Brulé and Karra Reflect on the State of Human Capital Development

Rachel Brulé, Assistant Professor of Global Development Policy at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, and Mahesh Karra, Assistant Professor of Global Development Policy at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and Associate Director of the Human Capital Initiative at the Global Development Policy Center (GDP Center), both offered comments for a new GDP Center blog on the state of human capital development. 

The GDP Center’s Human Capital Initiative (HCI) surveyed members of their team on the current state of global health and gender inequality and asked for their predictions for the future.

Brulé reflected on the current state of women’s economic and political rights. She states that in just the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the time required to close the gender equality gap also grew by a generation, driven by a stark increase in political gender inequality. Drawing on the findings of her latest book, Brulé points out that women are more likely to gain economic resources and property rights when women achieve political representation; however, lack of access to wealth has created a severe barrier to women’s political participation and should be expected to rises.

Karra commented on maternal and child health, stating that the pandemic has put enormous strain on health systems globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. He goes on the state that “If the delivery of routine maternal and child health services is further disrupted or halted altogether, women and children will suffer.”

Read the full blog on the GDP Center’s website.