My research will evaluate the impact of different international development projects which aim to empower women and girls. I will focus on the role of unpaid care work in the achievement of development outcomes, and on the consequences that empowerment projects may have for the provision of care. I will conduct a comparative ethnography that aims to reflect the knowledge and the systems of meaning in the lives of a community in Eastern Kenya. I hope to construct a colourful picture of the myriad factors that contribute to women’s self-perceived empowerment and autonomy, including social interaction, structural constraints, culture and relationships.