Driving Change: Women-Led Economics

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Article author: DANI RODRIK, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Publication: F&D Magazine, March 2025.
Central premise: Research produced in developing economies offers valuable global insights and is underrepresented in top economics journals and policy debates.
Key numeric findings:
- Authors based in developing economies account for only 7 percent of articles in the top 10 journals of the profession.
- Developing economies’ collective weight in the world economy exceeds 60 percent (measured by their global GDP share at purchasing power parity).

Structural and practical obstacles:
- Western institutions have long shaped empirical research and policy recommendations.
- Limited footprint of developing-economy authors in top journals constrains influence.
- Translating research into policy requires sustained engagement with policymakers and the public, which competes with researchers' limited time and resources.
Consequences:
- Research promotion within academic circles does not guarantee wider policy uptake.
- The task of ensuring existing research influences policy is often underfunded and undervalued.

Comparative insights and practical findings:
- Context-specific solutions in developing economies can outperform standard policy assumptions. Examples highlighted:
- Formal banking is commonly assumed best for financial inclusion, but informal saving groups and mobile money can sometimes serve local needs better.
- Education policy emphasis on building more schools can be less effective than targeted interventions such as providing bicycles or improving access to restrooms for menstrual hygiene to improve attendance.
Theoretical contributions:
- Empirical work from developing economies tests the universality of economic principles and can uncover new mechanisms less visible in developed economies.
- Diversifying evidence and perspectives strengthens the field of economics and its global applicability.

Representation and topics:
- Women economists represent nearly half the global population and often research topics historically underexplored that directly affect women’s lives and standards of living.
Barriers faced:
- Limited access to higher education and labor markets.
- Balancing work and motherhood.
- Institutional constraints and gender-based challenges that impede producing timely, competitive research.
Roles beyond research:
- Many women economists act as advocates and activists, using economic reasoning to promote greater equity.

Initiative: International Economic Association’s Women in Leadership in Economics (IEA-WE).
- Inception year: 2023.
- Objectives: Amplify voices of women economists and help overcome barriers to research production and publication.
- Activities: Support research and facilitate publication of articles on a wide range of often-overlooked topics.
Examples of research topics promoted:
- Societal impacts of sovereign debt on the elderly.
- Effects of extreme heat on business delinquency.
Outreach and impact goals:
- Showcase work being conducted by women economists in their countries.
- Foster a more inclusive global economic narrative.
- Inspire more young women to pursue careers in economics and public policy.
Partnership noted in article:
- F&D partnered to present conversations with four economists: Ipek Ilkkaracan, Rose Ngugi, Marcela Eslava, and Rumana Huque.

Source: Driving Change: Women-Led Economics, F&D Magazine, DANI RODRIK, March 2025.

Driving Change — Dani Rodrik
- Driving Change — Dani Rodrik (Markdown version)
- Driving Change — Dani Rodrik (PDF)