WIDERAngle

Expert commentary from our network

About

The WIDERAngle publishes expert commentary and analysis of the latest research in global development. The WIDERAngle supports UNU-WIDER’s missions to undertake research and policy analysis on the most pressing concerns affecting humanity and provides a forum for knowledge sharing, discussion, and debate.

 

To see past newsletters, visit our WIDERAngle archive.

 

Write for the WIDERAngle

We accept submissions that represent sincere efforts to advance knowledge on topics related to the promotion of sustainable and equitable development for all. Although many of our writers are established in their fields, we particularly encourage submissions from early-career researchers, policy professionals, and writers who represent Global South countries and perspectives.

 

For guidelines on WIDERAngle submissions, please refer to our Guidelines for submissions.

 

Send submission queries to editorialteam@wider.unu.edu.

 

EDITORIAL TEAM

Executive Editor: Annett Victorero

Managing Editor: Timothy Shipp

Assistant Editor: Tristan Reid

 

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

by Kunal Sen
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

by Timothy Shipp
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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...

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

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    Driving change: Nadine Riedel on economics and gender equality
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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?
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    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
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    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?
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    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
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    In most countries, traditional gender roles within the household are still common due to the prevalence and persistence of patriarchal systems. These...

    Blog
    Motherhood and the gender gap in Latin America

    Gender gaps in labour supply, income, and wages are still large despite the remarkable convergence of roles of men and women in labour markets over...

    Blog
    The labour market implications of COVID-19 for Bangladeshi women

    With the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Bangladesh on 8 March 2020 and the initiation of a lockdown on 26 March 2020,1 the livelihoods of a...

    Blog
    COVID-19 and lockdowns: Are women more affected?
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    Globally, governments are using lockdowns to contain the spread of COVID-19. This has disproportionately affected the poor, the homeless, and the...

    Blog
    Meet the women behind the Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development programme
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    Globally, women are under-represented in the field of economics. Only a third of all academic research staff in the field of economics in Europe are...

    Factsheet
    The quantity and quality of women’s work
    Blog
    How a data revolution in South Africa can help address gender inequality

    In 2016, we joined a project in South Africa working to make tax data available for research purposes. Tax authorities collect an enormous amount of...

    Policy Brief
    Unequal growth in Mozambique and the region

    There is an increasing interest in the analysis of economic inequalities in least developed countries. This is not only the result of a general social preference for equality, but also the consequence of a growing sense that highly unequal societies...

    Blog
    Randomized control trials – why they deserve the Nobel and what should happen next
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    This year’s Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer for their experimental approach — randomized...

    Research Brief
    The gender wage gap in post-apartheid South Africa

    The World Bank reports that the world loses US$160 trillion in human capital wealth due to gender wage inequality every year. Inequality is not just an issue of fairness. It is also undesirable because it hampers poverty reduction strategies and...

    Blog
    In the Director's chair: Reflections on my first six months as Director
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    My first six months as Director of UNU-WIDER have been busy, enlightening, and rewarding. We’ve launched a new work programme, with flagship projects...

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    Moving out of identity silos and into intersectionality: The example of gender identity
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    Women are undoubtedly doing better today than they were even 40-50 years ago. The gender gap has shrunk in many areas, including educational...

    Policy Brief
    Toward gender equity and women’s empowerment

    There are three main channels of women’s empowerment: legal or policy reforms, outside economic opportunities, and collective action. Legal (or policy) reforms are generally based on statutory laws that enact rules to be followed or prohibit certain...

    Policy Brief
    Tracking rural households through structural transformation
    Blog
    Tackling gender inequality from all directions
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    Improving the position of women continues to be an important concern in development. As we strive to make better living standards possible for people...

    Blog
    Achieving gender equality in India: what works, and what doesn’t
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    Discrimination against women and girls is a pervasive and long-running phenomenon that characterises Indian society at every level. India’s progress...

    Blog
    Does women’s education reduce rates of death in childbirth?

    Every single day, approximately 830 women die from causes related to childbirth. Despite considerable advances in maternal health over the last three...

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