Gender Considerations Research Articles

Enhancing climate resilience of vulnerable women in the Global South through power sharing in DC microgrids

Many women of remote communities in the Global South (GS) are highly vulnerable to natural disasters caused by climate change, due to their low adaptive capability. Inclusion of gender considerations has been emphasized in national adaptation plans and initiatives aimed at reducing vulnerability. However, the potential of low-cost electricity-based solutions in promoting climate change adaptation is largely unexplored. In countries of the GS, remote communities have adopted stand-alone solar home systems, which are often inefficient and require significant investments for upgrading. In this work, a model of an off-grid DC microgrid with distributed generation and storage is proposed, allowing individual households to obtain extra energy through neighborhood-level prosumer power sharing. The benefits of power sharing are evaluated through the development of a mixed-integer linear program using load requirements based on the World Bank's Multi-Tier Framework for household energy access. The results show that households with prosumer power sharing can access more than 60 % extra energy compared to their stand-alone status with up to 34 % reduction in Levelized Cost of Energy. Access to additional energy can allow vulnerable households to access energy services in the household to potentially improve climate change adaptation opportunities in agriculture, livelihood and educational sectors, among others.

Assessment of Dietary Fiber Intake in Adults: Consideration of Gender and Age Disparities

Assessment of Dietary Fiber Intake in Adults: Consideration of Gender and Age Disparities

Policies on the collection, analysis, and reporting of sex and gender in Australian health and medical research: a mixed methods study.

To explore the policies of key organisations in Australian health and medical research on defining, collecting, analysing, and reporting data on sex and gender, and to identify barriers to and facilitators of developing and implementing such policies. Mixed methods study: online planning forum; survey of organisations in Australian health and medical research, and internet search for policies defining, collecting, analysing, and reporting data by sex and gender in health and medical research. Australia, 19 May 2021 (planning forum) to 12December 2022 (final internet search). Relevant webpages and documents classified as dedicated organisation-specific sex and gender policies; policies, guidelines, or statements with broader aims, but including content that met the definition of a sex and gender policy; and references to external policies. The online planning forum identified 65 relevant organisations in Australian health and medical research; twenty participated in the policy survey. Seven organisations reported at least one relevant policy, and six had plans to develop or implement such policies during the following two years. Barriers to and facilitators of policy development and implementation were identified in the areas of leadership, language and definitions, and knowledge skills and training. The internet search found that 57 of the 65 organisations had some form of sex and gender policy, including all ten peer-reviewed journals and five of ten research funders; twelve organisations, including eight peak body organisations, had published dedicated sex and gender policies on their websites. Most of the organisations included in our study had policies regarding the integration of sex and gender in health and medical research. The implementation and evaluation of these policies is necessary to ensure that consideration of sex and gender is adequate during all stages of the research process.

Role of Gender in Shaping Consumer Responses to Doctor Influencer: Insights into Brand Perceptions and Repurchase Intentions in the Indonesian Mineral Water Industry

This study investigates the effectiveness of influencer marketing, focusing on Dr. Reisa's endorsement of Le Minerale mineral water in Indonesia. It examines how influencer attributes, such as physical attractiveness, familiarity, expertise, success appeal, and congruency, influence consumer attitudes and repurchase intentions. This study examined the impact of influencer marketing on brand perception and consumer behavior, particularly in the digital era. It challenges traditional marketing theories by analyzing the role of various influencer attributes in shaping consumer attitudes. The primary aim of this study is to assess the unique effects of influencer characteristics on brand attitudes and repurchase intentions, with a special focus on the role of gender as a moderating variable in influencer marketing. This study utilized a survey-based approach to evaluate the impact of influencer attributes—physical attractiveness, familiarity, expertise, success appeal, and congruency on consumer attitudes and repurchase intentions toward Le Minerale’s mineral water. Targeting consumers familiar with Dr. Reisa's endorsement, the survey collects quantitative data to analyze how these attributes, along with gender as a moderating variable, influence brand perception in the digital marketing context. This study reveals that Dr. Reisa's physical attractiveness does not significantly impact brand attitudes, challenging traditional marketing beliefs. However, gender has emerged as a key moderator influencing how attractiveness affects brand perception. Contrary to expectations, familiarity with the influencer has no significant effect on brand attitudes, suggesting a shift in digital audience engagement. Notably, expertise, success appeal, and congruency significantly influence brand attitudes, with gender enhancing the impact of congruency. These insights offer a new perspective on influencer marketing, emphasizing the importance of expertise, success appeal, congruency, and gender considerations, thereby providing marketers with strategic guidance in the digital landscape.

