A few days ago, a report by the UK’s Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), declared that over 5,000 women were missing from the top jobs in the UK. If you’re a development economist, you might recognise the language from Amartya Sen’s seminal piece, written over ten years ago, on the 100 million women missing in developing [...]

The UK Government has been supporting an Afghan Government programme to deliver basic services, including water, health, justice and education, in recently secured areas. The programme operates nationally, but the UK has been supporting efforts in Helmand Province. The programme supports Afghans in taking the lead in the planning and budgeting process to decide what [...]

I spotted a little girl squatting quietly against the school wall watching the buzz of our official welcome at Tortank Girls’ School in Lashkar Gah. We were greeted by staff and students with a song and flowers. As the rest of our group - made up of officials from Kabul and Helmand and other donors [...]

I don’t know about you but I always dread “that time of the year” when I have to revise all my contracts – home insurance, energy, water, and so on.  I dread it so much that I usually stick to the same provider. It’s lazy, I know – but shopping around used to be so laborious - [...]

As you fly over this arid, dry and dusty land the vast expanse of tented shelters sprawling across the horizon immediately captures your attention.    There are almost 400,000 people - a number equivalent to the entire population of Bristol - residing in these settlements. On the drive towards the camps of Dabaab you see many [...]

Contrary to popular belief, Africa can get really cold at night! I’m currently spending my first winter proper in the Southern Hemisphere, with dry sunny days and crisp nights under the Southern Cross - and temperatures plummeting to zero in Harare.      When I told people I was joining the Zimbabwean Minister of Education, Sports, Arts [...]