I research how political and economic systems (re)produce poverty and exclusion. Through my work on social policy and inequality, I aim to support efforts that build fairer, more inclusive societies.
— María Gabriela Palacio
— About me
I am an Assistant Professor in Development Studies with a focus on poverty, inequality, and social policy in Latin America. My research explores how political economies and exclusionary structures shape lives within and across borders, seeking more just and inclusive policy futures. I work across academia and (inter)national organisations, connecting critical research with real-world change.
— What I Work On
Political Economy of Development
Poverty, Inequality & Social Exclusion
Social Policy & Welfare Systems
Migration & Forced Displacement
Informality & Labour Markets
Neoliberalism & Securitisation
— Affiliation
Assistant Professor in Development Studies
Institute for History | Faculty of Humanities | Leiden University
I specialise in political economy, social policy, poverty, inequality, (in)security and migration, with a regional focus on Latin America.
I teach across BA and MA programmes, supervise PhD candidates and collaborate with (inter)national organisations through research, consultancy, and public engagement.
— Studies
PhD in Development Studies
International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam
A matter of choice? Cash Transfers and Narratives of Dependence in the Lives of Women in Southern Ecuador
MA in Development Studies
(Poverty Studies and Policy Analysis)
International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Máster en Organizaciones No Lucrativas y Economía Social
Universitat de València, Spain
BA in Economics
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
— Selected publications
Books and Edited Volumes
Palacio, M.G., Mideros, A., & Jara, X. (Eds.) (2024). Social Policy, Poverty, and Inequality in Ecuador 1980-2021 [Política social, pobreza y desigualdad en el Ecuador 1980-2021]. Centro de Publicaciones PUCE.
Peer-Reviewed Articles
Palacio, M.G., & Jara, X. (2024). Rethinking Social Assistance amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guaranteeing the Right to Income Security in Ecuador. Journal of International Development.
Palacio, M.G. (2021). Falling through the Cracks: Digital Infrastructures of Social Protection in Ecuador. Development and Change, 52(4).
Palacio, M.G., & Díaz Pabón, F.A. (2021). Inequality and the Socioeconomic Dimensions of Mobility in Protests: The Cases of Quito and Santiago. Global Policy, 12(S2).
Palacio, M.G. (2019). Institutionalising Segregation: Women, Conditional Cash Transfers, and Paid Employment in Southern Ecuador. Population and Development Review, 45(S1).
See full list on my ORCID Profile
"Every fracture, every tension, and every disagreement can be the starting point for individual and collective transformation. Engaging with difference, and acknowledging that our collective wounds can be reimagined into sources of solidarity is what defines the future we must nurture"
My work
— Research
My research examines how social policy, political economy, and inequality shape exclusion and precarity in Latin America. I study how welfare systems, labour markets, migration, and digital infrastructures influence vulnerability and citizenship, with a focus on power and social stratification within and across borders. My work combines ethnographic research, statistical analysis, and policy studies, engaging critically with debates in development studies and political economy.
— Consultancy
Alongside my academic work, I collaborate with (inter)national organisations, development agencies, and NGOs through consultancy projects. I have conducted research on education access, gender-responsive social protection, exclusion from social registries, and the political economy of poverty and informality. My consultancy experience includes partnerships with UNU-WIDER, WFP, UNICEF, UNDP, and national institutions, offering qualitative and quantitative insights that inform policy design and evaluation.
Explore my latest reflections and research insights
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