GEM - EUROPE

GEM-Europe and GEM-Turkey are region and country-level initiatives that have emerged from Gender, Macroeconomics and International Economics International Working Group (GEM-IWG). GEM-IWG is an international network of over 400 economists that was formed in 1994 for the purpose of promoting research, teaching, policy making and advocacy on gender equitable approaches to macroeconomics, international economics and globalization.

An important undertaking of GEM-IWG has been the Knowledge Networking Program which was launched by GEM-IWG in 2003. The Program targets economists in academia, research institutions, in government and civil society organizations. It has two objectives: (a) to build capacity in research, teaching, policy making and advocacy in gender, macroeconomics and international economics; (b) to increase knowledge networking by strengthening the links among researchers and practitioners working in this area. It has been supported by the Ford Foundation, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Division for the Advancement of Women, UNDP and UNIFEM. (see www.genderandmacro.org for details)

As their first joint initiative GEM-Turkey and GEM-Europe working groups are organizing a GEM Knowledge Networking Program in Europe with a regional focus. The emphasis is primarily but not exclusively on the transition and emerging economies of Europe's periphery, i.e. on Eastern and Southern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Similar GEM groups with regional focus already exist such as the GEM-Latin America and the Caribbean regional group, GEM-Africa regional group and GEM-Asia regional group.

The initial component of GEM’s European regional initiative, the first European Regional GEM Workshop and Symposium took place at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Istanbul, Turkey in October 2011. The initiative was undertaken in partnership with ITU Women’s Studies Center in Science, Engineering and Technology (ITU WSC-SET); Warsaw School of Economics; Gender and Economic Equality Program at the Levy Economics Institute New York, UNDP-Turkey and Heinrich Boell Foundation Poland. The second Regional Workshop and Conference is planned to take place in Cracow, Poland in July 2012.