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Bina Agarwal is an Indian development economist and Professor of Development Economics and Environment at the Global Development Institute at
The University of Manchester , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...
. She has written extensively on land, livelihoods and
property rights The right to property, or the right to own property (cf. ownership) is often classified as a human right for natural persons regarding their possessions. A general recognition of a right to private property is found more rarely and is typically h ...
; environment and development; the
political economy Political economy is the study of how economic systems (e.g. markets and national economies) and political systems (e.g. law, institutions, government) are linked. Widely studied phenomena within the discipline are systems such as labour ...
of
gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most culture ...
;
poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse
and inequality; legal change; and agriculture and technological transformation. Among her best known works is the award-winning book—''A Field of One's Own: Gender and Land Rights in South Asia''—which has had a significant impact on governments,
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s, and international agencies in promoting
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countri ...
in land and property. This work has also inspired research in Latin America and globally.


Early life

Agarwal's parents were Suraj Mal and Shyama Devi Agarwal, Agarwal named a book prize in their honour. She earned her B.A. and M.A. from the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, and her doctorate in Economics from the
Delhi School of Economics Delhi School of Economics (DSE), popularly referred to as "D School", is a Higher Educational Institution within the University of Delhi. The Delhi School of Economics is situated in University of Delhi's North Campus in Maurice Nagar. Establ ...
,
University of Delhi Delhi University (DU), formally the University of Delhi, is a collegiate central university located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly and is recognized as an Institute of Eminence (IoE ...
, her dissertation was ''Mechanization in Indian Agriculture: An Analytical Study Based on the Punjab''.


Career

Her university positions include posts at
Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nin ...
,
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, Michigan, Minnesota, and
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...
. At Harvard she was the first Daniel Ingalls Visiting Professor Agarwal has also been President of the International Society for Ecological Economics. Vice-President of the International Economic Association, President of the International Association for Feminist Economics, on the Board of the Global Development Network, and one of the twenty-one members of the
Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress The Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress (CMEPSP), generally referred to as the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Commission after the surnames of its leaders, is a commission of inquiry created by the French Government in 2 ...
, chaired by Nobel Laureate
Joseph Stiglitz Joseph Eugene Stiglitz (; born February 9, 1943) is an American New Keynesian economist, a public policy analyst, and a full professor at Columbia University. He is a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2001) and the J ...
. She has served on the UN Committee for Development Policy (New York) and UNRISD (Geneva). She holds honorary doctorates from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands and the University of Antwerp in Belgium.


Concepts and areas of focus

Agarwal's expertise is on subjects related to rural economy. She has creatively used diverse methodologies (from
econometric analysis Econometrics is the application of statistical methods to economic data in order to give empirical content to economic relationships.M. Hashem Pesaran (1987). "Econometrics," '' The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics'', v. 2, p. 8 p. 8� ...
to qualitative assessments) and an interdisciplinary approach, to provide insights on land, livelihoods and property rights; environment and development; the political economy of gender; poverty and inequality; law; and agriculture and technological change. She deals especially with the connectedness of
gender inequality Gender inequality is the social phenomenon in which men and women are not treated equally. The treatment may arise from distinctions regarding biology, psychology, or cultural norms prevalent in the society. Some of these distinctions are empi ...
,
social exclusion Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...
, property, and development. Her pioneering work has had an impact globally both within the academia and among policy makers and practitioners. A large part of her work compares countries, especially within South Asia. In ''A Field of One's Own'' (Cambridge University Press, 1994), her most famous work, Agarwal stresses that "the single most important factor affecting women's situation is the gender gap in command over property." She is also on the editorial board of the '' Journal of Women, Politics & Policy''. Spurred on by Agarwal's work, and the successful movement she led in 2004–2005, Indian policy makers passed the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act in 2005. This Act gives all
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
women (married and unmarried) equal rights with men in the ownership and inheritance of property, in particular agricultural land."Nel 2005 - ha raccontato Bina Agarwal - ho guidato una campagna per modificare la legge di successione in modo da consentire in India l'ereditarietà della terra anche alle donne. Dopo 9 mesi di battaglia, la modifica è passata e oggi la legge sull'ereditarietà è completamente paritaria, uomini e donne hanno gli stessi diritti di proprietà. E questo riguarda l'80% delle donne in India. Agarwal has consistently challenged standard economic analysis and assumptions. In her writings on the "bargaining approach" to intra-family relations, she challenges unitary household models and extends formal bargaining models to highlight the importance of social norms, social perceptions and property ownership in determining women's bargaining power. She also demonstrates the interconnectedness of the family, the community, the market and the state in determining a person's bargaining power in any one sphere. Her paper "Bargaining and Gender Relations" is the single most downloaded paper to date in the journal ''
Feminist Economics Feminist economics is the critical study of economics and economies, with a focus on gender-aware and inclusive economic inquiry and policy analysis. Feminist economic researchers include academics, activists, policy theorists, and practitio ...
''. In another article "Bargaining and Legal Change", Agarwal examines how women in India were able to bargain with the State to pass the inheritance laws of 1956 and bring about its amendment in 2005. In another important extension of her work on gender, property and power, Agarwal demonstrates in her empirically rigours article "Towards Freedom from Domestic Violence", that women's ability to own and inherit land acts as a significant deterrent against marital violence. Her recent books include: ''Psychology, Rationality and Economic Behaviour'' (coedited; Palgrave, 2005), ''Capabilities, Freedom and Equality'' (co-edited,
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...
, Delhi, 2006). Her most recently authored book is ''Gender and Green Governance'' (Oxford University Press, Oxford and Delhi, 2010) which has been widely cited and favourably reviewed in both
academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and ...
s and the popular press (EPW and Indian Express).


