Celebrating TBEN Women - Naomi Yehdego
Naomi Yehdego - Associate Consultant at Nathan Associates London Limited
Why did you pursue a career in economics and your particular field?
Originating from Eritrea, I have long been interested in the developmental challenges faced by countries in Africa. Through visits to family in Eritrea, from a very young age, I have witnessed and questioned the difficulties of civilians accessing the most basic necessities - in contrast to my own experiences in the developed West. This stark disparity in wealth initially sparked my interest in pursuing my studies and career in the field of development economics. In 2018, I graduated with a Degree in Economics and International Development from the University of Sussex. My studies have given me a balanced groundwork of knowledge regarding the theoretical concepts behind developmental issues as well as how to practically use economic tools to analyse real issues - both on micro and macroeconomic levels to contribute to better institutional policy.
What real-life economic impact have you had with your work?
For the last two years, I have been working at Nathan Associates, a global international development consulting firm specialised in implementing transformative economic development programmes across Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and Latin America. For more than 70 years, Nathan has significantly contributed to sustainable pro-poor growth, through improving SME transparency and resilience, facilitating public - private dialogue in complex environments, advocating for more effective policies all of which have impacted economic growth, human development, and poverty reduction. A recent example includes facilitating the development of the Finance Act 2021 in Sierra Leone resulting in provisions supporting start-ups, women in business and tourism. Our UK aid-funded programme entitled Invest Salone in Sierra Leone has been instrumental in this activity through enabling discussions in the private and public sector. With 13 of the private sector’s key recommendations incorporated into the new Finance Act, Invest Salone is now supporting the follow-up on these inputs so they will be escalated to decision-makers.
What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge I experienced was finding a job in International Development after completing my undergraduate degree. Breaking into the sector has become increasingly competitive and entry-level opportunities are extremely limited. A lot of the positions I had applied for required Masters degrees, even for entry level roles. I overcame this by researching other ways to bolster my CV without doing a master’s degree which included undertaking voluntary work and also contacting the University of Sussex’s alumni career advice team for additional support.
What is your current assessment of diversity in economics? Has this changed from when you first started?
It’s very evident that Black people are largely underrepresented in economics, particularly within the international development sector. However, the insidious murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Tony Mcdade has sent reverberations globally and encouraged deep introspection. Many organisations are committed to being actively anti-racist and interrogating the inclusivity of their company and sector. For example, in the last 8 months, the company I work for has engaged in several activities such as: the erection of a taking action working group, weekly screenings, book clubs, reviews of our internal processes and systems, partaking in the first international development sector pilot focused on assessing equity internally and externally (led by the Equity Index), appointed a Diversity and Inclusion Champion and Officer (myself) and developed an Annual Scorecard for staff assessment that aims to consistently monitor the effectiveness of the Equality and Diversity policy and procedures. I am feeling more hopeful now than I did entering the sector, given the increasing commitment to address the absence of Black representation and tackling the systemic barriers which prohibit diversity.
What advice would you give to black female economists looking to progress in the field?
I would strongly suggest finding a mentor, ideally within the organisation or through networks such as TBEN. A mentor, especially one with a similar career trajectory and preferably recognises the experiences of Black women in the sector, can be truly invaluable. Mentors are essential for sharing knowledge, advice, encouragement and are dedicated to your personal development, amongst many other things. They can expose mentees to various opportunities that will build capacities and skill-set, ultimately equipping you with the tools and experience to progress in your career. In addition, I would suggest joining networks such as TBEN which provide a platform for Black professionals and students in economics to connect, collaborate, and support each other.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself!
I have always been very creative and channelled this through painting growing up. I studied A-level Art, which allowed me to develop and enhance my creative and technical skills. During the pandemic, I have re-established my love for art and have started painting portraits for family and friends using acrylic paints. See my work @nemzproductions