Obtained using the improved Load Modelling Approach

Robust metrics to measure sustainability of such projects are still lacking. In this thesis, research is carried out to examine the sustainability of rural microgrids and then develop metrics to enhance how sustainability can be measured for these types of projects. The research further seeks to formulate and design an optimum, robust, sustainable and economical solar PV based microgrid solution for electrification of a remote area focusing on green areas that currently have no access to electricity. The objective is to achieve a system that is cost effective, reliable and sustainable. The results show that gender considerations have a significant impact on load profiles and a higher consumption is obtained when gender is considered. Next, an efficient and robust sizing approach for off-grid PV microgrid systems has been developed and named the ComµGrid Sizing Approach. This approach utilizes “Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP)” to optimally size the PV microgrid and the “ComµGrid Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN)” algorithm to aggregate load and meteorological data. MATLAB software is used to execute the optimization algorithm.

P019 HYPERTENSION PREVALENCE, HEALTH POLICY, AND GUIDELINES MAPPING: A COMPARATIVE ANALYTIC STUDY ACROSS NINE AFRICAN COUNTRIES 2024

Background: Hypertension, a global burden, increases mortality from cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Worldwide, in 2019, an estimated 1.3 billion adults developed hypertension. In Africa, the cumulative estimated prevalence of hypertension is ∼30.8%. Main Objective: To perform a comparative analysis between African countries focusing on hypertension prevalence, health policy, and guidelines mapping. Methods: A descriptive comparative analytic study compared hypertension data from nine African countries: Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, in 2024. Data included hypertension prevalence, health policy, guidelines’ mapping, and hypertension management responses. Mixed statistical methods of content analysis, percentages, means, and Spearman's correlations were used. Results: Hypertension prevalence varied from 27% in Ethiopia to 43% in Eswatini. Females consistently had higher prevalence than males, 30% in Ethiopia to 47% in Eswatini, suggesting gender-specific risk factors or disparities in healthcare access/utilization. Sudan had the second-highest prevalence 44%. Eswatini implemented strong blood pressure control measures, unlike Sudan. High prevalence was also found in countries with strong policies (Eswatini, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan), suggesting urgent improved healthcare delivery, policy enforcement, and addressing other risk factors. Ghana and Somalia had lower hypertension prevalence, though fewer policies. Spearman's test showed strong negative correlations between national responses and hypertension prevalence. Salt Intake Surveys had the strongest negative correlation (-0.707) with hypertension prevalence, highlighting countries like Ethiopia and Malawi with salt intake surveys and lower prevalence, reinforcing dietary factors’ effectiveness in managing hypertension. Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia leverage trained non-physician health workers in hypertension management, thereby, improving treatment access and adherence. Treatment guidelines were moderately negatively correlated (-0.335) with hypertension prevalence. The mere presence of guidelines is insufficient, signifying their implementation and enhancement with targeted interventions Conclusions: These findings highlighted the multifaceted nature of hypertension in African countries which requires comprehensive approaches encompassing considerations of gender, socioeconomic factors, lifestyle, salt reduction, policy implementation, healthcare access, and a unified African hypertension guideline.

Gender Involvement in Municipal Solid Waste Management in Nigeria: a review of Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges

Solid waste management practice focused on the technical issues of waste disposal with little or no attention paid to the gender involved. Solid waste management needs women participation to be effective as gender activities play an important role in solid waste management as there is clear understanding of the perceptions of both men and women that is required in waste management. This paper review gender involvement in solid waste management in identify the specific roles, perceptions, values, attitudes, and practices of women in relation to solid waste management, as well as the issues and constraints that hinder their active participation. Studies showed that there is a relationship between women socio-economic status and solid waste management. Despite their crucial contributions; women are often relegated to the background in decision-making processes and policy implementation. The paper highlighted the importance of incorporating gender considerations into municipal solid waste management policies and practices to achieve greater equality and sustainability.Some recommendations were made to improve gender involvement in solid waste management.

