I am a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster University, senior policy advisor in the Poverty Action Unit at Community Food Centres Canada, and a member of the Centre for Research on Children and Families at Â鶹AV. I have over thirteen years’ combined experience in social work-related research, policy advocacy, and frontline practice with a focus on poverty, maternal and child health, and child welfare as well as the intersections of these issues. My research and policy work addresses the impacts of public policies on access to basic services and wellbeing outcomes among children and families in Canada and Zimbabwe. Previously in my frontline practice, I coordinated the implementation of multi-packaged projects to mitigate impacts of poverty and HIV/AIDS among children and families in rural settings in Zimbabwe.
I obtained my PhD at the School of Social Work at Â鶹AV. In my doctoral work, I critically examined antenatal care (ANC) access and early child mortality in (rural) Zimbabwe. Published in the and journals, this work was supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec–Société et culture, International Development Research Centre, and Â鶹AV’s School of Social Work. Building on this work, my postdoctoral research is focusing on local fatherhood experiences and men’s roles in ANC in rural Zimbabwe. This work is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. My research ultimately aims to inform the creation and implementation of culturally appropriate policies and practice. I welcome collaborations in my areas of expertise and interest.
Contact:Ìýmusiwaa [at] mcmaster.ca (Email)