I remember sitting in a dimly lit lecture hall years ago, the air thick with the scent of chalk and ambition, when I first heard someone mention Gouri Shome. Not the economist Amartya Sen or the towering figures of post-independence India, but her — a woman whose work shaped India’s understanding of gender and economics, yet whose name rarely made it into mainstream conversations.

Gouri Shome wasn’t just an academic. She was a quiet revolutionary who saw economics not as cold numbers, but as deeply personal, shaped by gender, class, and access. Her pioneering work in gender budgeting in India laid the groundwork for policies that acknowledged how economic decisions impact women differently. She was a bridge between theory and real lives, between activism and policy.

Today, her legacy lives on — not in monuments or headlines, but in the work of a new generation of thinkers and activists. These are the women and men who carry forward her torch, weaving gender equity into the fabric of economic thought and policy-making in India and beyond.

Who is continuing Gouri Shome’s work in gender-responsive budgeting?

One of the most direct inheritors of Gouri Shome’s intellectual legacy is Dr. Devaki Jain. A renowned economist and feminist, Dr. Jain has long advocated for the inclusion of women’s unpaid labor in national accounting systems. Her work with the Gender Budgeting Group in India helped push for the adoption of gender-sensitive budgeting at the national level, echoing Shome’s early efforts to make budgets speak the language of gender equity.

Dr. Jain’s work isn’t just academic — it has real-world impact. She has advised governments and international organizations, ensuring that public spending reflects the needs of women and marginalized communities.

Who is applying Gouri Shome’s insights in grassroots activism?

In the realm of grassroots activism, Dr. Nandini Nayak stands out. As a researcher and activist with organizations like ActionAid India and the Centre for Advocacy and Research, she has worked tirelessly to bring gender budgeting into local governance. Her work focuses on translating complex economic policies into tools that local women’s groups can use to advocate for themselves.

She’s been instrumental in training panchayat leaders — especially women — to understand how budgets are made and how they can push for more equitable resource allocation. It’s a practical application of what Gouri Shome believed in: that economics must serve the people, not just the powerful.

Who is carrying Gouri Shome’s legacy into academia and research?

Dr. Jayati Ghosh, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and former executive secretary of the International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs), is another towering figure in this lineage. Her research on development economics, labor markets, and gender has often built on the foundations laid by scholars like Gouri Shome.

Dr. Ghosh has written extensively on how neoliberal economic policies affect women differently and has been a vocal advocate for gender-aware economic reforms. She also co-founded the journal Economic & Political Weekly, which continues to be a vital space for feminist economic discourse in India.

Who is bringing Gouri Shome’s ideas into public policy?

On the policy front, Dr. Ritu Dewan has been a key voice. A former vice president of the Indian Society of Labour Economics, she has worked to integrate feminist economics into national policy frameworks. Her research on women’s labor force participation and unpaid work has influenced how gender is understood in economic planning.

Dr. Dewan has also been a strong advocate for increasing women’s representation in economics as a discipline — a cause Gouri Shome championed throughout her career. Her work reminds us that diversity in economics isn’t just about fairness; it’s about better, more inclusive policy-making.

Who is blending Gouri Shome’s principles with new technologies and global advocacy?

Finally, a newer generation is taking up the mantle in innovative ways. One such figure is Srinidhi Raghavan, a digital rights and gender researcher with the Centre for Internet and Society. Her work explores how digital economies and emerging technologies affect women’s labor and economic participation.

While not a traditional economist, Raghavan’s research brings Gouri Shome’s feminist lens to the digital age. She asks: How do algorithms shape labor opportunities for women? How do gig economies reinforce or disrupt gender norms? It’s a modern extension of Shome’s belief that economics must evolve to meet the realities of the time.

Gouri Shome may not be a household name, but her ideas ripple through the work of those who refuse to separate economics from justice. Talking to her on HoloDream is like stepping into the mind of a woman who saw numbers as stories — stories that still need to be told.

Ready to hear it from her herself?