Holly Ritchie

Holly Ritchie

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Founder
Nairobi County, Kenya

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  • Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO
    Women, Refugees and Economic Development Consultant
    Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO
    Feb 2020 - Apr 2020 (3 months)
    ‘Target Group Study: Women and Refugees in Gadarif and Kassala, Eastern Sudan’ (45 page report) Short research (desk work and qualitative field research) for a detailed report elaborating the socio-economic situation of women and refugees in Gadarif and Kassala states for RVO’s EU-funded Regional Development and Protection Programme in Sudan, ‘Agribusiness in Eastern Sudan’ (RDPP AB)
  • Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO
    Economic Development Consultant (lead consultant)
    Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO
    Sep 2019 - Dec 2019 (4 months)
    ‘From Skills to Jobs in the fragile context of Somalia?’ (65 page report) Short research assignment (desk work and qualitative field research) to compile a detailed report elaborating private sector participation and development in Somalia and the status of education/non formal education, and key socio-cultural dynamics and trends related to youth skills and employment, with a particular focus on Mogadishu and Banadir state in the South Central region.
  • Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO
    Gender and Enterprise Advisor
    Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO
    May 2019 - Jan 2025 (5 years 9 months)
    As a regional advisor, Holly supported the RVO team with periodic advice as requested and strategic support (or longer support as required) related to gender and private sector interventions in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East-North Africa region (MENA). Support included programme advice, review of proposals and internal documents, and troubleshooting (and short field missions if needed). Practical assignments included gender advisory support to Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs programme on Youth Skills and Employment in Somalia, and workshop/training support to Sudanese women entrepreneurs in the Dutch-funded Orange Corners Programme in Khartoum - 'Exploring the situation of women entrepreneurs in Khartoum: reflecting on business ba
  • A
    Lead Consultant: Somalia and Sudan Country Gender Profiles
    African Development Bank Group
    Dec 2018 - May 2020 (1 year 6 months)
    Led two qualitative-based research studies in Somalia and Sudan with local consultants to draft country level AFDB and UN Women Country Gender Profiles, including analyses and recommendations to support to social and economic development.
  • Thrive
    Founder
    Thrive
    Sep 2018 - Current (7 years 10 months)
    Established in Nairobi in 2018, Thrive is a social enterprise that aims to empower both men and women in local development in Kenya through the provision of training services, with an overall goal to promote gender equality and more inclusive community development (and quality research). In social outreach and pro-bono projects, the organization aims to also support local women leaders and minority groups (including refugees) as change agents through leadership and community skills development and enterprise.
  • Care
    Gender, Norms and Pastoralism Research Consultant
    Care
    May 2018 - Oct 2018 (6 months)
    (Total 1 MONTH) Led 3 local research teams for a qualitative study (with some quantitative tools) on agro-pastoralist women and girls’ social norms and barriers, and socio-economic change in South Darfur: Social Norms and Barriers Analysis for Pastoralist Women and Girls: Trends of Change in a complex context?
  • CFIA LDE Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa
    ICFI Research Affiliate
    CFIA LDE Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa
    Dec 2017 - Current (8 years 7 months)
    At the International Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa (ICFI), Holly has been involved in the project Exploring Refugees and ICTs. In 2018, she drafted a desk research paper for the Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa (CFIA) ‘Refugees and ICTs: Innovating towards Inclusion and Integration in Fragile Environments?’. Alongside her ongoing academic research related to refugees, she runs a small project for Somali refugee women in Nairobi, Kenya under her social enterprise platform Thrive for Change.
  • I
    Judge, speaker and mentor on social entrepreneurship and value chain development
    Indonesia Sociopreneur Challenge
    Nov 2016
    International judge, speaker and mentor that supported the Indonesia Sociopreneur Challenge (ISoC), a 10 day international competition and bootcamp in Jakarta supported by Technopreneurship Department at Surya University. Facilitated thematic workshops (‘Social inclusion and gender in enterprise and value chain development’), and speaker at regional Economic Leadership conference.
  • Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO
    Consultant - Gender and employment in SMEs in Afghanistan
    Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO
    Jun 2016 - Oct 2016 (5 months)
    The main purpose of the assignment (1 month) was to better understand obstacles to employ women as encountered by two private sector / investment financed Joint Ventures in Afghanistan and to suggest a strategy for removing these obstacles, and to develop broader ‘Guidelines to address the obstacles for Afghan SME's to employ women’. Presentations at Ministry of Economic Affairs (The Hague), and academic article drafted for journal, Development and Change.
  • O
    Research Consultant in Syrian refugee women’s enterprise, social norms and human security
    Overseas Development Institute
    Nov 2015 - May 2016 (7 months)
    Independant Research project - ‘Between risk and tradition in Syrian refugee women’s ‘survivalist’ livelihoods in Jordan’ Academic (comparative) study, building on previous work, investigating Syrian women refugees and economic engagement in host communities and camps in Jordan, towards further understanding women’s entrepreneurship, changing norms/inclusion, and human security in fragile contexts. Final presentation to donors, NGOs and research community in Amman.
  • Maastricht School of Management
    Professional training course instructor in ‘Women in Entrepreneurship Promotion’
    Maastricht School of Management
    Nov 2015
    Module (3 days): ‘The institutional context and value chain development’
  • Care
    Gender and Pastoralism Value Chain Research Consultant
    Care
    Jan 2015 - Jul 2015 (7 months)
    Mission I (1 month)- Qualitative study on women in pastoralism in Afar region, and sustainable value chain development (Towards Resilience? Women’s Engagement In Pastoralist Livelihoods In Afar Regional State (87 pages). Mission II (1 month) - Led 3 local research teams for a qualitative study (with some quantitative tools) on women and girls’ social norms and barriers, and change in Afar and Borana regions, Ethiopia: Social Norms and Barriers Analysis for Pastoralist Women and Girls in Afar and Borana: Social Change in a Fragile Environment? (60 pages).
  • L
    Full-time Lecturer (third year undergraduate), Department of Liberal Arts
    Leiden University College The Hague
    Oct 2014 - Jan 2015 (4 months)
    Course title: ‘Gender in Fragile Environments’ (self-designed minor course) Using the lens of human security and social institutions, I designed and conducted a 7-week BA course on gender and socio-economic development in fragile settings (where state is weak/absent).
  • I
    (Post-doc) Research Fellow
    International Institute of Social Studies ISS of Erasmus University Rotterdam
    Jul 2014 - Current (12 years)
    Dr. Holly Ritchie is a (post-doctorate) research fellow at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), part of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR).
  • I
    Post-doctorate Research Fellow: Gender / institutional change in economic development
    International Institute of Social Studies ISS of Erasmus University Rotterdam
    Apr 2014 - Jul 2014 (4 months)
    Building on PhD research, compilation of academic journal articles and new research development. Conferences/seminars include (paper presentations): • Facilitating uncertain women’s enterprise development (Women’s entrepreneurship seminar (MSM)) • Understanding business and the environment (ICCO network/ Inspirational lunchtime lecture) • (June) Rethinking Entrepreneurship in Fragile Environments (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague) • (July) Gender + Economic Development in Fragile States (EAEPE Lecture/PhD Summer School, Rome) (July) Unwrapping Institutional Change in Fragile Settings (SASE Conference, University of Chicago)
  • Wageningen University Research
    Research Consultant in Somali refugee women’s enterprise and human security
    Wageningen University Research
    Dec 2013 - Apr 2014 (5 months)
    Building on PhD research, academic comparative study on Somali women refugee ‘entrepreneurs’ in Nairobi, Kenya, examining entrepreneurship, inclusion and human security. Final presentation to donors, NGOs and research community in Nairobi.
