Mariana Lopez

Mariana is a Senior Advocacy Manager for the GSMA (the global association of mobile operators). In this capacity she develops evidence-based research and policy positions related to the advancement of women’s digital and financial inclusion. She also leads GSMA’s engagement with key partners, such as the Alliance for Financial Inclusion, the World Bank Group and various UN agencies. Prior to joining the GSMA she worked in financial consulting.

Mariana holds a Masters in Global Governance and Diplomacy from the University of Oxford and a PhD in Development Policy and Management from the University of Manchester. She successfully defended her PhD thesis, ‘Gendered-environmental transformations in global production networks: a study of the disposal of menstrual products in India,’ in February 2021. In this study she analysed the connection between commercial activities, gender norms and the environment with a focus on India. Mariana plans to expand her research on gender inequalities and environmental impacts in global production networks with a view to inform policies and initiatives that address the negative impacts of commodities, including menstrual products.