New student society launched: Warwick Women in Economics
New student society launched: Warwick Women in Economics
Tuesday 28 Jul 2020The Department of Economics is delighted to announce a new student society which is currently recruiting new members.
Warwick Women in Economics (WWiE) has been formed with the aim of pro-actively promoting a better gender representation within the field of economics. This initiative is closely aligned to the Department’s own strategic goal which focuses on building a diverse and inclusive community in which all students and staff can reach their full potential.
The idea for WWiE was developed by a group of students who were instrumental in organising the ‘Women in Economics: Student Workshop’, hosted by the Department of Economics in January 2020. Led by Dr Stefania Paredes Fuentes, the event received sponsorship from the Royal Economics Society and the Department of Economics.
The event provided a platform for several female economics students from different universities in the UK to present their ideas on how to make the discipline more diverse and attractive to female students. The energy and enthusiasm around the discussions was palpable, produced great ideas and recommendations for future action. As the workshop neared the end, it was evident that the group wanted to continue the work they had started and implement their actions, hence the idea of the society was born!
We asked the Society to explain what their main goals and aspirations were and here is what they said:
What is your mission?
Isabella Buratta, Co-founder & President of WWiE said: "it has been long acknowledged that the discipline of economics has an inclusivity problem and we, as the Warwick Women in Economics Society, plan to address this issue."
Why is the Society’s focus on inclusivity so important?
"The economy should function for everyone but those enacting policy - political, economic, commercial and social - are a relatively homogeneous group. A variety of approaches, experiences and perspectives are vital to help ensure that all members of society are benefitting from policymaking and knowledge-creation. Otherwise, the discipline could lose integrity and certain societal groups will be disproportionately impacted. Therefore, we want to encourage more female students and those from ethnically diverse backgrounds to study economics and to stay in the field once they do."
How do you aim to achieve this?
Jenny Guo, Co-founder & Internal Communications Coordinator at WWiE explained: "Firstly, our advocacy for and commitment to intersectionality cannot be overstressed. We champion the importance of inclusive networks and hosting safe spaces for our voices to be heard and to be able to discuss ideas openly. Networks are important because they enable the sharing of ideas, opportunities, and support. As well as encouraging peer networks, we will also invite a diverse range of alumni to participate in a mentorship scheme.
Secondly, we will host talks which amplify the voices of those who have been systematically excluded from the economic discipline. We will share the work of diverse authors, thinkers, creators and academics, along with producing our own informative content. We will also run Diversify - our Role Models series where we invite speakers who are from different ethnic backgrounds and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community to hear those different perspectives and experiences.
Thirdly, we will host CV workshops so our members make informed choices about career opportunities and are able to realise their full potential. All of our events will have a stringent inclusivity policy to ensure that all members and participants regardless of ethnicity, gender or sexual identity are included. We are all accountable for our actions and we will instigate an anonymous feedback mechanism to encourage suggestions, and if necessary, deal with issues as they arise.
In essence, the core of our mission is to raise awareness of the importance of economics amongst underrepresented groups within the field. We aim to do this by challenging existing barriers to equal through our initiatives and events (only some of which are mentioned above) and, of course, by growing our community”.
WWiE are currently recruiting members and would like to hear from current students:
If you are passionate about inclusivity in economics, please join us!