Irene Mutambo holds a Master of Arts in Gender Studies and Bachelor of Arts from Makerere University, Uganda. Having obtained research-oriented qualifications and worked with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Irene has gained in-depth knowledge in the livestock value chain research thematic areas and is equipped with the necessary fundamentals for future academic research through independent research and studies. At ILRI, Uganda, she trained and worked as a Gender Research Fellow and part of an interdisciplinary research team and stakeholders on the "Smallholder Pig Value Chain and Safe Food Fair Food Projects" and carried out her master’s research on “Social-cultural Values That Influence Gendered Decision-making for Pork Consumption: A Case Study of Pork Retail Outlets in Kampala District, Uganda”. She has also built her capacity in both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
The fellowship research topic is on the gender and socio-cultural research on Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) in northern Kenya. The overall objective of the research is to determine gender and socio-cultural factors that influence individual’s exposure to re-emerging zoonotic pathogens and determine local communities’ capacity to anticipate and respond to these diseases in northern Kenya using Rift Valley fever and Q fever as case studies. This fellowship will be conducted over a period of three years beginning on 1st June 2021 and ending on 31st May 2024.
Hosting program at ILRI
The fellowship is hosted by the One Health Research, Education and Outreach Centre in Africa (OHRECA) led by ILRI. The fellowship will be supervised by Bernard Bett and Salome Bukachi (University of Nairobi).