## Driving Change: Women-Led Economics

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Driving Change: Women-Led Economics](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2025/03/driving-change-women-led-economics-dani-rodrik)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2025/03/driving-change-women-led-economics-dani-rodrik/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2025/03/driving-change-women-led-economics-dani-rodrik/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2025/03/driving-change-women-led-economics-dani-rodrik/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Dani Rodrik
- Published: March 3, 2025

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### Overview
- 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).

### Barriers to visibility and policy influence
- 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.

### Global relevance of research from developing economies
- 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.

### Women economists: contributions and challenges
- 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.

### IEA-WE initiative and partnerships
- 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.*

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## Content in this bundle

- **Driving Change — Dani Rodrik**
  - [Driving Change — Dani Rodrik (Markdown version)](/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2025/03/rodrik.pdf.md){rel="alternate" type="text/markdown"}
  - [Driving Change — Dani Rodrik (PDF)](/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2025/03/rodrik.pdf){rel="external" type="application/pdf"}

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2025/03/driving-change-women-led-economics-dani-rodrik_