Based in Kenya, Dr Holly Ritchie is a research fellow at the International Institute of Social Studies (Erasmus University, NL), a research affiliate with the International Centre for Frugal Innovation (NL) and a Visiting Faculty Member at Riara University, Nairobi. She takes a special focus on gender, culture and institutions in ‘fragile’ economic development. With over 20 years in the development sector, Holly’s work has included assignments/research with conflict-affected populations, refugee groups and agro-pastoralist communities in Afghanistan, the Middle East and East Africa (especially Somalia and Sudan). She was the Lead Consultant for the ‘Gender Equality Profile for Somalia’ (African Development Bank and UN Women), and  a report with the Dutch government: ‘From Skills to Jobs in the fragile context of Somalia?’ She has published articles with World Development, Disaster Studies and New Media and Society.