Aashima is a feminist economist whose research spans development and labor economics, with a particular focus on the care economy. Her work centers on understanding how care, gender equality, and economic structures intersect to shape growth, employment, and well-being—both in the U.S. and globally.

Prior to joining IWPR, Aashima served as a Research Scholar in the Gender Equality and the Economy program at the Levy Economics Institute, where she conducted research on time and income poverty, the macroeconomic impacts of public investment in care, and the relationship between employment security and gender equality. Her ongoing research includes developing U.S. state-level metrics to examine how social reproduction across households, public systems, and markets influences economic outcomes.

Aashima also brings extensive experience in primary data collection and international research, including designing and implementing contextualized time-use surveys in India. Her past work explores the gendered impacts of unpaid care work on multidimensional well-being in low- and middle-income countries, as well as issues related to violence against women, public space harassment, and international measures of gender inequality. She complements her research with policy analysis and region-specific policy recommendations.

Aashima holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Utah, an M.A. in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and a B.A. (Honors) in Economics from the University of Delhi.