Mission

WIMFE – Women in Macroeconomics and Finance in Europe is a researcher-led initiative founded in 2019 to address persistent gender imbalances in macroeconomics and finance. The annual WIMFE workshop is now in its sixth edition and has established itself as a regular platform for high-quality, policy-relevant research and professional exchange.

Despite increased awareness and policy discussions, gender imbalances remain particularly pronounced in economics — and are strongest in macroeconomics and finance. In Germany, only 7% of professors in macroeconomics and 12% of professors in finance are women (Friebel, Fuchs-Schündeln & Weinberger, 2021). International evidence from academic finance shows that even after controlling for research productivity and experience, women are significantly less likely to hold tenured or senior positions and are underrepresented at top-ranked institutions (Sherman & Tookes, 2022).

These disparities are not only a matter of representation, but also shape whose research is visible, whose work is cited, and who is considered for senior academic roles, keynote lectures, and policy-relevant advisory positions.

Recent evidence further shows that women face systematically different treatment even in day-to-day academic interactions. Large-scale data from economics seminars reveal that female presenters are interrupted more frequently than male presenters and are more likely to receive interruptions that are negative in tone (Dupas et al., 2026). Such dynamics can discourage participation, reduce visibility, and make it harder for women to build professional networks and reputations.

WIMFE has two central objectives.

First, WIMFE aims to foster professional networks for women in macroeconomics and finance across institutions and countries. 

Research highlights that gender gaps in academia are closely linked to professional networks. Evidence from academic finance shows that women have fewer coauthors on average and are more likely to collaborate primarily with other women (Sherman & Tookes, 2022). Given that women constitute only a small share of the profession, this pattern implies structurally smaller and more segmented research networks, which can limit collaboration opportunities, visibility, and career progression. These documented network disparities underline why such initiatives are essential.  WIMFE provides a structured environment to facilitate exchange, encourage collaboration, and strengthen durable research networks.

Second, WIMFE aims to increase the visibility of excellent women working in macroeconomics and finance.

Hiring committees, seminar organizers, and conference panels frequently complain that there are “no suitable women”. By documenting participants, keynote speakers, and research contributions, WIMFE serves as a clear reference point for academia, policy institutions, and the media seeking to broaden representation.

While Europe is WIMFE’s natural anchor, the workshop is fully open to participants from outside Europe, reflecting the international nature of research in macroeconomics and finance.

References

• Friebel, G., Fuchs-Schündeln, N., & Weinberger, A. (2021). Statusbericht zum Frauenanteil in der Volkswirtschaftslehre an deutschen Universitäten. Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, 22(2), 142–155.

• Sherman, M. G., & Tookes, H. E. (2022). Female Representation in the Academic Finance Profession. The Journal of Finance, 77(1), 317–365.

• Dupas, Pascaline, Amy Handlan, Alicia Sasser Modestino, Muriel Niederle, Mateo Seré, Haoyu Sheng, Justin Wolfers, and Seminar Dynamics Collective. 2026. Gender Differences in Economics Seminars. American Economic Review 116 (2): 749–89.