The LABb: Lead, amplify, break barriers! - A gender and non-discrimination innovation laboratory

Scheduled from 26 to 30 October in Assinie, Côte d'Ivoire, participants from across Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana will work together to design practical, community-driven solutions that are inclusive, innovative and sustainable.

Why this LABb?

Gender inequality remains one of the root causes of child labour. Unequal access to education, income, decision-making, decent work and care responsibilities continues to limit opportunities for women, girls and other marginalized groups.

Addressing child labour therefore requires more than increasing participation, it requires transforming the systems, norms and institutions that create inequality in the first place.

The LABb provides a unique opportunity to explore these challenges through an innovation lens, helping participants redesign interventions so they are not only gender-responsive, but truly gender-transformative.

What makes the LABb different?

The LABb is an interactive innovation laboratory where participants will:

• Explore how gender norms influence child labour and decent work.
• Challenge assumptions and rethink existing interventions.
• Co-create practical solutions rooted in community realities.
• Learn from one another through dialogue, reflection and collaborative design.
• Develop ideas that can be translated into real actions across ACCEL Africa countries.

The laboratory combines gender analysis, systems thinking and innovation to help participants move from identifying problems to designing meaningful change.

Three pillars, one ambition

Lead - Shape new conversations around gender equality, positive masculinities and non-discrimination while promoting dignity and inclusion for everyone.

Amplify - Support innovative, community-led solutions that strengthen women's leadership, elevate local voices and challenge discriminatory norms.

Break Barriers - Redesign policies, programmes and institutions through intersectional and gender-transformative approaches that address the structural drivers of inequality.

Who will participate?

Around 30 participants from six ACCEL Africa countries will come together, representing:

• Employers' organizations
• Workers' organizations
• Government institutions
• Cooperatives and producer organizations
• Civil society organizations

Participants have been selected for their experience in child labour, decent work, livelihoods, social protection and gender equality, as well as their ability to influence change within their institutions.

From ideas to action

Throughout four days, participants will:

• Examine how gender norms shape labour, livelihoods and opportunity.
• Analyse existing ACCEL Africa interventions through a gender lens.
• Identify hidden barriers and structural inequalities.
• Redesign interventions to become more inclusive and transformative.
• Develop practical actions that can be implemented in their respective countries.

The journey concludes with concrete plans for implementation, supported by safeguards that ensure innovation remains inclusive, ethical and responsive to local realities.

Ending child labour requires more than good intentions, it requires bold ideas, diverse perspectives and the willingness to challenge long-standing norms.

The LABb is a space to imagine new possibilities, test innovative approaches and build solutions that are locally rooted, evidence-based and capable of creating lasting change.

Together, let's lead, amplify and break barriers!