NJPIRG Students hosts webinar on feminist economics and intersectionality

Senior Victoria Gasper hosted an educational event for students to learn more about how women are affected by basic need insecurities.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ: In honor of International Women’s Day, students from NJPIRG Student Chapters’ Hunger and Homelessness campaign at Rutgers New Brunswick held a webinar to learn more about macroeconomics, women’s role in STEM, basic need insecurity, and intersectionality from Dr. Radhika Balakrishnan.

Balakrishnan is the faculty director at the Center for Women’s Global Leadership and professor in Women’s and Gender and Sexuality Studies at Rutgers University. She has a Ph.D. in Economics from Rutgers University. She is a Commissioner for the Commission for Gender Equity for the City of New York, on the Global Advisory Council for the United Nations Population Fund and the current president of the International Association for Feminist Economics. She is also an esteemed author of countless books, articles and guides on macroeconomics and women’s role in it.

The webinar gave students the opportunity to learn more about Balakrishnan as Victoria Gasper, the student moderator from NJPIRG, hosted the event. The 35 students attending also had the opportunity to ask her any questions they might have about the state of our world, how they can get more involved, and what advice Balakrishnan might have for them.

“Dr. Balakrishnan taught me about how economics plays a huge role in everyday lives of Americans,” says Shruti Sharma, a coordinator for NJPIRG’s 100% Renewable Energy campaign. “It really brought attention to the fact that we all need to educate ourselves about the economy in order to be better citizens.”

Hunger and Homelessness Campaign Coordinator Mary Skaltsis also felt moved by Balakrishnan’s words.

“She taught me important skills about how to break the glass ceiling and be a successful woman in Corporate America,” Skaltsis said.

The webinar concluded with a quick campaign action to raise money for Women Aware. Earlier in the week, the Hunger and Homelessness campaign raised $158 for the shelter during a donation competition event. Their goal was to raise a total of $250 by the end of the day today in order to meet one of the shelter’s benchmark goals: giving a child at the shelter access to an arts therapy program. However, they raised $135 in the first five minutes. The current donation total is $313 with a few more donations on the way!

To learn more about NJPIRG and their Hunger and Homelessness campaign, follow them on social media at @NJPIRGStudents and @NJPIRGStudents. You can also find then on Facebook at NJPIRG Student Chapters or check out www.njpirgstudents.org.