Publication of a Chapter on Women’s Leadership and the Solidarity Economy in Brazil: The Contribution of the Mirror Labs Consortium to an IGI Global International Volume
In the international scholarly volume The Entrepreneurial Narratives of Women Driving Economic and Social Transformation in Latin America, published by IGI Global, the chapter “Women Empowering Women: Solidarity Economy and Feminine Autonomy in Araraquara, Brazil” has been released. The chapter was developed within the framework of the International Consortium of Satellitaboratories on Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development.
In 2025, the international scholarly volume The Entrepreneurial Narratives of Women Driving Economic and Social Transformation in Latin America (published by IGI Global) featured the chapter “Women Empowering Women: Solidarity Economy and Feminine Autonomy in Araraquara, Brazil.” The chapter was developed within the framework of the International Consortium of Satellite Laboratories on Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development.
Among the chapter’s authors are representatives of HSE University: Magdalena Gaete, Head of the Project-Based Learning Laboratory for Reputation Management in Education (RepLab) and Director of the Satellite Laboratory for Social Entrepreneurship (SatLab), and Josiane Michelle Wolters, analyst and researcher at HSE University. The international author team also included Julia da Silva Gutierrez Ruiz and Leandro Pereira Morais from São Paulo State University (Brazil). The publication is the result of collaborative research conducted by universities participating in the Consortium, which brings together academic centers from Latin America, Russia, and other regions.
The 30-page chapter examines the transformative potential of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) for women in the city of Araraquara—one of Brazil’s recognized hubs of social innovation and civic activism. The authors focus on women who previously experienced economic and social marginalization, demonstrating how participation in SSE initiatives fosters agency, economic independence, and sustainable forms of female autonomy.
The study emphasizes that women-led SSE enterprises not only generate income and employment but also serve as spaces for personal development, collective empowerment, and the redistribution of decision-making power. Moving beyond conventional economic indicators, the analysis examines more profound social and anthropological changes associated with women’s leadership and control over labor, time, and resources.
Methodologically, the chapter is grounded in qualitative research methods, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. This approach enabled the authors to capture both the challenges women face and the strategies they employ to build alternative economic models at the local level.
The edited volume The Entrepreneurial Narratives of Women Driving Economic and Social Transformation in Latin America (410 pages; editor: Asghar Afshar Jahanshahi; release date: November 2025) brings together research on women’s entrepreneurship as a driver of economic growth, social transformation, and inequality reduction in Latin America. The book is addressed to scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and experts in the fields of social economy, gender studies, and sustainable development.
Chapter bibliographic information
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-3511-7.ch008
ISBN-13: 979-8-3373-3511-7
Softcover: 979-8-3373-3512-4
eISBN: 979-8-3373-3513-1
This publication underscores the contribution of the Satellites Laboratories Consortium and HSE University researchers to the international scholarly agenda on social entrepreneurship, the solidarity economy, and women’s leadership in a global context.
