Introducing myself....

Kim Titcombe offers over 30 years of professional experience in development aid and cooperation, gained in the public sector, international bodies and as an independent consultant. After completing academic studies in Australia as an economist, I started my professional life in a French multinational and then embarked on a diplomatic career representing Australia’s trade interests abroad. I served as trade commissioner in Japan and India. I then went on to work in a number of multilateral organizations as a program officer or member of research teams moving firmly into the area of development cooperation.

With the emergence of women’s empowerment and gender mainstreaming in the development agenda, I became aware of the imperative of incorporating gender into development programs at every level. I was able to bring in skills and experience from the 

diverse fields in which I had worked, adopting the approach of looking at development through a gender lens. This was in the environment of the MDG era, which brought about heightened awareness and activities in gender, also for non-specialist development practitioners.

Today, still convinced of the need to continue and broaden the gender and inclusiveness focus in development, I am now specialized in gender in development as a cross-cutting theme. Linking gender to the areas of my technical expertise, I focus on women’s economic empowerment, gender aspects of international trade and transport and other infrastructure, as well as private sector development.

I have worked independently as a  researcher and consultant for a number of years, as well as completing post-graduate studies in Switzerland  in

 

the gender field, and more recently in statistics as a support to gender and social research activities.

I am based in Bern in Switzerland although travel extensively for project work. I also have a base in Australia, the country of my birth.