معرفی
Belen Martinez is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, specializing in qualitative research on inclusive labour markets, gig economy dynamics, gender equity, and women's empowerment. She currently leads research within the Yorkshire and Humber Policy Innovation Programme (YPIP) investigating pathways to 'good work' and sustainable business models in South Yorkshire's economy.
Her academic background includes:
- PhD in International Development from the University of Sussex, examining women's experiences in taxi and platform economies (Uber/Cabify) in Malaga, Spain through ethnographic fieldwork
- Degree in Labour Relations with professional experience in financial sector HR, focusing on recruitment and gender equality initiatives
Dr. Martinez employs immersive ethnographic methodologies to analyze how women navigate male-dominated sectors like transportation and courier services, revealing critical intersections between urban geography, labor conditions, and gender equality. Her work bridges feminist theory, economic geography, and policy design, emphasizing tangible strategies for creating inclusive workplaces and equitable economic systems across diverse cultural contexts.
Her publication trajectory demonstrates evolving expertise from tourism-based empowerment models (2018) to contemporary analyses of gendered urban labor (2024) and spatial dimensions of industrial work (2025). Collectively, these works establish her signature focus on place-based power dynamics, highlighting how physical and social environments shape workers' agency, particularly for women in non-traditional occupations within platform capitalism.
No information is available regarding student supervision or specific research grants.
She operates within the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research's collaborative ecosystem, actively contributing to the Yorkshire and Humber Policy Innovation Programme through partnerships with regional policymakers, industry stakeholders, and community organizations to translate research into actionable economic development strategies.