Correlation of Wellness Program Against Degenerative Indicators Through Experimental Pre-Posttest

The incidence of degenerative diseases, such as hyperuricemia, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, is increasing, primarily due to unhealthy lifestyles. Holistic treatment, involving pharmacology and lifestyle modification, is recommended. The Wellness program, covering diet, exercise, and relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga offers a holistic approach to reduce the incidence of degenerative diseases. Adopting a Wellness program could have positive outcomes, including cost-effectiveness, nutritional balance, and improvements in both physical (through yoga) and mental (through meditation) well-being, but the potential downsides include lack of control groups, inadequate consideration of age and gender, insufficient sample sizes, limited observation days, and an excessive number of measured parameters. This study aims to see the effectiveness and influence of the Wellness program on reducing uric acid levels, cholesterol, blood sugar levels, systolic and diastolic blodd pressure. The intervention is designed for women aged 30-60 who experience rage. However, individuals who are consuming medications or supplements, pregnant, breastfeeding, or not following a prescribed diet are excluded. This study used the quasi-experimental pre-posttest design to see the Wellness program’s effectiveness on uric acid, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and total cholesterol. Sample size calculation was performed using G*Power version 3.1.9.7, and data analysis utilized the T-paired sampled test. The findings from a 3-day study involving 47 participants revealed significant differences post-implementation of the Wellness program, indicating a reduction in uric acid levels and an increase in blood sugar levels with a p-value<0.05.

Preferences for Redistribution: Two Decades of Gender Gaps and Generational Differences in Europe

Abstract We provide a concise overview of the literature concerning the factors influencing preferences for redistribution, with particular attention to works that have integrated considerations of gender and/or cohort heterogeneity into their analyses. We then present a series of stylized facts on preferences for redistribution based on data from the European Social Survey for a wide array of European countries over the period spanning from 2002 to 2022. We document that, since 2002, the average preferences for redistribution have increased. While the gender gap has remained substantially unchanged, the generational gap has widened over time. Distinguishing women and men by a set of individual characteristics, instead, there exists a not negligible heterogeneity both ‘between’ and ‘within’ women and men. At the country level, the overall gender gap in preferences for redistribution increases as the country’s per capita income or gender equality increase. Conversely, the gender gap decreases in more income, unequal, and religious countries. Finally, looking at the two exogenous shocks, that is, the 2008 financial and economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, we observe that average individual attitudes towards redistribution react to both events but in a surprisingly opposite way, with a relevant heterogeneity across different sub-groups of women and men.

How Self-Compassion Components Develop in Adolescents? Evidence from Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis with Gender Considerations

How Self-Compassion Components Develop in Adolescents? Evidence from Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis with Gender Considerations

Re-Gendering Conspirational Thinking: How Social Media Use, Gender and Population Densities Affect Beliefs in Conspiracy Theories on COVID-19

This paper aims to investigate how social media use and gender affect beliefs in conspiracy theories on COVID-19 and how these beliefs correlate with the frequency and patterns of their use, as well as the distribution of population density in rural, town, and urban areas. I collected data from Valcon Project surveys, analyzing the usage of social media by citizens from six European countries (Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, and Ireland) on issues like the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic spread. The findings, which take into consideration gender and population density, suggest that different social media platforms affected such beliefs in different ways (platform association), and this effect is also mitigated by the specific content of such conspiracy theories (content association).

Gender Inclusivity in Law Enforcement: Impact of Gender-Responsive Policing in Region IV-A, CALABARZON

This study investigates the status of gender equality in law enforcement, gender consideration and discrimination, gender safety in transportation, and the extent of gender-responsive policing. Employing a quantitative research design, the study sourced data from 165 participants through purposive sampling, which was sanctioned by the Land Transportation Office in Region IV-A CALABARZON. Findings reveal a young to middle-aged participant profile, predominantly with higher education, suggesting a potentially elevated perspective on gender inclusivity informed by their educational experiences. High mean scores across gender inclusivity metrics indicate a positive perception of gender equality, particularly in terms of economic participation, opportunities, and law enforcement practices. However, certain areas have highlighted the need for further research, especially regarding discrimination in career advancement. This study underscores the significant role of GROs in enhancing perceptions of gender equality and safety. This emphasizes the importance of fostering a positive community reception toward gender-responsive policing initiatives contrary to the initial hypotheses. Demographic profiles, including age and training received, were not significantly correlated with perceptions of gender-responsive policing, directing attention to areas warranting further investigation.