Positions and awards

Bina Agarwal has held distinguished positions at many international universities, including
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
(she was the first Daniel Ingalls Visiting Professor), the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
(Ann Arbor), the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
(where she held the Winton Chair), and the
New York University School of Law New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in ...
. In 2006–07, Agarwal was also a visiting research fellow at the
Kennedy School of Government The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
of Harvard University. In addition, she has been vice-president of the International Economic Association, president of the
International Association for Feminist Economics The International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE) is a non-profit international association dedicated to raising awareness and inquiry of feminist economics. It has approximately six hundred members in sixty-four countries. The associat ...
, and on the board of the Global Development Network. Agarwal is a founding member of the Indian Society for Ecological economics. She is one of only two women who served on the Commission for the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress, chaired by Nobel Laureate
Joseph Stiglitz Joseph Eugene Stiglitz (; born February 9, 1943) is an American New Keynesian economist, a public policy analyst, and a full professor at Columbia University. He is a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2001) and the J ...
and set up by
President Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Sei ...
. She has also been consultant to the
Planning Commission of India The Planning Commission was an institution in the Government of India, which formulated India's Five-Year Plans, among other functions. In his first Independence Day speech in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his intention to diss ...
and is on the editorial boards of several international academic journals. In 2009 Agarwal was nominated to the board of the
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is "an autonomous research institute within the United Nations that undertakes multidisciplinary research and policy analysis on the social dimensions of contemporary develo ...
(UNRISD) – such nominations are approved by the
United Nations Economic and Social Council The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; french: links=no, Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields ...
(ECOSOC). On 29 March 2010 the
Global Development and Environment Institute The Global Development And Environment Institute (GDAE, pronounced “gee-day”) is a research center at Tufts University founded in 1993. GDAE conducts research and develops teaching materials in economics and related areas that follow an interdi ...
(GDAE) awarded her the 2010 Leontief Prize – an annual award named after Nobel Laureate
Wassily Leontief Wassily Wassilyevich Leontief (russian: Васи́лий Васи́льевич Лео́нтьев; August 5, 1905 – February 5, 1999), was a Soviet-American economist known for his research on input–output analysis and how changes in one ec ...
. GDAE Co-Director Neva Goodwin wrote: "Bina Agarwal embodies the kind of theoretically rigorous, empirically grounded, and policy-oriented economics that the Leontief Prize was created to recognize," and "Her contributions to both scholarship and policy on economic development, the environment, well-being, and gender have been an inspiration to GDAE for many years." She is the currently president-elect of the
International Society for Ecological Economics The International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE) was founded in 1989, based heavily on the work of Herman Daly to promote ecological economics and assist ecological economists and related societies. In 1996, the Right Livelihood Aw ...
. She also heads a "Working Group on Disadvantaged Farmers, including Women" for India's 12th Five Year Plan, and is on the Indian Prime Minister's Panel on Land Reform. Additionally, Agarwal is on the advisory board for
Academics Stand Against Poverty Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP) is an international network of scholars, teachers, and students working to mobilize the resources of academia to help alleviate poverty. Projects ASAP is currently engaged in a range of efforts aimed at leve ...
(ASAP). In 2017, she received the
Balzan Prize The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organizations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the br ...
for Gender Studies in recognition of her work in studying women's contribution to agriculture in India.


Additional honours

* First Ramesh Chandra Agrawal Award 2005 for Outstanding Contributions to Agricultural Economics. * Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2002 for Distinguished Contributions to Development Studies. * AWARDS for A Field of One's Own: Gender and Land Rights in South Asia: * Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Book Prize 1996, given by the Association for Asian Studies (USA) (First South Asian to win the prize.) * Edgar Graham Book Prize 1996, given every two years by The University of London's the Department of Development Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies. * The K. H. Batheja Award 1995–96 given every two years by Bombay University and the Batheja Trust awarding the most deserving works about India and Development. * The Institute of Social Studies (ISS) awarded Agarwal with an honorary doctorate in 2007 and the University of Antwerp gave her an Honorary Doctorate in April 2011. *
Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...
awarded by the President of India in 2008


Selected works


Books

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Chapters in books

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Journals

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Pdf.
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See also

*
Feminist economics Feminist economics is the critical study of economics and economies, with a focus on gender-aware and inclusive economic inquiry and policy analysis. Feminist economic researchers include academics, activists, policy theorists, and practitio ...
*
List of feminist economists This is an incomplete alphabetical list by surname of notable feminist economists, experts in the social science of feminist economics, past and present. Only economists with biographical articles in Wikipedia are listed here. Feminist econo ...


References

# Agarwal, Bina and Panda Pradeep (9/7/2003) "Home and the World: Revisiting Violence" in The Indian Express # Agarwal, Bina (25 September 2005) “Landmark Step to Gender Equality” in The Hindu


External links

* http://www.binaagarwal.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Agarwal, Bina Feminist economists Indian development economists 20th-century Indian economists Living people Delhi University alumni Harvard University staff University of Michigan faculty Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education 1951 births Ecological economists Indian women academics Indian women economists 20th-century Indian educators 20th-century Indian women scientists 20th-century Indian women writers 20th-century Indian non-fiction writers Indian political writers Indian women educational theorists Indian women political writers 20th-century Indian educational theorists 21st-century Indian women scientists Women scientists from Delhi Women writers from Delhi Women educators from Delhi Educators from Delhi 21st-century Indian economists 21st-century Indian women writers 21st-century Indian writers 20th-century women educators Presidents of the International Association for Feminist Economics