Elinor Ostrom became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in economics:

Here is more from MSNBC:
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To explain her ideas, the academy cited an example about dams in Nepal that Ostrom used in her 1990 book "Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action."

Local people had for many years successfully managed irrigation systems to allocate water between users, but then the government decided to build modern dams made of concrete and steel with the help of foreign donors.

"Despite flawless engineering, many of these projects have ended in failure," the academy said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33275953/ns/business-stocks_and_economy