BU Women and Nonbinary People in Economics

Background

BU Women & Nonbinary People in Economics was initially established in 2016 as a PhD student-led organization working towards the advancement of women in the economics profession. The idea for this organization emerged in light of research highlighting the obstacles to women and other underrepresented identities at various stages of the economics profession. At the undergraduate level, Porter and Serra (2020) find that women are significantly more likely to take additional economics courses if they are exposed to successful women in the profession. At the PhD level, Boustan and Langan (2019) find that departments with better outcomes for women are those that have more women in the faculty, encourage advisor-student contact, and have collegial research seminars.

Mission

BU Women & Nonbinary People in Economics is committed to increasing the representation for women, nonbinary people and other underrepresented groups in Economics by building community and advocating for their needs to overcome systemic barriers in the profession.