Feminist economics and its contribution to modern economic theory

Feminist economics is one of the most recent alternatives to the traditional approach in economic thought. This paper presents some of its main features together with the contributions feminist economics can make towards understanding the modern economy. In particular, the discussion focuses on the position of feminist economics regarding rational economic agents, methods and the teaching of economics. A few applications illustrating in a practical manner the way in which it is possible to approach the study of the economy while taking gender issues into account are also discussed. The latter include the notion of provision, labor market feminization, and the gender bias in national accounts.