International institutions consider Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) a prerequisite for sustainable development and for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Economic empowerment is also a right. There is no quick fix though: WEE takes sound public policies, a holistic approach and long-term commitment from all development actors. Professor Lore Vandewalle will discuss ways to promote WEE using evidence-based research.

Lore Vandewalle is Associate Professor of International Economics & Pictet Chair in Finance and Development. She is an applied micro-economist, specialised in development and political economics. Her research mainly focuses on financial inclusion and micro-enterprise development in India, Bangladesh and Uganda. She has also been working on political reservations and public good provision in India. Professor Vandewalle obtained her PhD from the University of Namur in Belgium in 2011. Before joining the Geneva Graduate Institute in September 2012, she was employed as a researcher at Bocconi University, the London School of Economics and the University of Gottingen.

Moderation by Monique Beerli, Executive Director & Research Affiliate, Global Governance Centre; Lecturer, MINT Programme