Can a Business Be Feminist? Rethinking Capitalism and “the Economy"

19/03/2026 - From 19h30 to 21h30 - Members & Guests
Registration mandatory

What does it mean to run a feminist business in an economy where the rules were designed with profit first and everything else second? And is it even possible for a business to be “feminist” within today’s capitalist structures?

In this talk and discussion, feminist economist Natacha Bastiat-Jarosz invites participants to explore the big questions at the centre of her doctoral work:

• What do we really mean when se say "feminism", "business", 'capitalism", or even "the economy"?
• Why do so many feminist founders feel caught between their values and the realities of survival?
• And what can we learn from the practices of feminist business owners across Europe and the US who are trying ( imperfectly but intentionally ) to “do” the economy differently?

Drawing on newly published research and more than fifty interviews, the talk reframes feminist entrepreneurship not as branding or empowerment rhetoric, but as a lens for understanding how people negotiate power, safety, meaning, and economic life. The talk will be followed by a facilitated sharing circle, offering space for reflection and conversation.

About our speaker:
Natacha Bastiat-Jarosz is a doctoral researcher in feminist political economy at UCLouvain. Her work examines how feminist business owners negotiate capitalism in their day-to-day practices and what these experiments reveal about alternative economic futures. Before academia, she founded a feminist small business and worked in journalism and political communication. She is offering this talk as a way to exchange ideas and learn from the perspectives of women navigating these dilemmas in their own careers.

You can find more information on her LinkedIn and Instagram.

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