Book Title: Econimica: A global history of women, wealth and power
Author: Victoria Bateman
Publisher: Headline Press
Number of Pages: 432
ISBN: 978-1035415786
Date Published: Aug. 28, 2025
Price: INR 650
Book Review
“Econimica” by Victoria Bateman is an ambitious and intellectually invigorating work that fundamentally rethinks the global history of economics by placing women’s contributions at its center. Departing from traditional male-dominated narratives, Bateman weaves a detailed and vivid account that spans from prehistory to today, meticulously uncovering how female entrepreneurs, traders, workers, and caregivers have been central to shaping the world’s wealth and progress. Her narrative is not merely additive; it is revisionist, challenging the reader to question the assumptions of mainstream economic history and to recognize both the erasure and persistence of women’s roles across eras.
The author’s strength lies in her interdisciplinary approach, synthesizing economics, sociology, psychology, and politics to offer a more humanized – and inherently feminist – perspective on economic theory. She critiques traditional economics for its masculinist bias, the exclusion of care work, and the stubborn dichotomy between rational “economic man” and the emotional, undervalued “feminine” sphere.
The inclusion of her own experiences, along with bold public protests, lends urgency and authenticity to her case for radical revision within the discipline. Bateman’s call for economics to incorporate care work, interdisciplinary dialogue, and a genuine reckoning with gendered power structures is both practical and visionary, challenging the field to become more socially relevant and just.
Yet the book is not without its contentious aspects. At times, Victoria Bateman’s analogies between historical and contemporary gender struggles risk essentializing women’s experiences or drawing parallels that can feel arbitrary. Some readers may find the narrative’s moral clarity at odds with the messiness of historical and economic complexity.
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Nevertheless, “Econimica” is a deeply needed provocation—a book that not only fills glaring gaps in economic history, but also demands a broader reimagining of how value, labour, and societal progress are defined. For scholars and general readers alike, author Bateman’s work offers a gripping, accessible pathway towards a more inclusive, truthful economic narrative.
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