WIDERAngle

Expert commentary from our network

How India’s economy has fared under ten years of Narendra Modi

More than 960 million Indians will head to the polls in the world’s biggest election between April 19 and early June. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is seeking a third term in office. And the polls suggest it will achieve this objective.If one was to go by economic growth figures alone, the Modi government’s performance has been impressive. When Modi came to power in 2014, economic growth was sluggish. A series of high-profile corruption...

Affirmative action in Brazil’s higher education system

by Rodrigo Oliveira, Edson Severnini, Alei Santos
Evidence from Brazil shows how affirmative action students in the higher education system adjust their behaviour to catch up with initially higher-performing privileged students.Affirmative action (AA) policies, aiming to address historical inequalities and promote social justice, have sparked debates across the world. Brazil, in particular, grapples with the challenges and complexities of AA, notably through Law 12,711/2012, which introduced the quota policy mandating all federal universities...

Decoding development – insights from UNU-WIDER's synthesis process and beyond

loren-joseph-unsplash
At UNU-WIDER, we undertake our work explicitly within the context of an emergent strategy designed to maximize the impact of our research findings. We operate based on a theory of change that outlines how research eventually translates into improved development outcomes for the world’s most vulnerable populations.In 2023, we published the report Towards peace, decent work, and greater equality to guide policy efforts to achieve the United Nations Agenda 2030. This report synthesizes the key...

68 Blogpost

Blog
Gender pay gaps on the rise in South Africa

New analysis of income data in South Africa shows the gender pay gap—how much more men earn than women—has increased. According to findings from a...

Blog
Contributing to gender inclusivity: A glimpse into Pumla Bam's journey
Placeholder

In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting women driving change in economics. Through the 'Breaking Barriers, Building...

Blog
Driving change: Nadine Riedel on economics and gender equality
Placeholder

In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting exceptional women with the 'Breaking Barriers, Building Economies: Women in...

Blog
Georgina Ryan – paving the path in economic policy and inclusivity
Placeholder

As part of the SA-TIED ‘Breaking Barriers, Building Economies: Women in Economic Policy' initiative, Georgina Ryan emerges as a visionary force...

Blog
Celebrating gender diversity and leading with impact
Placeholder

In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting the women driving change within the field of economics. Through the ‘Breaking...

Research Brief
Are women’s labour force participation rates improving in sub-Saharan Africa?

Several sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have achieved substantial economic growth in the past 30 years. Likewise, access to education has considerably expanded, as reflected in rising enrolment rates for both men and women. Female labour force...

Blog
Does access to microfinance help or hinder women’s empowerment?

Almost everywhere, women are underrepresented in labour markets compared to men. While labour force participation among women of working age (FLFP)...

Blog
The COVID-19 crisis, informal workers, and gender — understanding the intersections
Placeholder

The COVID-19 crisis — the pandemic, restrictions, and recession — has not been a grand leveler. While all of us, rich and poor, faced the fear and...

Blog
A fiercely contested omission — or why we need to keep talking about unpaid care
Placeholder

In the late 1950s, the United Nations System of National Accounts was set up to promote the collection of internationally comparable data on...

Blog
A policy of longer maternity leave is not enough to protect women from disadvantage
Placeholder

The length of maternity leave has direct impacts on critical gender equality outcomes such as women’s employment and lifetime earnings. However, there...

Blog
Bride price or dowry?
Placeholder

Why is it that in some countries the parents of a bride pay dowry, whereas in some others the groom has to pay for the bride? What is the impact of...

Blog
Wasted talent – How COVID-19’s effect on the poor could make all of society poorer
Placeholder

The opening keynote of the recent WIDER Development Conference, COVID-19 and development – effects and new realities for the Global South, was given...

Policy Brief
The economic gains of reducing the employment gender gap in Morocco

Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, including Morocco, currently record the lowest rates of female labour force participation (FLFP) in the world. These rates — between 20-30% in 2019 — appear substantially low in comparison to Western...

Blog
Supply or demand? Exploring the mechanisms behind the rise of female labour force participation in Mexico

At the global level, gender gaps in labour force participation have narrowed and over half a billion women have joined the workforce in the last 30...

Blog
Is sexual violence a driver of the early marriage of girls in India?
Placeholder

Marriage at a younger age, generally before the legal age of marriage, is a pervasive practice in many parts of the world. Worldwide, more than 700...

Blog
Persistent gender roles in South Africa deprive women of leisure time
Placeholder

In most countries, traditional gender roles within the household are still common due to the prevalence and persistence of patriarchal systems. These...

Displaying 16 of 68 results