By Jacqueline Strenio, Laura Beltrán Figueroa, Odile Mackett, and Sarah F. Small

Gender-related research in economics is experiencing a “remarkable rise” (Antman et al., 2024), examining both how gender shapes economic well-being and how gendered assumptions influence economic theory and methods. Yet, these insights rarely make it into the undergraduate economics classroom. The standard curriculum continues to focus on teaching limited conceptualizations of economic man (homo economicus), narrow definitions of production, and models that treat households as unified decision-makers while gender remains relegated to specific special-topics courses. These approaches provide an incomplete picture of economic life, overlooking the care, interdependence, and unequal power relations that shape economic activities and decisions.

Our new book, A Guide to Incorporating Gender into the Teaching of Economics, addresses this gap by examining both what we teach and how we teach it, offering suggestions for engendering the discipline. We argue that

“Engendering economics is not just about increasing women’s representation in the discipline, nor is it just about incorporating topics about, or related to, women in the economy, (although this book will give you plenty of ways in which to do that). Engendering economics is about challenging the very way we (narrowly) define, practice, and teach economics, which hides stereotypes associated with gender that are implicit across all aspects of the discipline: models, methods, topics, and pedagogy (Nelson, 1995). For example, by excluding household and reproductive labor, we limit the definition of production in gendered ways, which in turn shapes how we study economic activity, determines the kinds of research questions we consider legitimate, and influences how we teach.”

Designed for first-time instructors and seasoned educators alike, the guide provides resources and strategies that can be introduced through a single lesson, broader course redesign, or even overarching curricular reform.

Reconsidering what counts as economic activity

We begin by questioning what counts as economics, highlighting how the boundaries of the discipline have been shaped by gender. These boundaries influence which activities we study, whose knowledge we value, and what students learn to recognize as economic.

Drawing on feminist economics and other pluralist perspectives, we broaden economic inquiry to include the work, relationships, and institutions through which people meet their needs. For instance, feminist economics highlights the exclusion of unpaid care work and household labor from conventional measures of economic output, despite their essential role in sustaining life and supporting paid employment. Institutional and ecological perspectives also direct attention to the social rules, institutions, and environmental conditions that shape and sustain economic activity.

By bringing these perspectives into conversation with mainstream economics, we examine the assumptions embedded in familiar curricula and models. Our aim is to broaden the economic ideas students encounter and equip them to assess what different approaches reveal or obscure. We encourage instructors to make room for questions such as: Who performs the work that supports participation in paid employment? How is that work distributed? What do our measures capture, and what do they leave out? How do public policies redistribute the time, costs, and responsibilities of care?

‘This indispensable book redefines economics education and shows why gender belongs at the core, not the margins. Combining rich gender-aware content with gender-responsive pedagogy for in-person and online classrooms, along with timely guidance on engaging with AI, the authors advance a more relevant and analytically complete economics.’

– Yana van der Meulen Rodgers, Rutgers University, USA

Representation matters and so does what we teach

Alongside these theoretical perspectives, we emphasize whose voices and experiences are represented in the discipline and the classroom. Women remain underrepresented in economics, from undergraduate programs to senior academic positions (Auriol et al., 2022; CSWEP, 2024; IDEAS, 2026), and their contributions remain underrepresented in textbooks and reading lists (see, for example, Small, 2023; Stevenson & Zlotnik, 2018). Students therefore encounter a limited range of economic thinkers and may have fewer opportunities to see their own identities and experiences reflected in the curriculum.

Including women economic thinkers and scholars from other historically underrepresented groups can broaden students’ understanding of who produces economic knowledge. It also creates opportunities to examine why particular contributions became part of the economic canon while others were overlooked. We encourage instructors to connect these contributions to the core questions of their courses, allowing students to engage with the ideas and assess how they enrich economic analysis.

Putting it into practice

As instructors ourselves, we understand the distance between recognizing the need for change and implementing it in a classroom. Time is limited, courses already cover substantial material, and instructors may be unsure where to begin. We wanted to create a guide that would help educators explore the concepts while offering concrete examples of how to teach them.

While we ultimately argue for the systematic integration of gender across the economics curriculum, we also believe that small changes matter. Our book therefore offers changes at different scales, from revising a classroom example to redesigning an assignment or reconsidering an entire course’s structure. In the first half of the book, we focus on content, with chapters on (re)defining economics; engendering the introductory economics classroom; gender in upper-division economics courses, including teaching a gender and the economy class; and gender-aware economic methods. Each chapter includes teaching tips and suggestions for further exploration, allowing readers to select material that fits their courses and learning goals.

In addition to content recommendations, we also highlight the importance of the context in which courses are taught. To support instructors in creating more inclusive learning environments, we offer strategies for encouraging participation, facilitating collaborative learning, and connecting economic ideas to students’ experiences. In the second half of the book, our chapters on feminist pedagogy, classroom strategies, online learning, and generative AI consider how these practices can be adapted to different teaching settings.

Our hope is that this guide gives instructors the confidence and resources to incorporate gender into their teaching in ways that fit their classrooms. Whether they begin with one reading, one activity, or a broader course redesign, these changes can help students develop a fuller understanding of economic life and the tools to critically examine it.

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Jacqueline Strenio is an Associate Professor of Economics at the School of Business, Norwich University,

Laura Beltrán Figueroa is the Policy, Research and Legislative Strategy Director at the Pennsylvania Policy Center and Research Associate, Rutgers University, USA,

Odile Mackett is an Associate Professor at the Department of Anthropology & Development Studies, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Sarah F. Small is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the College of Business, University of New England, USA