As part of our ongoing efforts to institutionalize the use of evidence for policy-making across the subregion, DIWA funded two outstanding researchers—Isaac Doku and Grace Abban—for a Resident Fellowship program at the UC Berkeley. Over the past few weeks, they have engaged in impactful seminars, workshops, and conferences, including the 2024 Global Evidence to Action (E2A) Conference organized by the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA). This year’s conference, held in San Francisco, focused on the theme, Centering Gender Equity in Responses to Global Poverty.
During the conference, Prof. Aaron Abuosi, an associate professor at the University of Ghana Business School and a DIWA alumnus, presented findings from his DIWA-funded study titled “Encouraging Male Involvement in Maternal Care: Evidence from Ghana”. His presentation highlighted the role of male counterparts in improving maternal health using a randomized control trial.
Following the conference, Prof. Abuosi engaged with Isaac and Grace to share insights on key steps to conducting research within the subregion, the challenges and successes using his study as a case. He emphasized the importance of context in designing effective social interventions. This interaction provided the fellows with a rich understanding of how evidence-based research can be made sensitive to the needs of the policymaker. It also offered them the opportunity to expand their professional networks by connecting with global experts in the field.
We are excited about the valuable knowledge they are gaining, and we look forward to sharing more updates on their progress and future projects.
