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This research paper examines the 'digital divide' in Africa, exacerbated by COVID-19 lockdowns, focusing on socio-economic barriers, infrastructure deficits, information access, and government-mandated internet shutdowns. It proposes a multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, the corporate sector, the African Union, and global bodies to treat internet access as a basic human right and prioritize infrastructure investment and affordability.

This guide by Natural Justice examines how COVID-19 lockdowns have been leveraged by governments and private entities to suppress environmental and land defenders, particularly in Africa, and provides strategic advice for maintaining activism and safety during the pandemic.

A May 2020 report by Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), funded by FSD Africa and FSD Uganda, evaluates compliance with consumer protection frameworks in Uganda's credit market. Through 1,102 mystery shopping visits to Tier 1-4 lenders in Kampala, Mbarara, and Gulu, the study found significant gaps in the disclosure of the total cost of credit, interest rates, and late payment penalties. The report highlights that inexperienced borrowers and women receive less information and fewer explanations than experienced male borrowers, and that written disclosure materials, such as key facts documents, are rarely provided during initial sales visits.

This policy brief details a mystery shopping assessment conducted by Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) between July and August 2019 to evaluate credit cost disclosures among Tier 1-4 lenders in Uganda. The study found significant gaps in the disclosure of interest rates, total cost of credit, and non-interest fees, with inexperienced borrowers and women receiving less information than experienced borrowers and men. The brief recommends improving staff training, standardizing Key Facts Documents (KfDs), and harmonizing consumer protection policies between the Bank of Uganda (BoU) and the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA).

The May 2020 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) challenges in the Sahel, the human rights risks associated with COVID-19 states of emergency, the adaptation of peace support operations (PSOs) to the pandemic, and the economic threat to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also analyzes the potential shift in the global order and the need for Africa to reduce its dependence on external support.

This case study profiles Divine Bamboo, a Ugandan social enterprise that produces clean cooking fuel from fast-growing local bamboo species to combat deforestation and health issues associated with traditional fuels.

This research paper examines the process of 'policy transfer' for renewable energy adoption using case studies from Peru, Thailand, and Uganda, concluding that the process is a complex, iterative interaction between national and international actors rather than a simple adoption of policies from one country to another.

This fact sheet presents the results of a baseline survey conducted in March 2020 as part of the Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) project. The project, launched by FSD Uganda and FSD Africa, aims to support financial service providers (FSPs) in offering services to refugees and host communities in Uganda to build resilience and drive access to basic financial tools.

This case study examines the role of the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) Incubator in supporting five selected grantees to scale their resilience innovations. It details the Incubator's methodology, which includes gap analysis, leadership training, and business model development, and evaluates the progress of projects focused on food systems, risk financing, urban habitat, water governance, and smallholder market access across Africa and Asia.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) case study outlines a framework for 'learning from failure' in resilience-building initiatives. By utilizing Challenge Funds to distribute risk and establishing a high-trust relationship between the GRP Secretariat and grantees, the organization encourages an iterative 'probe-sense-respond' approach. Key findings emphasize the need for flexible targets, a 'do no harm' principle in vulnerable contexts, and a systematic MEL process that captures not just what failed, but why. Case studies from Kenya, the Philippines, and the Sahel demonstrate how pausing unsuccessful pilots and redesigning products based on real-time evidence leads to more effective, scalable resilience solutions.

This research paper examines the impact of trade facilitation reforms, specifically One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) and Simplified Trade Regimes (STRs), on women informal cross-border traders (WICBTs) in East Africa, with a detailed case study of the Busia OSBP between Kenya and Uganda.

This guide by Friends of the Earth International (ATI) argues that gender justice and the dismantling of patriarchy are essential for systemic transformation toward a sustainable and peaceful world. It defines popular and anti-capitalist feminism as a key tool for achieving equality and system change, emphasizing the intersectionality between patriarchy and other systems of oppression such as capitalism, racism, and neocolonialism.

This guide by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) outlines a conceptual framework for achieving gender justice and dismantling patriarchy as essential components of broader systemic change. It advocates for grassroots, anti-capitalist feminism and ecofeminism to address the interlinked systems of oppression—including capitalism, racism, neocolonialism, and heteronormativity—that exploit women, LGBTQ+ people, and nature.

The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) has outlined a 10-year strategy (2020–2030) to catalyze systemic economic reform toward green and fair economies. The plan focuses on shifting social narratives, building public demand, and influencing policy across five key themes: governance, finance, economic sectors, inequality, and nature.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) estimates the public funding required by 2030 to end hunger, double the incomes of smallholder farmers, and maintain agricultural greenhouse gas emissions within the limits of the Paris Agreement. Using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, the authors determine that donors must nearly double their current annual contributions to food security, supplemented by increased domestic tax revenue in low- and middle-income countries.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) estimates the public investment required to eradicate hunger, double the incomes of small-scale producers, and maintain agricultural greenhouse gas emissions within Paris Agreement limits by 2030. Using a computable general equilibrium model, the authors determine that donors must increase their annual contributions by 14 billion USD, complemented by 19 billion USD from low- and middle-income countries, to achieve these goals.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) estimates the public spending required to end hunger, double the incomes of small-scale producers, and maintain agricultural greenhouse gas emissions within Paris Agreement limits by 2030. It identifies a significant funding gap, requiring both an increase in official development assistance (ODA) and higher domestic taxation in low- and middle-income countries.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the relationship between armed conflict and forced displacement in Africa. It evaluates the African Union's (AU) 'Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2020' initiative, arguing that while the AU has established necessary infrastructure for early warning and preventive diplomacy, poor governance and structural root causes continue to drive conflict and displacement.

This executive summary from Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) analyzes the gap between financial commitments and actual disbursements for energy projects in 20 high-impact countries (HICs) across Africa and Asia. Using OECD Creditor Reporting System (CRS) data, the report highlights that while energy finance disbursements grew faster than overall development finance between 2013 and 2018, they still significantly lag behind commitments, hindering the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7).

This 2020 report by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) analyzes the gap between financial commitments and actual disbursements for energy access in High-Impact Countries (HICs). Using OECD Creditor Reporting System (CRS) data, it evaluates the efficiency of development financing for electricity and clean cooking, identifying systemic delays and project design flaws that hinder the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7).