Partnerships

Women in Social and Public Policy Research Hub (WISPPRH), The London School of Economics and Political Science

We partner with the Women in Social and Public Policy Research Hub (WISPPRH) at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). WISPPRH brings together scholars investigating the causes and consequences of gender inequality in education, labor markets, and the family, with the aim of informing policies that improve women's outcomes and reduce inequalities — a mission closely aligned with our own. Its centerpiece is a joint Annual Gender Workshop, organized jointly with WISPPRH and the Inequality Cluster at NYU Abu Dhabi. To stay informed about future calls for papers and upcoming editions, you can visit our events page.

Closing Gender Gaps: Evidence and Policy Interventions (2026, LSE): Researchers presented on why gender gaps in earnings, career advancement, and household responsibilities persist despite decades of policy. Sessions covered hiring practices, job-seeking behavior, firms' responses to sexual harassment legislation, household dynamics, and family formation.
Gender inequality: Navigating New Frontiers and Paradigm Shifts (2025, LSE): Across two sessions, scholars addressed gender gaps in fertility, parental time investments, long-run shifts in labor and time use, and the intersection of gender with emerging technologies (e.g., generative AI) and environmental issues (e.g., the gender gap in carbon footprint).
Women in the Workplace (2024, LSE): The inaugural edition's four sessions covered workplace sexual harassment, the child and motherhood penalty, and women in leadership. A closing public panel paired two academics and two practitioners — Caroline Coly (University of Barcelona & Gender Lab External Fellow), Paola Profeta (Director of the Gender Lab, Bocconi), Alesha De-Freitas (Fawcett Society), and Alice Marchiono (EQUILIBRES) — to broaden the conversation beyond academia.

World Bank — Europe and Central Asia Gender Innovation Lab (ECA GIL)

We partner with the World Bank's Europe and Central Asia Gender Innovation Lab (ECA GIL). Formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding, pairs the Gender Lab's empirical study of gender gaps with the ECA Gender Innovation Lab's experience in experimental field projects. Together, we pursue joint research projects, exchanges of data and methods, and workshops and seminars bringing together scholars and policymakers.

Joint Webinar Series with the ECA Gender Innovation Lab

We run a joint webinar series bringing together researchers and policymakers to discuss cutting-edge evidence on gender equality and labor markets. The series aims to strengthen dialogue between frontier research and policy practice, with a focus on how rigorous evidence can inform operational and policy decisions in Europe and Central Asia and beyond. Each session includes 30 minutes of research presentation, 15 minutes of policy discussion by a World Bank Task Team Leader, and 15 minutes of Q&A.

Annual Workshop: Mend the Gap in Economic Opportunities in Europe and Central Asia

We also co-organize the annual Mend the Gap in Economic Opportunities in Europe and Central Asia workshop, in collaboration with the Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF) in Rome. The workshop brings together researchers and policymakers to share new evidence on closing gender gaps in the region. Two editions have been held to date:

2026: The second edition (May 14-15) featured a keynote by Kjell Salvanes (Norwegian School of Economics) and papers on women's economic empowerment, labor market participation, and entrepreneurship, spanning credit and lending, board gender quotas, parental and paternity leave, the mental load of unpaid care, and the gender dimensions of taxation. The workshop additionally included a policy roundtable and two poster sessions.
2025: The first edition (May 15-16) featured a keynote by Claudia Olivetti (Dartmouth College) and papers on women's economic empowerment, labor force participation, and entrepreneurship, spanning gender norms, the care economy and parental leave, the pay and pension gaps, female entrepreneurship, and the labor market effects of conflict and migration. Contributions came from the World Bank, central banks, and leading universities across the region. The workshop additionally included two poster sessions.