PEP ED shares research recommendations at multiple international events

Over the past month, PEP’s Executive Director, Prof. Jane Mariara, has travelled between Asia, Europe and Africa to share PEP research insights and recommendations to multiple international audiences.

BEIJING, CHINA – On April 27, Prof. Mariara outlined some rationales and mechanisms for government intervention in a market economy at the Sixth Annual Conference of Government and Economics at Tsinghua University.

She said: “Government interventions based on misinformation can have a negative impact on the economy. For instance, subsidies for petroleum products in Nigeria have benefited high-income households relatively more than low-income households, which is contrary to the policy's intended purpose.” Prof. Mariara underlined the importance of well-intentioned, well-informed and evidence-based government decisions as the only way to achieve favorable outcomes.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Presenting remotely, Prof. Mariara discussed “Earth4All and Gender Equity: The Place of Women’s Empowerment in Building Better, Strong and Resilient Societies” at the Earth4All Empowerment Turnaround event on May 17.

Empowering women is one of the five key turnarounds identified by Earth4All as critical to achieving systems change to ensure well-being for all on a finite planet. In line with this, Prof. Mariara highlighted how this requires a shift in gender equity, women's agency and championing the needs of families in a changing world. She shared key policy recommendations for empowering women. In practical terms, this means ensuring secure incomes, universal healthcare, flexible working hours, adequate social protection, and humane parental leave, among others.

ROME, ITALY – Prof. Mariara spoke as a panelist at the launch of the 2023-2024 Human Development Report: Breaking the Gridlock, on May 20. The event, coordinated by SPES Sustainability Performances, Evidence & Scenarios, focused on the urgent need to address a variety of global challenges that mean we are currently off track to meet the 2030 Agenda. Prof. Mariara said: “We need to foster inclusive platforms so that we bring in the interest of everyone on board."

NAIROBI, KENYA – During the African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings, Prof. Mariara participated in key side events. This first was “Building resilient African economies in the face of global shocks”. Organised by ODI collaboration with the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), it focused on unveiling findings from the research partnership investigating the impact of multiple crises on African economies.

As a panelist, Prof. Mariara spoke on the measures that African countries need to put in place to build resilience, as well as the need for the international community to support maintaining trade channels, regional collaboration and diversification.

Prof. Mariara also attended a side event organised by Center for Global Development (CGD), together with PEP, the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS), and REPOA. It explored how the MDB reform agenda could better accommodate the needs and priorities of client countries, particularly those in Africa.