Co-designing in Tandem: Case study journeys to inspire and guide climate services

This study tests, empirically validates and refines the Tandem framework for co-designing climate services(Daniels et al., 2019; 2020), to enhance its applicability and effectiveness. Intended as an inspirational guide for ‘good practice’, Tandem is practical and non-prescriptive and is designed to be tailored to context. We apply Tandem in three different geographic and socioeconomic settings: 1) a rural community in Indonesia, where smallholder farmers are confronting climate impacts on agriculture; 2) two cities in Sweden, where planners are addressing climate-related flooding and heat stress; and 3) communities and institutions in a Colombian river basin, where climate change is leading to water scarcity, raising questions about equitable use. We find that Tandem was effective in these settings in: 1) moving from ‘useful’ to ‘usable’ information by building trust; 2) increasing institutional embedding through strengthened relationships and networks; 3) improving climate information uptake and use; 4) increasing capacity, confidence and a shared understanding of climate information by users, and the decision context by providers; and, 5) serving as a non-prescriptive guide for users, intermediaries and providers to co-design and structure an effective process for collaborative learning and action. We use insights from these case studies to enhance the original framework, enabling it to 1) scope and review climate and non-climate vulnerability and risks; 2) incorporate gender, social equity and power considerations; 3) acknowledge the value of local and traditional ecological knowledge; 4) co-explore horizontal and vertical governance at appropriate decision-making scales; and, 5) provide flexible starting points, with early identification of impact indicators.

Does Mainstreamed Aid Advance Gender Parity? Insights from Empirical Evidence

This study investigates the effectiveness of gender-mainstreamed aid in mitigating gender inequality. We develop a robust theoretical model that accounts for the potential positive and perceived negative effects of shifts toward gender parity, capturing diverse societal perspectives. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset on aid activities focused on gender (in)equality and women’s empowerment across 118 countries from 2009 to 2022, primarily low-income nations, we employ panel fixed-effects and mixed-effects random coefficient models to examine the impact of gender-related aid on gender inequality. Our findings reveal that significant gender-related aid (SGRA), which integrates gender considerations into broader development projects, reduces gender inequality in 115 out of 118 countries. In contrast, principal gender-related aid (PGRA), which explicitly targets gender equality, shows significant effects in only 85 countries. When analyzing the effects of both components of gender-related aid, we find that SGRA consistently impacts gender inequality. However, the effectiveness of PGRA becomes less clear-cut. This observation, coupled with the variation in the effectiveness of the components across countries, underscores the importance of developing strategies tailored to country-specific needs and conditions in promoting gender parity effectively.

Who plans for women? Representation of power in planning for climate change adaptation in Bangladesh

Gender considerations have been part of climate change adaptation planning in the Global South for the last two decades. Despite this, studies have reported a gap in understanding how organisations incorporate people's diverse experiences of climate risks into planning and implementing adaptation strategies, particularly for women disproportionately impacted by climate risks. Taking the case of Bangladesh, this study contributes to this knowledge gap by exploring the representation of power in organisational decision‐making arenas concerning adaptation planning. The investigation involved an analysis of five major national adaptation guidelines and 22 projects conducted in Bangladesh, in addition to in‐depth interviews with 36 development practitioners. This article argues that adaptation planning is a top‐down organisational process in Bangladesh. Decisions are undertaken in ‘inner circles’ involving experts, bureaucrats and top officials of major national NGOs and often fail to include the voices of diverse social groups affected by intersecting inequalities, including ethnicity, disability, religion, locality and, in particular, gender. The study elaborates on the need for a major change to planning and decision‐making processes to achieve adaptation planning and strategies that effectively reflect women's diversified and localised realities and allow them to respond to climate risks adequately.

