ABOUT US
WWiE is a society dedicated to building a more diverse and inclusive environment for all students and staff members to achieve their full potential. Our goal is to encourage female students to not only study economics, but to stay in the field once they do. However, at WWiE, we encourage everyone; regardless of ethnicity, gender or sexual identity to join the movement and become part of the voice for change. As Co-founder & Internal Communications Coordinator Jenny Guo stated, “our advocacy for and commitment to intersectionality cannot be overstressed.” This is why WWiE is dedicated to hosting inclusive networks and safe spaces for voices to be heard and ideas to be discussed freely and openly.
OUR STORY, OUR MISSION
WWiE was founded following the Department of Economics 'Women in Economics: Student Workshop’ that took place in January 2020. The two-day event was led by Dr Stefania Paredes Fuentes and sponsored by the Royal Economics Society, the Warwick Innovation Fund, and the Department of Economics. The event provided a platform for exchange; female economics students from 12 different universities across the UK shared their ideas on how to make the discipline far more inclusive and attractive to female students. Students submitted proposals and initiatives focusing on topics of changing the curriculum and the perception of the subject; in addition to discussing the role of student-led organizations and the importance for role models to share their experiences. Ultimately, the workshop discussed the main challenges for inclusivity in Economics, and the role that all students, academics, and private and public sector employers have in addressing the importance of diversity. The success and enthusiasm exchanged during the event was immaculate, and evidence that our community needed a society that stands for and promotes gender-inclusivity within the field. Then, WWiE was formed and today, the WWiE community continues to grow!
We aim to provide a supportive network for female students, a safe environment to foster growth and enhance our members’ confidence. Ultimately, we hope to encourage and support women to advance in the field of economics to better address the issue of inclusivity. As Co-founder & President Isabella Buratta said: “it has been long acknowledged that the discipline of economics has an inclusivity problem and we, as the Warwick Women in Economics Society, plan to address this issue.” Isabella also adds that “The economy should function for everyone but those enacting policy - political, economic, commercial and social - are a relatively homogeneous group. A variety of approaches, experiences and perspectives are vital to help ensure that all members of society are benefitting from policymaking and knowledge-creation. Otherwise, the discipline could lose integrity and certain societal groups will be disproportionately impacted.” This is precisely why it is our mission, as the WWiE society, to focus on diversity and inclusivity to better promote it in the field of Economics.