Women in History of Economic Thought: A Critical and Historical Perspective

This study attempts to understand the systemic exclusion of women thinkers from economics syllabi in India, particularly within the history of economic thought (HET). Their absence in syllabi not only reflects a failure to acknowledge their contributions but also represents the neglect of the very issues they addressed. The historical construction of economics as a male-dominated discipline is deeply intertwined with societal norms and the way gender is treated within the economic literature. By examining the portrayal of women in economic literature from Xenophon to neoclassical economics and analysing the social institutions of marriage, property rights and divorce during industrialization, this study challenges the construction of the ‘economic man’ as an autonomous individual and the concomitant marginalisation of women within the male-breadwinner household. Moreover, it advocates for the integration of an externalist approach methodology and the inclusion of the works of women economists into the HET syllabi.