Mara Bolis

Mara Bolis is a Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership and Center for International Development (CID). She began her fellowship in 2023 and is focusing her work on leadership capabilities to drive gender equality.14

Prior to her fellowship at Harvard, Mara Bolis held the position of Associate Director of Women's Economic Rights in Oxfam's Gender Justice and Inclusion Hub. In this role, she oversaw and partnered with other teams to advance women's economic empowerment initiatives.6

Research and Expertise

Bolis's work at Harvard Kennedy School centers on several key areas:

1. Gender equality and women's empowerment
2. International development
3. Organizational change for gender inclusivity

She is involved in various activities and projects at Harvard, including:

• Participating in CID's Speaker Series events, discussing topics like "The Dangerous Story of Women and Data"5
• Conducting research and raising awareness to increase opportunities and living standards for women in the La Mé region of Côte d'Ivoire1
• Leading interactive workshops on gender-inclusive organizational change7

Academic Engagement

As part of her fellowship, Bolis is actively engaged in the academic community at Harvard Kennedy School. She participates in and contributes to student seminars, sharing her expertise on gender and development issues.3 Her work aligns closely with CID's focus on centering gender in international development, as evidenced by her involvement in CID's initiatives and podcast series.2

Mara Bolis's fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School represents a continuation of her career-long commitment to advancing gender equality and women's economic empowerment in the context of international development.