Key skills and expertise

Bringing over 38 years of experience, the expert is a highly qualified social scientist specializing in gender analysis, agricultural value chains, and climate change strategies. Key qualifications include program assessments, gender-responsive climate adaptation, and policy development. Career highlights include leading national and international projects, authoring influential publications, and serving as a team leader for development programs. Accomplishments encompass leading gender value chain analyses and developing gender mainstreaming tools. Background includes leadership roles in organizations such as FAO, USAID, and the World Bank, contributing significantly to gender equality and pro-poor development.

Project experience and donor exposure

With a background in collaborating with international donors, the expert has worked with FAO, USAID, SIDA, IFAD, GIZ, and the World Bank. Responsibilities have included project implementation, technical assistance, evaluations, and capacity building in sectors like agriculture, gender equality, and climate change. The expert has participated in regional and national projects across Africa, Asia, and Europe, in countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Projects often focus on gender-responsive strategies and pro-poor development initiatives within agricultural value chains and climate adaptation programs.

Sectors and geographic focus

Worked across diverse projects involving agriculture, gender, climate change, poverty reduction, and social development. Previously held roles such as team leader, gender advisor, and researcher, focusing on gender analysis, value chain development, and climate-smart agriculture. Cross-cutting expertise includes integrating gender into agricultural policies and programs and developing gender-responsive strategies. The expert has contributed to regional and country-specific initiatives in Africa, Asia, and Europe, addressing both local and international development challenges. Geographic experience includes long-term assignments in Madagascar, Kenya, and China, with work in countries such as Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ghana, Cameroon, Togo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Jordan.

Languages and education

With a strong educational background, the expert holds a Ph.D. in Rural Development Studies from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden, awarded in 2004, recognized with a Best Dissertation Award. Additionally, a Master's degree with Distinction in Gender Analysis was earned from the University of East Anglia, UK, in 1996, funded by the ESRC. Other qualifications include a Management of Change Diploma from Birkbeck College, University of London, and a BA Hons in English Literature and Development Studies from the University of Sussex, UK. Language competences include native English proficiency and fluency in German, certified by the Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom from the Goethe Institut, with good reading proficiency in French for desk reviews. These language skills have been applied in diverse contexts, including in-country work in Germany and multilingual teams across various international projects.