Women in Leadership in
Economics (WiL) Initiative
A multi-year initiative led by Inclusion Economics India Centre (IEIC) at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), in partnership with Inclusion Economics at Yale University.
Advancing women’s leadership in economics and public policy in India.
Women in Leadership in Economics (WiL) is a new multi-year initiative led by Inclusion Economics India Centre (IEIC) in partnership with Inclusion Economics at Yale University. This initiative is an ambitious, collaborative effort to generate systems change to advance Indian women’s leadership in economics and public policy.
A key component of the WiL initiative is to support the career progression and success of female economists and economics students by improving access to relevant information and strengthening institutional access to mentorship and professional networks. Our initiative has partnered with a set of Indian institutions, encompassing universities and professional organisations, aiming to reshape institutional norms and structures to promote women’s advancement in the economics profession, and create leadership opportunities that will better enable women to contribute to evidence-based economic policy in India.
Background
Across the economics profession in India, many women face challenges in navigating key professional transitions—from applying to PhD programs, to entering academia, to progressing toward senior faculty and policy leadership roles. Women economists often report limited access to mentorship, professional networks, information about career opportunities, and institutional support that are often critical for career advancement. These challenges often coincide with important life transitions such as marriage, caregiving responsibilities, and family formation, creating additional pressures during already pivotal career stages. These dynamics contribute to a “leaky pipeline” in economics academia in India: while women represent approximately 60% of master’s students in economics in India, they account for only about 33% of assistant professors and 25% of full professors.
The WiL initiative seeks to address these challenges by strengthening institutional support systems, expanding professional networks, and creating pathways for women economists to engage with policy. By improving the environments in which women train, conduct research, and build their careers, the initiative aims to foster a more inclusive and supportive ecosystem for women economists and to ensure that diverse perspectives contribute to economic research and policymaking.
Why This Matters
Increasing women’s leadership in economics is not only a matter of equity, it also improves the quality of research and policymaking. Evidence shows that women economists often bring new perspectives and research priorities, particularly on issues such as labour markets, social policy, and inequality. Increasing their participation strengthens the diversity and relevance of economic research and policy debates.
By addressing structural barriers and strengthening institutional support systems, the WiL initiative seeks to create a more inclusive economics profession that better reflects the diversity of society and contributes to more effective policymaking.
Our Vision
The WiL initiative envisions a future where women economists in India have equal opportunities to succeed, lead research agendas, and shape economic policy. In the long term, this means:
- More women advancing through the academic pipeline—from master’s to PhD to faculty positions;
- Increased representation of women in leadership roles in universities, research institutions, and policy bodies;
- Stronger engagement of women economists in public policy debates and advisory roles
- A more inclusive economics profession that benefits from diverse perspectives and research agendas.
Among the several foundational steps, IEIC has partnered with the Society for Economics Research in India (SERI), a community of Indian economists, that is dedicated to fostering growth and engagement within the economics research community. They promote research collaboration, intellectual exchange and critique among economists in India.
IEIC will also work in partnership with Yale Inclusion Economics, a policy-engaged research initiative focusing on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic development through the identification and promotion of evidence-based institutional and policy reforms.
IEIC will continue to build a coalition across academia and policy, WiL aims to catalyze lasting institutional change that enables more women to lead in economics and shape the policies that affect millions of people.
