I am Dr. (Mrs.) Monica Addison, a highly motivated Research Fellow at the Bureau of Integrated Rural Development (BIRD) of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. I had my secondary education at St Louis Senior High School in Kumasi, Ghana. I am a proud alumna of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. I graduated with a PhD in Agricultural Economics in 2018, M.Sc. in Development Policy and Planning in 2003 and B.Sc. in Agriculture in 1997.
My B.Sc. research work focused on gender and crop productivity, which made me develop interest in gender issues. After obtaining my B.Sc. degree, I worked with an international NGO, Self-Help International, as a Socio-Economist, on a project dubbed, “Intermediate Means of Transport (IMT).” The main objectives of the IMT project were to improve rural mobility at minimal cost, alleviate drudgery associated with head portage by women and children, improve earning capacity of farm workers, alleviate poverty and make time available to village women for more productive work as well as enable them to devote more time for family welfare and household. As a socio-economist, my role included to conduct surveys and collect data, analyze, interpret and advise management on identified economic and social issues pertinent to the project, to facilitate learning, project adaptation and evidence-based decision making. My initial involvement with the industry made me develop a very strong passion for women issues.
I worked with the NGO for three years before pursuing my master’s degree. Throughout my early career development, I focused on championing the course of women – the poor and the vulnerable – to reduce poverty in rural areas I worked. I designed agro-processing project and obtained an initial grant of $5,000.00 to assist five women groups to enhance palm-oil and gari processing activities. Since then, the project has expanded to reach many more women in agro-processing in Ashanti region.
When people ask me: Do you have a degree in gender? I respond that, I have broad professional experience, but I don’t have a degree in gender. That said, I love my work, and my skills and knowledge in gender have come as a result of my passion. I’ve also been lucky to have had great professional mentors.
