Celebrating TBEN Women - Catherine Onoselase
Catherine Onoselase - Policy Advisor at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Why did you pursue a career in economics and your particular field?
Being a first-generation Nigerian, my interest in Nigeria and Africa as a whole has consistently been strong. I always questioned things, such as why the standards of living between Nigeria and the UK were so different, and Economics provided the answers to such questions. I studied BSc Economics and later MSc International Economics, Finance and Development. Throughout this time, it became clear to me that a career in the development sector was the right path for me.
What real-life economic impact have you had with your work?
I had the opportunity to participate in a UK aid funded programme which brings together young people from the UK and developing countries to volunteer in local communities. I stayed in Eldoret, Kenya for three months, supporting 5 micro entrepreneurs, aged 18-30 to start or grow their various businesses, in line with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. This involved creating and facilitating sessions and consultation meetings to develop valuable business knowledge and skills. With my assistance, each of the micro entrepreneurs I worked with was able to secure an interest free loan for their businesses at the end of the programme, in order to further support them on their entrepreneurial journey.
What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
It has been breaking into the development sector! The sector is known for not being very diverse, which is quite ironic. I have tried to overcome it by completing a Masters degree as that is a prerequisite for majority of roles, as well as attending conferences, seminars and talks within the sector in order to stay well versed in current topics. In addition to this, I also volunteer my time within the sector. I'm the UK Coordinator for the Youth Action Hub, an initiative by the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Co-Chair of the Young Woman Advisory Council, and Former TuWezeshe Fellow at Forward, an African women-led organisation working to end violence against women and girls. Additionally I'm a former UK Youth Ambassador at the One Campaign, where I had the opportunity to represent the UK team and the European Development Days global forum.
What is your current assessment of diversity in economics? Has this changed from when you first started?
There is a clear lack of diversity in economics. During my time at university, there were only a handful of other black females studying Economics, and I only knew of one black female Economist, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who at the time was the Nigerian Finance Minister. Now I purposely seek out to learn about more Economists from diverse backgrounds. I believe there is still a long way to go but organisations such as TBEN are part of the solution in breaking those barriers.
What advice would you give to black female economists looking to progress in the field?
Keep a record of all things you do and your achievements. Those things can make the difference in securing a job. That way you can easily pick out the relevant experience when updating your CV or preparing for interviews. Try to connect and network with people in your field, formally and informally. There is a Facebook group out there for everything and anything, join any that is relevant to you. Joining networks such as TBEN is another great way to do this. For those interested in International Development, there is a network called The Women in International Affairs Network (WIAN); they have a mentoring programme where you can get matched with a mentor. They also hold regular events and have a job board. I was actually a mentee on their first mentoring program.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself!
I'm an aspiring food entrepreneur, I have always enjoyed cooking and baking. During the first lockdown in the UK, I started regular live cook-alongs on my Instagram page as a way to keep people entertained.
