Lena Gempke

In her research, Lena explores the gendered nature of household debt in the Global South, with a particular focus on South Africa. She seeks to contribute to a heterodox reading of our economic system by delving into the implications of financial capitalism on material realities in the Global South and linking theories of subordinate financialization with social reproduction frameworks. 

Additionally, Lena is dedicated to unpacking the real-life complexities of well-established categories in economics, such as households, debt, and networks.  Lena's research is situated at the intersection of multiple disciplines, as she seeks to navigate and integrate theoretical and methodological aspects from anthropology, political economy, gender studies, and economics.  

Lena holds an MSc in Political Economy from SOAS University of London, as well as a BA in Economics & Anthropology from the University of Göttingen (Germany). She has been an active member of the German Network for Pluralist Economics, organizing several summer schools and roundtable discussions.  Previously, Lena worked as a consultant for the World Bank’s Regional Vice President for South Asia. Her responsibilities included conducting in-depth background research on regional issues, managing client engagements, and internal communication. 

Currently, Lena is working with the World Bank’s Global Practice on Governance and Public Institutions on matters concerning the Political Economy of Climate Change policies.  

• Social reproduction approaches
• Feminist economics
• Subordinate financialization
• Economic anthropology
• Mixed methods
• Political Economy of climate change