Peris WACHIRA, from Kenya, is pursuing a PhD in economics at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Peris’s research explores gendered labor market dynamics in South Africa, focusing on earnings mobility and volatility and how instability in parental earnings influences children’s educational outcomes.
Born and raised in rural Kenya, Peris became the first girl in her village to obtain a university degree. Growing up, she witnessed challenges faced by women and children in her community, such as poverty, discrimination, hunger, child marriage, and limited access to healthcare and education, which inspired her to pursue a lifelong mission to empower women through education and inclusive policy. She has helped girls escape child marriage and mentored women and schoolgirls, several of whom now hold university degrees.
Through the Econometrics Association of Kenya, Peris leads initiatives that bridge the skills gap for youth and women by providing training in research and data analysis software. She has also contributed to Expertise Global Institute projects, including innovative financing models for Kenya’s universal school feeding program, designed to keep millions of children in school. At the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, she co-authored A Gender Approach to Unlocking the Potential for Sustainable Development in Kenya, shaping policies on gender equality and inclusive development.
Peris’s goal is to advance evidence-based policy that creates a world where no child must choose between survival and schooling and women do not face discrimination in the labor market. She plans to establish an organization that will mentor and empower rural women and girls.
