Call for Papers - Women in Leadership: Accelerating Development Outcomes

About the Organization

The Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) were established in 1978 with funds donated by Suntory Limited and the (then) Toyota Motor Company Limited of Japan, with further donations from Suntory Limited in 1984 and 1989 and the Toyota Motor Corporation in 1995. We have also enjoyed the support of the Saji Research Lectureship in Japanese Economic and Social History.

About the Call for Papers

The Gender Department of the World Bank Group, the Gates Foundation, and LSE’s Hub for Equal Representation in the Economy (H.E.R.) are organizing the first edition of the Women in Leadership: Accelerating Development Outcomes conference. The objective of the conference is to expand the evidence base on what works to advance women’s leadership and the impacts of such leadership on development outcomes, and to bring together rigorous research evidence and actionable policy insights.

The conference will be held in a hybrid format (in-person and online) and will be structured around three complementary components:

• Research sessions presenting new evidence on advancing women’s leadership and its impacts on development outcomes.
• Activities aimed at fostering mentorship, networking, and collaboration among researchers at different career stages.
• Discussions designed to strengthen the link between evidence and policy action.

Thematic Areas

We invite submissions of applied and rigorous research on women’s leadership, with particular emphasis on causal evidence of policies and interventions that expand women’s preparation for and participation in leadership roles. Priority will be given to studies assessing women’s leadership impact on development outcomes, including but not limited to governance, economic performance, service delivery, and organizational outcomes in both the public and private sectors, and studies focused on developing country contexts, with strong encouragement for submissions from researchers based in these countries and early career scholars.

Submissions should relate to one of the following three thematic areas, which will guide the structure of the conference:

• Barriers to Women’s Leadership – Research on constraints to women’s advancement, including skills and education gaps, social norms, discrimination, and legal or institutional barriers.
• Policies and Interventions – Evidence on policies and programs that promote women’s leadership, such as quotas, mentorship, leadership training, and workplace or institutional reforms.
• Impacts on Development Outcomes – Analysis of how women’s leadership affects policy decisions, organizational performance, governance, and broader development outcomes in the public and private sectors.

How to Apply

Please click on the link below for more details on the thematic areas.

Submission deadline: Sunday 7 June 2026

Please submit your paper via the submission portal: Submit your paper here

For more information please check the Link

Stay in the loop with the newest RFPs and Grants through NGOBOX's WhatsApp Channel. Join now by clicking here!