Belen Martinez
Research Fellow
Summary
Belen Martinez is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research. Belen is a qualitative researcher interested in inclusive labour market practices, working conditions, gig economy, gender, and women’s empowerment.
About
Belen’s current research explores how ‘good work’ and ‘better business’ can be generated in the South Yorkshire economy, as part of the Yorkshire and Humber Policy Innovation Programme (YPIP).
She recently completed a PhD in International Development at the University of Sussex, where her thesis examined the everyday experiences of women working in the taxi and platform (i.e. Uber and Cabify) sectors in Malaga, Spain. Through ethnographic research, she explored how women drivers navigate the challenges of working in a male-dominated sector, and how entering such a ‘man’s job’ shapes women’s agency and impacts gender equality pathways. Additionally, she has researched female safety in the workplace for an on-demand courier service in Spain.
Prior to this, she gained a degree in Labour Relations and worked in Human Resources in the financial sector, specialising in recruitment and promoting gender equality and diversity.
Research
- Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research
Publications
Journal articles
Martínez Caparrós, B. (2024). Navigating the city: gendered work experiences in urban spaces. Gender & Development, 32 (1-2), 289-309. http://doi.org/10.1080/13552074.2024.2348388
Book chapters
Caparrós, B.M. (2018). Trekking to women's empowerment: a case study of a female-operated travel company in Ladakh. In Gender equality and tourism: beyond empowerment. (pp. 57-68). CAB International: http://doi.org/10.1079/9781786394422.0057