Education

Work experience

Project: "Aspirations for gender equality: A comparative analysis of gender-sensitive policies toward childcare in Latin America"

The aging population and evolving family structures have intensified attention to the ongoing care crisis worldwide, which has traditionally placed the burden of caregiving on women. These women face challenges balancing family responsibilities with paid employment, making the demand for gender-sensitive solutions to the care crisis more urgent than ever, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Latin America is a crucial region for advancing future aspirations related to gender and social equality in childcare, given its significant social inequalities and entrenched traditional gender norms. The implications of the care crisis extend beyond the present, shaping future trajectories, especially in Latin American societies. This project proposes an integrated framework grounded in feminist economic thought, offering a critical contrast to neoclassical economic theory and neoliberal reforms. Focusing on gender and social inequalities in care work—particularly childcare— in Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Mexico, the research aims to provide new insights into the commodification of care, evaluate the effectiveness of gender-sensitive policies, and explore the intersectionality of gender, class, and race in caregiving. From the methodological side, the study draws on a combination of statistical methods, qualitative policy analysis based on content evaluation and case studies. Spanning three pivotal periods—the neoliberal reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, the Pink Tide from 2000 to 2010, and the resurgence of neoliberal agendas leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic—this research endeavors to illuminate the complexities of care dynamics and advocate for effective policy changes that can enhance gender and social equity in care provision across Latin America.

Monograph

Hargreaves, L. (2017). O papel do Banco do Brasil como banco central entre 1926 e 1932 . Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Chapters

Hargreaves-Westenberger, L., & Funari, A. P. (2024). A transversalidade da agenda ambiental no escopo da Política Nacional de Desenvolvimento Urbano. In M. A. Costa (Ed.), Diálogos para uma Política Nacional de Desenvolvimento Urbano: Temas transversais à PNDU: Volume 3 (pp. 59–78). Ipea. https://doi.org/10.38116/978-65-5635-069-1/capitulo3

Hargreaves-Westenberger, L., & Funari, A. P. (2024). Meio ambiente e a (re)produção das desigualdades sociais nas metrópoles brasileiras. In M. A. Costa (Ed.), 50 anos de regiões metropolitanas no Brasil e a Política Nacional de Desenvolvimento Urbano: No cenário de adaptação das cidades às mudanças climáticas e à transição digital (Vol. 6). Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (Ipea). https://dx.doi.org/10.38116/978-65-5635-068-4/capitulo14

Hargreaves-Westenberger, L., Costa, M. A., Luedemann, G., & Funari, A. P. (2024). Entrevista com Carlos Nobre: As metrópoles brasileiras no contexto das mudanças climáticas. In M. A. Costa (Ed.), 50 anos de regiões metropolitanas no Brasil e a Política Nacional de Desenvolvimento Urbano: No cenário de adaptação das cidades às mudanças climáticas e à transição digital (pp. 237–247). Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (Ipea). https://dx.doi.org/10.38116/978-65-5635-068-4/capitulo13