A study on women in Economics in South Africa

The Women in Leadership in Economics Initiative acknowledges that

“Economics plays an outsized role in our contemporary world in shaping public narratives about the role of governments, business, and public policy. Yet there are clear gaps in the gender composition of professional leadership in economics–and these gaps are only magnified when viewed through the lens of ethnicity, race, and geography. Our project aims to counteract this multifaceted problem and advance leadership by all women in economics.”

Our South African study aimed to build an understanding of gender imbalances in the economics profession across all academic tiers in the public higher education system. This research offers insights into potential barriers and biases within the higher education sector, and how they intersect with other inequalities. This will contribute evidence to inform the nation’s goals of achieving gender equality and fostering inclusive economic development.

Our project included four key components:

1. Review of existing evidence
2. The economics pipeline from enrolment to graduation
3. The composition of staff in economics
4. Academic research and publications

This project, which ran between August 2023 and December 2024, was funded by the International Economics Association. Nicola Branson and Emma Whitelaw were co-Principal Investigators of this project.

Read the journal article