Gender Equality and Economic Growth: An Overlapping Generations Approach

Join us as esteemed economist Pierre-Richard Agénor shared insights from his upcoming book ‘Gender Equality and Economic Growth: An Overlapping Generations Approach’, exploring the economic and political challenges faced in the moral task of closing the gender gap. The Arthur Lewis x Vital Topics lecture is hosted jointly by the School of Social Sciences and Alliance Manchester Business School.

This lecture will offer a broad, accessible overview of Pierre-Richard Agénor’s latest research, drawing on fifteen years of in-depth study into the complex relationship between gender equality and economic growth, incorporating significant insights from sociology, political science, education, and health literature. Attendees can expect a cutting-edge analysis of the many facets of gender inequality, their links with economic development, and the ways in which these topics can be integrated into mainstream macroeconomics teaching.

The lecture will provide a general, non-technical introduction to these themes, making it suitable for both specialists and those new to the subject. For further details on the book and its focus, please see the "About the Book" section below.

About the book

Closing the gender gap remains one of the defining challenges of our time. Doing so is important not only because it is a moral imperative but also because it has important implications for economic and human development. Yet, although changes in cultural attitudes, childcare policies, and technology have contributed to narrowing gender gaps over the past two decades, recent studies provide a picture of mixed progress on many fronts.

With a focus on developing countries, this book addresses three related issues. First, it characterizes, using rigorous analytical models, the extent to which economic forces, operating both at the micro and macro levels, and interacting with social norms and the political process, determine the nature of, and persistence in, gender gaps. Second, it shows how these gaps can affect, and be affected by, economic growth. Third, using calibrated models, it quantifies how public policy (including affordable childcare, pay transparency legislation, and improved access to education and public infrastructure services) can help to promote both gender equality and economic growth.

About the Arthur Lewis Lecture Series:

The prestigious annual Arthur Lewis Lecture Series was established in 2015 by the School of Social Sciences to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of economist Arthur Lewis, who became Britain's first black professor when he was appointed to a Chair at Manchester in 1948.

William Arthur Lewis served as the Stanley Jevons Professor of Political Economy at the Victoria University of Manchester, within the Faculty of Economic and Social Studies, from 1948 to 1957. During his tenure, he published pioneering work in Development and Growth Economics, which ultimately led to his being awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1979, jointly with Theodore Schultz. The lecture series celebrates his enduring legacy and contributions to the field.

You can find out about past Arthur Lewis Lectures here: https://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/connect/events/arthur-lewis-lectures/

About the Vital Topics Lecture Series:

The Vital Topics Lecture Series, hosted by Alliance Manchester Business School, brings together influential business leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to share powerful ideas and fresh perspectives on the most pressing issues of our time. Running since 1972 and now reaching a global audience, the series has featured renowned figures from business, politics, and beyond.

Find out more about the series and see upcoming events here: https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/events/vital-topics/

This event is hosted by the University of Manchester School of Social Sciences and Alliance Manchester Business School.

Please be aware that the lecture will be professionally filmed and photographed, and camera footage may capture shots of the audience throughout the event and during the Q&A.

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Host or Publisher Alliance Manchester Business School