The Women in Economics Initiative (WiE) aims to advance gender equality in the field of economics. Our goal is to encourage equal opportunity and balanced representation of genders in the economics profession across the academic, business and public sectors.
WiE aims to:
- Inform, by highlighting the valuable contributions that women have already made, and continue to make in the study and application of economics;
- Connect and facilitate dialogue between various stakeholders in the economics profession in order to explore the roles, opportunities and challenges of women in economics, and;
- Empower all people, but especially women, to become agents of change in economics, so that we may all benefit from more diversity and a more inclusive, dynamic and effective economic discourse.
WiE is pursuing different strategies for facilitating dialogue and engagement at the intersections of economics, diversity and gender.
The path towards gender equality in economics starts with providing clear and transparent information about the current status of women economists around the world. The WiE Index records and monitors the presence of women economists in leadership positions in the academic, business and public sector across Europe, the OECD and globally. Each year we will produce a summary report of these figures, assessing developments over time.
Through our website and the WiE community subscription, we provide an open and interactive online platform through which a diverse group of economists, both junior and senior, can communicate to share their research and professional experiences. We welcome submissions for articles from women economists on their work and experiences, as well as relevant research findings and opinion pieces for reference on our website and to be disseminated throughout the WiE community.
WiE also wants to support women economists in their professional and personal development by hosting skill-sharing workshops, expert presentations and professional networking events.
Founded in 2019, The Women in Economics Initiative is organised as a registered association („eingetragener Verein“) under German law and is domiciled in Berlin. We believe in open and active collaboration with participatory, democratic and fair decision-making processes. WiE will be a diverse organisation that welcomes and presents a variety of perspectives on economics. Founding members of WiE are
- Virginia Sondergeld (Chair of the Board): Incoming PhD candidate in economics at the Berlin School of Economics starting in October 2019. Previously, Economic Analyst at NERA Economic Consulting;
- Eva Schönwald (Deputy Chair of the Board): Quantitative researcher at the What Works Centre for Social Care in London, focusing on impact evaluations.
- Philip Hanspach (Head of Research): Incoming PhD candidate in economics at European University Institute (Florence), starting in September 2019. Previously, Economic Analyst at NERA Economic Consulting.
- Larissa Fuchs (Head of Finance): Consultant for banking regulation and digital transformation at Q Perior;
- Yun Ma (Head of Marketing): Senior Consultant at Ekimetrics in London;
- Jess Topping (Chief Editor): research assistant with the German Development Institute in Bonn and the Chair of Political Science at the University of Duisburg-Essen; and
- Iakov Frizis (Chief Editor): Public Sector Analyst at PwC Luxembourg and an external expert for the Center for Social and Economic Research in Warsaw.
We encourage our members to be actively involved with and contribute to WiE, and hope to cooperate with and support other organisations with goals and principles similar to our own. We welcome new supporters, contributors, members, speakers and partners, both individuals and organisations, who share our vision of greater diversity and gender equality in economics.
Please see our website for more information on WiE’s activities including the WiE Index, publications and upcoming events: www.women-in-economics.com