The Women in Economics Network has partnered with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Research School of Economics ANU to establish a mentoring program for women studying economics at ANU.
Read more about the program below.
In 2018, the Women in Economics Network, along with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Research School of Economics ANU piloted a mentoring program for women studying economics at ANU. The program was developed in response to the decline in the number of women studying economics along with a lack of prominent female economists in the public eye. Mentoring programs have been shown to be successful for motivating and inspiring students, and for improving performance and retention rates.
The program connected students with women working as professional economists. It enabled students to find out about the day to day life of an economist, the types of career options that are available and to see first-hand just how powerful an economics degree can be!
The Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government conducted a review of the mentoring programsing a randomised controlled trial, drawing on a combination of university administrative data and surveys at the commencement and conclusion of the program. Taken together the evidence suggested the mentoring program had a material impact on students’ decisions to continue with economics.
You can find out more about the Review here.
Throughout 2022, the student mentoring program is focusing on running networking events, providing an opportunity for students to meet our mentors in a casual environment. Stay tuned for further information on allocating mentors with students in 2023.
The Women in Economics Student Mentoring has three key objectives:
To provide students with a role model, making a degree and career in economics more tangible and attractive.
To provide students with a broader perspective on career options for economics graduates, making an economics degree more attractive.
To provide students with an insight into the practical applications of economics, helping to make economics studies more interesting and relevant.
Women in Economics Network
The ACT Women in Economics Student mentoring program is a collaboration between the Women in Economics Network, the Research School of Economics at the Australian National University and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.The Women in Economics Network was established in 2017 and is part of the Economics Society of Australia. It has been formed to promote and support the careers of female economists in Australia.
The objectives for the Women in Economics Network are to:
Professionally connect and support the career development of women in economics
Increase the representation of women at all levels of the economics profession
Promote public contributions by female economists.
Encourage young women to study economics