The Scaling Care Innovations in Africa (SCIA) Mid-Term Workshop

Event Summary

The Scaling Care Innovations in Africa (SCIA) Mid-Term Workshop convened a diverse coalition of researchers, policymakers, women’s rights activists, and advocates committed to advancing care-centered development across sub-Saharan Africa. This four-day workshop marked a pivotal milestone in the five-year SCIA program, a flagship initiative jointly developed by the International Development Research Centre and Global Affairs Canada.

SCIA is designed to scale tested policy and program innovations that recognize, reduce, and redistribute women’s unpaid care work. It is grounded in locally generated data and evidence, ensuring that care solutions are responsive to the lived realities of marginalized women and girls. With 19 implementation research projects spanning 15 countries, the program is reshaping development practice by placing care at the center of economic empowerment, gender equality, and inclusive policy reform.

The strategic objectives of the workshop were both bold in scope and catalytic in intent, designed to assess and accelerate progress, deepen regional collaboration and learning, and position care as a central pillar of inclusive development across sub-Saharan Africa.

Participants shared progress and achievements across the program’s diverse portfolio, identifying key milestones and emerging lessons. Central to the gathering was the commitment to strengthen peer learning and foster cross-country knowledge exchange, enabling practitioners to draw insights from varied contexts and innovations. The event also established the Africa Cares Together (ACT) Community of Practice (CoP) as a vital platform for solidarity, collaboration, and regional leadership. Developed in partnership with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Community of Practice will foster peer learning, knowledge exchange and representation of African voices in key regional and international forums. Furthermore, the workshop focused on building capacity to effectively communicate impact and influence policy, ensuring that care remains a central pillar in national and global development agendas.