jane Mariara
Millions of young people in Africa continue to face barriers to accessing dignified and fulfilling work. Now, as global labour markets see rapid changes due to technological change, climate pressures, and demographic transitions, Prof. Mariara asks: how do we prepare Africa’s youth for the future of work?
Powering Change from the Ground Up: Rural Enterprises Leading a Low-Carbon Future
By Prof. Jane Mariara
When local enterprises are empowered with information, financing, and supportive policies, renewable energy can drive both productivity and inclusion. Prof. Mariara shares emerging insights on how the transition to low-carbon agriculture can be inclusive and equitable.
What does it take to create dignified and fulfilling work for youth? Lessons from Youth Employment Policy Reviews across Africa
By Prof. Jane Mariara
Africa’s greatest potential lies in its young people, yet millions remain without decent work opportunities. What will it take to turn promise into prosperity? Prof. Mariara shares lessons from Youth Employment Policy reviews from across Africa.
Making Universal Health Coverage a Reality in Ethiopia through an Equitable Contribution System for Community Based Health Insurance (CBHI)
This blog shares early findings from the randomized control trial used to evaluate the pilot of a sliding scale-based Community-Based Health Insurance scheme in Ethiopia, pointing to what is needed for this approach to provide more equitable and pro-poor universal health coverage in Ethiopia and beyond.
Levelling the playing field for North-South research collaborations
By Prof. Jane Mariara
Since 2002, PEP has been supporting locally-led development in the Global South. More recently, PEP Research Fellows sought to identify ways to enhance the participation of Southern researchers in development debates. In this issue, Prof. Mariara focuses on how North-South research collaborations can be more equitable.
Is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) gender inclusive and equitable?
By the Partnership for Economic Policy
The AfCFTA holds promise for boosting intra-African trade, but women—who dominate informal cross-border trade—remain excluded from its benefits. Ensuring gender inclusivity requires targeted action, not just protocols.
Is the EU’s Carbon Border Fair to the Global South?
By Prof. Jane Mariara
The European Union introduced the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to promote clean energy transitions and incentivize green technology adoption. Drawing from a new paper co-authored by PEP, Prof. Jane Mariara explores the macroeconomic impacts of the CBAM on countries throughout the Global South.
Regenerative agriculture in action: Lessons from TomKat Ranch
Jane Kabubo-Mariara, Professor of Economics, University of Nairobi; Executive Director, Partnership for Economic Policy: shares Insights from TomKat Ranch and the GPF Summit reaffirm the value of research-driven strategies in transforming food systems and empowering communities.
Strengthening local research capacity to improve education decision-making in Africa
January 31| Online | By the Partnership for Economic Policy
The Africa Fellows in Education Program (AFEP) enhances local research capacity for better education decision-making in Sub-Saharan Africa. The 2024-25 cohort of ten fellows conducts research on key education challenges, including language policy and learning outcomes. Through training and networking, AFEP empowers researchers to influence policy and drive reforms.
Artificial Intelligence and labor markets: navigating an uncertain and fast-moving landscape
December 18 | Online
The unprecedented developments in artificial intelligence (AI) technology and its recent widespread availability hold transformative potential to reshape global economic dynamics and labor markets, though opinions on its impacts vary greatly.
Green Energy Transition in Pakistan: A Path to Sustainable Development
November 22 | Pakistan
By Vaqar Ahmed and Muhammad Zeshan, this blog highlights the substantial investments needed for Pakistan's green energy shift and the role of domestic and international financing, including MDB support. They recommend phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, fostering public-private partnerships, and implementing robust environmental safeguards to ensure a sustainable and inclusive transition. Southern-led research and regional collaboration are emphasized as key to effective policy design and implementation.
Green Energy Transition in South Africa: The Role of MDBs
November 22 | South Africa
PEP researchers Heinrich Bohlmann and Jessika Bohlmann emphasize the critical role of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) in South Africa’s shift from coal to renewable energy. The research highlights the need for concessional financing, workforce retraining, and governance reforms to ensure a just and sustainable energy transition. With MDB support, South Africa can achieve long-term environmental and economic resilience.
Bridging global divides: How Southern researchers can lead sustainable development
Jane Kabubo-Mariara Professor of Economics, University of Nairobi; Executive Director, Partnership for Economic Policy; Ana Lucia Kassouf Professor, Department of Economics, University of Sao Paulo; Research Fellow, Partnership for Economic Policy and Verónica Amarante Professor, Economics Department, Universidad de la República Uruguay; Research Fellow, Partnership for Economic Policy
The Opportunities and Challenges of AI for Labor Markets in the Global South
By PEP Research Fellows Veronica Amarante and Guillermo Cruces
AI technologies bring both opportunities and challenges for labor markets in the Global South. While AI holds promise for healthcare, education, and agriculture development, it also introduces new labor dynamics that could disrupt traditional employment.
Youth employment programmes need better monitoring and coordination to tackle the South African youth unemployment crisis
By Dr Jessika Bohlmann and Prof Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu of the University of Pretoria; Prof Ramos Mabugu and Dr Christelle Meniago of Sol Plaatje University; Dr Kehinde Omotoso of Teesside University International Business School (TUIBS); and Thembelihle Makhubela and Macsharry Sematla of Hand in Hand Southern Africa
A local lens to influence policies and increase women’s access to decent work in the Global South
By the Partnership for Economic Policy
Members of PEP project teams share how their local perspectives strengthened their policy analysis and influence during a recent research program into the barriers that women face in accessing decent work.
Addressing gender inequalities is essential for the success of COVID-19 recovery policies
By Arjan de Haan, Senior Program Specialist for Sustainable Inclusive Economies at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Research and policy must tackle gender inequalities for sustainable, equitable development, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
