About us >>Meet our Consultants >>Alice Kerr-Wilson


How did you become interested in social development and in particular gender equality?

As an English undergraduate I took courses in post-colonial and feminist fiction and became interested in how gender issues were explored in different cultures. Even before this, during my gap year, I spent eight months in Nepal as a volunteer teaching English. I became close friends with a Nepali girl I was living with and observed first-hand the challenges women face in developing countries. After my first degree I spent some time working with VSO in Sri Lanka and lived with a girl in a small community. She wanted something different from the roles that were expected of her - submissive daughter, wife and mother. I noticed how frequently she had to stand up to this on a daily basis. Largely based on these personal experiences, I decided that I wanted to better understand the social constructs that so often discriminate against women and girls and how development projects engage with these issues. So I began an MA course in Gender and Development at the University of East Anglia and became convinced I wanted a career in this field.

How did your early experiences in Afghanistan influence your current work?

I was in Afghanistan at a very exciting time. I got there in 2002 just after the Taliban had left and stayed for two years. A lot of resources were pouring into the country, along with large numbers of former Afghan refugees. There was a lot of hope amongst Afghans and the international community that after so many years of conflict, things were taking a turn for the better. I found it to be a country full of surprises and contradictions. For example, in the UK we think that all Afghan women wear burqas and are hidden away inside their homes. Whilst this is the case in many parts of the country, I was surprised to find that in some remote areas women claimed to have never worn the burqa, even under the Taliban and could be seen working outside in the fields. I was also impressed by my male Afghan colleagues, some of whom were educating their daughters under difficult circumstances and in some cases despite much resistance from their own families. It is sad to think that the conflict has worsened since this time and the hopes of the early post-Taliban era have not been fulfilled.

The development industry is a very sophisticated machine these days. Tell us about some of the most challenging issues facing development professionals today?

I think one of the greatest challenges is successfully measuring the impact of development programmes and engaging those affected by them in this process. Lyndsay McLean-Hilker and I recently reviewed a DFID-funded UNIFEM programme in six different conflict-affected countries. The programme focussed on supporting community initiatives to engage women in peacebuilding and preventing violence against women. In some of the countries we looked at, some excellent and innovative programmes had been established, including working with the police and setting up referral centres for victims of domestic violence. However, where staff struggled was with the monitoring and evaluation side of things, and in particular measuring the impact of projects, rather than just describing the activities that they had undertaken.

Is domestic violence a particular problem in countries affected by conflict?

In countries that have experienced conflict, a culture of violence can become the norm and may filter into the domestic environment. Domestic violence can often be seen as a taboo subject, which is seldom spoken about. If your sister-in-law, your neighbour or your friends are all victims of domestic violence, it becomes difficult to even acknowledge that something out of the ordinary is happening. It is very difficult for women in these circles to break out of them and approach someone or a support group for help. I found this to be the case in Rwanda which I visited for the UNIFEM review. It is very important that work around violence against women includes both men as well as women. You need to understand why men are doing these things to women before you can come up with solutions.

Has your thinking on gender issues changed since motherhood?

There have been some surveys conducted which have found that given the choice, the majority of women in the UK want to work but also want to spend time with their children. Part-time work is therefore ideal. I am lucky that with SDDirect I have been able to work part-time and also undertake trips abroad. I have taken my one-year-old daughter with me on a project where there was childcare available during the day and I have also been on a week-long assignment abroad without her. So for me, it is all about choice, as I want to have both children and a career.

Can you tell us a bit more about the audit you did of DanChurchAid?

Last year Francis Watkins and I, with some input from two of our network consultants undertook a gender and rights audit of DanChurchAid, one of Denmark's largest NGOs. The aim of the audit was to see whether the organisation which takes both a gender equality and rightsbased approach in its country programmes was really 'walking the talk' internally. I found this to be a fascinating process and was impressed by the level of commitment to the audit shown by staff and senior managers. The high level of unionisation amongst the Copenhagen staff was interesting however there was less debate around broader diversity issues beyond gender than in the UK.

When you're not working for SDDirect what are you most likely to be doing?

At present I spend much of my time looking after my daughter. When I get time off, I like being outdoors, hiking or cycling. I also enjoy seeing close friends and family and going to the cinema. I have recently become a trustee for a small educational NGO in Nepal and am enjoying getting to grips with issues at the local level, which makes a change compared to consultancy work, which often focuses on the bigger picture.

Interview by Malini Tambyah