Closing Gender Gaps through Economics Research in Armenia
The “Closing Gender Gaps through Economics Research in Armenia” project is a two-year initiative launched in September 2024, funded by the Swedish Institute under the Eastern Partnership Cooperation framework. The project is implemented by the American University of Armenia (AUA), Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics (CBE), in collaboration with the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) in Sweden.
The project aims to enhance research capacity in gender economics at AUA and apply this expertise to generate evidence-based insights on gender gaps in Armenian society — their causes, consequences, and potential solutions. By combining academic research with public policy engagement, the initiative seeks to strengthen Armenia’s knowledge base and contribute to the design of more inclusive economic and educational policies.
Two main streams of activity define the project’s scope:
- Capacity Building and Networking:
The project organizes workshops and seminars on gender economics, offering AUA faculty and local researchers training opportunities and access to international networks in the field. - Applied Research and Policy Engagement:
A joint research component focuses on understanding women’s underrepresentation in STEM fields. This includes developing a career orientation module for school-aged students in collaboration with the CareerLab Career and Mobility Center, with randomized interventions designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the module.
The project also envisions the production of policy reports and podcast episodes to raise public awareness and foster informed discussion on gender inequality in Armenia. Additionally, it strengthens AUA’s integration into the Forum for Research on Eastern Europe and Emerging Economies (FREE Network), supported by SITE, positioning the University as a regional hub for gender-focused economic research and policy dialogue.
Through this initiative, AUA and its partners aim to bridge research and policy, empowering future generations to build a more equitable and inclusive society.