November 15, 2024, | Online
PEP launches free bilingual online course to empower researchers with gender equality and inclusion tools
Friday, November 15, 2024 – The Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) officially launched its Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) Online Course on Friday, a free, bilingual, self-paced training program aimed at equipping researchers with the tools to integrate gender equality and inclusion principles into their work. The event hosted virtually, brought together key stakeholders, partners, and contributors to celebrate the culmination of this groundbreaking initiative.
The launch began with a welcome address by Michael Murigi, PEP's Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator. It was followed by remarks from distinguished speakers, including Prof. Jane Mariara, PEP's Executive Director, and regional directors from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Dr. Kathryn Toure (East and Southern Africa) and Dr. Marie-Gloriose Ingabire (West Africa).
During her speech, Dr. Ingabire emphasized the course's transformative potential in addressing dynamics of exclusion and marginalization, while Dr. Toure highlighted the importance of intersectionality in promoting inclusive research practices.
Prof. Dileni Gunewardena provided an overview of the course's development, which started in April 2023 and involved extensive collaboration with content developers, technical experts, and reviewers. The course comprises 17 modules divided into two parts: a Core GEI Program with seven mandatory modules and ten additional modules tailored to specific research interests. Participants must complete the Core Program to unlock the additional modules and receive certification.
The official launch featured the screening of a promotional video, while PEP set a significant target of 1,000 course completions by March 2026, with over 200 participants already enrolled.
Prof. Mariara underscored the broader vision of the initiative: “This course is more than a learning platform. It is a call to action for institutions, governments, and researchers to challenge the status quo and create a more equitable future through informed research.
PEP invited institutions and networks globally to promote the course within their communities. Social media campaigns and outreach to universities, research institutions, and civil society organizations are already underway to ensure widespread adoption.
This initiative, supported by the IDRC, reflects PEP's commitment to advancing research that bridges gaps in gender equality and fosters inclusion, thereby driving impactful policy development worldwide.
For more information and to register for the course, click here
