Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez

Author

Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez
Professor of Management, Universidad EAFIT

Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez (PhD) is a Full Professor of Management and Head of the Masters in Sustainability at Universidad EAFIT in Colombia, a Member of the Global Council for Sustainable Development Goal Number 1 (SDG 1: End Poverty), and a former Vice-President at the Academy of International Business (AIB) and regional president for Latin America and the Caribbean. She is an internationalization, sustainability, and CSR expert with 75 peer-reviewed scholarly papers and 18 books. She is a frequent business media contributor and a Visiting Professor at numerous universities worldwide. She has lived, studied, or worked in several countries and travelled to 97 countries.

Content by this Author

Investing in climate action and the SDGs for a resilient future

The interlinked crises of climate change, lingering effects of Covid-19 and the ensuing food and energy crises need to be tackled together – and as this column explains, this is best done within the broader context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and in a framework of effective partnerships.

Book Launch – Live Webinar: Business, Government and the SDGs: The Role of Public-Private Engagement in Building a Sustainable Future

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The political economy of stalled structural reforms in MENA

There is a persistent pattern to the structural reforms that are required to underpin economic progress in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa: ambitious strategies are announced and partially implemented, but ultimately they are diluted or reversed. This column argues that the repeated stalling of reform is not primarily a failure of economic design. Rather, it reflects deep-seated political economy constraints rooted in rent dependence, elite bargaining and weak institutional credibility. Without addressing these underlying dynamics, reform efforts are likely to remain symbolic rather than transformative.

Untapped talent, unrealised growth: jobs and women in the MENAAP region

Only around one in five women of working age participate in the labour markets of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan. As this column explains, the region can no longer afford to leave half its human capital underused. Expanding women’s labour force participation is central to growth and resilience in the face of looming demographic change.

Closing the gender gap in political participation in MENA

Women across the Middle East and North Africa participate less than men in politics – not only in political parties and elections, but also in petitions, boycotts, protests and strikes. This column reports evidence from ten countries showing that differences in education, employment and political attitudes explain part of this disparity, yet a significant gender gap remains.

Labour demand and informal employment in Egypt’s manufacturing sector

Egypt’s manufacturing sector faces a dual challenge of weak job creation and persistent informality. Drawing on survey evidence on business behaviour and labour market dynamics, this column explains why job creation is limited and informal work remains such an integral part of how firms organise production. The generation of more formal jobs requires a comprehensive policy approach, one that goes beyond enforcement of labour regulations to reshape the economic environment in which firms and workers make decisions.




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