Gender studies within the economic theory is a part of a general project to rethink economics in a different way, either as a revised version of neoclassical economics, or as a deep critique to neoclassical economics. Gender diversity is an enriching factor for the development of economic theory and the capacity of understanding and interpreting the current society and reality. The Gender Economics and Social Sciences working group focuses on gender issues in a critical, transnational and interdisciplinary perspective.

Migration, asylum, war, global crises, financial markets, employment, growth, public policies, welfare state and social investments, institutions, health, climate change and the environment are all gendered, because gender relations shape all spheres of social life.

Gender is a social identity, so it is not a fixed or innate fact, but it varies across time and space. Gender depends upon social interaction and social recognition, so gender identities influence different aspects of social, political, economic and cultural spheres. Like all social identities, gender identities are dialectical: they involve at least two sets of actors referenced against one another. Usually, when we speak about Gender Studies we refer to differences between masculinity (what society identifies appropriate behavior for a “man”) and femininity (what society deems appropriate behavior for a “woman”). We embrace a broader concept of gender that includes race, class, sexuality, disability, age and other socio-economic conditions. We consider gender identities as all those social identities that implies discrimination and segregation in economic and social life.

The Gender Economics and Social Sciences working group also proposes a deep analysis of the gender issue in the socio-economic domain, specifically in times of economic crises. Past experiences cannot provide sufficient insight into the gender impact of the current crisis. The ongoing crisis offers opportunities for radical change, including a redefinition of financial and social exclusion. This working group is a call for engagement for researches and practitioners of different and economic and social fields (e.g. migration, labour, climate, human rights, finance, welfare, etc.), who are interested in the topic of gender.

The working group mainly develops around three broad areas:

Gender economics and social policies – economic inequality, labour market, welfare states;

Gender and globalization - migration, crises, finance, climate change;

Gender and culture - representation, narrative and arts.

The working group hosts both on-line lectures by experts from academia and practitioners and young scholars’ research seminars and other events exploring the wide array of topics that fall under the aegis of gender and feminist studies. Our aim is the creation and development of a network of researchers and practitioners engaged on gender from several and innovative perspectives.