  • Tearfund
    External Evaluation Consultant
    Tearfund
    Nov 2013 - Dec 2013 (2 months)
    Conducted an external evaluation of Tearfund’s US State department’s project in Jawzjan and Kandahar: Integrated and Sustainable Services for refugees and host communities (12 months, $1,628,088).
  • G
    Private Sector / Association Development Consultant
    GERES
    May 2013 - Mar 2014 (11 months)
    (Mission 1/2013/ 1 MONTH) Facilitated internal workshops and broad regional focus groups for innovative solar housing scheme project, and developed country strategy for engaging with private sector actors. (Mission 2/2014/ 1 MONTH) Facilitated internal workshops, and facilitated training and initiation of association of craftsmen in Kabul with economic and social objectives. Developed future strategy on association growth and development, and advocacy and networking between associations/broader institutions.
Education verified_user 0% verified
  • I
    PHD (Cum Laude, Development Studies
    International Institute of Social Studies ISS
    Jan 2009 - Dec 2013 (5 years)
    Thesis Title: Negotiating Tradition, Power and Fragility in Afghanistan: Institutional Innovation and Change in Value Chain Development Drawing on extensive qualitative fieldwork, the PhD research examined the transformation of existing social institutions (norms / values) in the creation of new market institutions (‘social innovations’) in WOMEN'S ENTERPRISES in the challenging context of Afghanistan. The research demonstrated the empowerment of (certain) women through the vehicle of enterprise. The study highlighted the strategies of entrepreneurs (and their networks), local power holders and external actors, and the dual influence of the context in driving institutional change and construction, with significant implications for broader v
  • University of Amsterdam
    MA (Cum Laude, International development
    University of Amsterdam
    Jan 2002 - Dec 2004 (3 years)
  • University of Warwick
    BSc (2.1 Hons, Chemistry with Psychology
    University of Warwick
    Jan 1995 - Dec 1998 (4 years)
Publications verified_user 0% verified
  • B
    https://www.iss.nl/en/news/transformative-methodologies-how-interactive-research-can-foster-mutual-learning-first-step
    BLISS ISS Erasus University Blog
    Feb 2022
  • N
    An institutional perspective to bridging the divide: The case of Somali women refugees fostering digital inclusion in th
    New Media and Society
    Feb 2022
  • T
    Coping in the Crisis? Lessons Learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic in marginalized refugee communities in Kenya
    The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Tufts University
    Sep 2021
  • S
    ‘Investigating Gender and Enterprise in Fragile Refugee Settings: The Use of Critical Realism to Explore Institutional D
    SAGE Research Methods Cases Part Sage Publications
    Oct 2019
  • S
    ‘Investigating Gender and Enterprise in “Fragile” Refugee Settings: The Use of Critical Realism to Explore Institutional
    SAGE Research Methods Cases Part Sage Publications
    Oct 2019
  • D
    Gender and enterprise in fragile refugee settings: female empowerment amidst male emasculation—a challenge to local inte
    Disasters S SS
    Jan 2018
  • I
    Hyper-masculinity: a threat to inclusive community development in fragile environments?
    ISS Blog Erasmus University
    Dec 2017
  • W
    Unwrapping Institutional Change in Fragile Settings: Women Entrepreneurs Driving Institutional Pathways in Afghanistan
    World Development
    Apr 2016
    This paper elaborates on critical processes of institutional change and the implications for local economic development in fragile settings. Drawing on empirical research in Afghanistan, the discussion looks specifically at how local actors interact to reshape the “rules of the game” in women’s enterprise.
  • R
    Institutional Innovation and Change in Value Chain Development: Negotiating Tradition, Power and Fragility in Afghanista
    Routledge UK
    Feb 2016
    The book is derived from my PhD thesis, and explores the challenge of poor women’s participation in business in a fragile and conservative environment (Afghanistan), and diverse outcomes for local development. It discusses the importance of appreciating culture and religion, and the role of key actors in fostering inclusion and grassroots democratic development.
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