Workplace innovation: Okeba's return on investment in childcare

This case study focuses on Okeba in Uganda. It examines how providing onsite childcare helped create a women-inclusive workplace while delivering financial returns for the SME. 

Comparing the original business model (without childcare services) to this women-centric approach shows how the latter reduces labour costs while increasing profitability for Okeba. 

It is part of a series of case studies seeking to close evidence and guidance gaps to measure the ROI of women-inclusive business strategies for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Each case study follows the Women-Inclusive Return on Investment (WI-ROI) Framework and documents a company’s inclusive investment, the business model of the investment, the data and process used to calculate the WI-ROI, and key lessons learned. 

These cases aim to support development practitioners’ alignment with the incentives of SMEs and other private-sector actors in LMICs. By understanding and calculating a WI-ROI, practitioners can help accelerate inclusive growth that benefit women and firms.