Diversity and Inclusion within the Economics Profession: Is Anything Changing?

The role of women in economics has not always been visible. Similar to STEM disciplines, women economists in Canada have, unfortunately, not had an equal opportunity. The pipeline is broken. The Canadian Women Economist Network (CWEN) was established in 1990 to promote women in the economics profession and their work. In 2017 the CWEN has joined the Canadian Economics Association (CEA) to form the Canadian Women Economists Committee (CWEC). This marked a pivotal moment in the profession, recognizing the role of the economics profession in supporting and promoting women economists. The decades-long work of CWEN/CWEC paved the way to the CEA’s first Diversity is Excellence Summit in 2022 and the creation of the Canadian Economics Diversity Committee. Has the profession changed? Will it change? What do we need to do to ensure an inclusive and diverse profession? Are efforts in academia translate to results for business economists?

Join us to learn and reflect on the changing status of women and diverse communities in the economics profession. Learn from past experience and look at future opportunities.

Elisabeth Gugl, Associate Professor and the Associate Chair, Department of Economics, University of Victoria

Ismael Mourifié, Associate Professor, University of Toronto

Rebekah Young, Vice President, Head of Inclusion and Resilience Economics, Scotiabank