The feminization of environmental responsibility: a quantitative, cross-national analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACTWomen tend to engage more frequently in pro-environmental behavior (PEB) relative to men – what has been termed the ‘feminization of environmental responsibility’. While past research has found that women participate in higher levels of PEB compared to men cross-nationally, the variation in this gender gap across national contexts has yet to be explained. The question driving this research is: what is the context in which environmental responsibility is most feminized? I address this question by conducting a quantitative cross-national analysis of gender differences in PEB using International Social Survey Programme 2010 data on 30 countries. As expected, women report greater involvement in PEB than men in the vast majority of countries analyzed. The gender gap is not only explained by women’s greater levels of reported environmental concern than men in these countries, but also by a country’s level of market liberalization and ratio of female to male labor force participation. This research contributes cross-national quantitative evidence to support arguments emerging from qualitative literature suggesting a relationship between political-economic context and the feminization of environmental responsibility. In general, this research illuminates the complex relationships between environmental solutions and social justice and suggests a connection between processes of neoliberalism, gender equity, and sustainability.