ISBN 91-85027-37-5

A gender perspective on economics

Requiring a gender perspective in programmes and research often evokes a counter question: what is gender and what is a gender perspective? There is no straightforward given answer as gender researchers in different disciplines have different views about how the concept can best be defined and used. In economics the majority of researchers work within the framework of established theories and apply them instead to new areas, supplement economic models with previously neglected aspects, pose different questions, advance new interpretations and use the tools of economic research to analyse social developments and economic policy from the perspective of women and gender equality.

The authors provide four reasons for introducing a gender perspective into economic analysis: first and foremost in order to improve the analysis and make it relevant for more people; in addition because gender equality is an important social objective, to persuade more women to take an interest in economics and so that more experts on gender issues will have a grounding in economics.