Theory of change for addressing sex and gender bias, invisibility and exclusion in Australian health and medical research, policy and practice

Sex and gender are inadequately considered in health and medical research, policy and practice, leading to preventable disparities in health and wellbeing. Several global institutions, journals, and funding bodies have developed policies and guidelines to improve the inclusion of diverse participants and consideration of sex and gender in research design and reporting and the delivery of clinical care. However, according to recent evaluations, these policies have had limited impact on the inclusion of diverse research participants, adequate reporting of sex and gender data and reducing preventable inequities in access to, and quality provision of, healthcare. In Australia, the Sex and Gender Policies in Medical Research (SGPMR) project aims to address sex and gender bias in health and medical research by (i) examining how sex and gender are currently considered in Australian research policy and practice; (ii) working with stakeholders to develop policy interventions; and (iii) understanding the wider impacts, including economic, of improved sex and gender consideration in Australian health and medical research. In this paper we describe the development of a theory of change (ToC) for the SGPMR project. The ToC evolved from a two-stage process consisting of key stakeholder interviews and a consultation event. The ToC aims to identify the pathways to impact from improved consideration of sex and gender in health and medical research, policy and practice, and highlight how key activities and policy levers can lead to improvements in clinical practice and health outcomes. In describing the development of the ToC, we present an entirely novel framework for outlining how sex and gender can be appropriately considered within the confines of health and medical research, policy and practice.

Psychological Impacts of Natural Disaster

The Canadian Red Cross approved funding for the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta through its Alberta Wildfires 2016 Community Organization Partnership Program. Funding was used to directly resource psychological trauma assessment and treatment until June 2020. Outcome-informed practices were employed to empirically validate treatment employing the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS). Sixteen approved psychologists provided trauma-informed services to 349 clients over 3 years, with the ORS being completed at five-session intervals. Results indicated very low levels of functioning and well-being at intake. For adults, overall average functioning and well-being increased over the treatment period. By the 5th, 10th, and 15th sessions, there was an average reported increase in perceived well-being of 65%, 57%, and 100%, respectively. Treatment made a significant difference for clients. The resulting five primary recommendations are 1) to provide timely access to qualified assessment and treatment, 2) to conduct trauma-informed screening of referrals, 3) to identify and provide additional resources for vulnerable populations, 4) to tailor services to gender considerations, and 5) to take steps to reduce barriers to accessing assessment and treatment.

She Shores

Abstract This study delves into the lives of women from the Koli fishing community in Mumbai, aiming to illuminate their unique life experiences and the daily struggles that often remain hidden beneath their prosperous facade. It endeavours to examine their agency and adaptive strategies employed to navigate these challenges. The research was conducted in Pachubandar, Vasai, located in the western suburbs of Mumbai, which stands as one of the prominent Koli settlements in the city. Employing a qualitative research approach coupled with an exploratory research design, the study engaged ten participants, comprising seven Koli women and three key informants from the community. Additionally, an observational analysis of four retail and wholesale fish markets in Mumbai was conducted to gain insight into the working conditions of Koli fisherwomen. This study adopts a gender-focused perspective to scrutinise the contextual vulnerabilities that shape the lives of Koli women. It underscores the paradox wherein, despite playing a pivotal role in sustaining both their families and the traditional fishing occupation, their contributions often go unnoticed. The Koli women face severe deprivation due to their limited access to property and decision-making authority. They find themselves entangled within traditional norms and patriarchal structures, which impede their access to essential assets and diverse livelihood resources. Although they significantly contribute to the fishery sector, their struggles, needs, and aspirations are frequently disregarded due to their lack of representation and involvement in decision-making bodies. The majority of these women work under precarious conditions, devoid of proper infrastructure, resources, and security. Furthermore, the evolving dynamics within the fishery sector, driven by rapid urbanisation and modernisation, have a profound impact on the lives and traditional livelihoods of Koli women. They now confront issues such as dwindling fish catches due to environmental degradation, heightened market competition, reduced livelihood spaces brought about by shifting urban and coastal landscapes, altered labour relations, and technological advancements. Consequently, they find themselves caught between the conflicting forces of tradition and modernity. The research also sheds light on the strategies devised by Koli women to resist and adapt to the uncertainties and challenges they encounter, ultimately safeguarding their livelihoods through self-organisation. The study emphasises the imperative to acknowledge their contributions as ‘visible work’ and advocates for the incorporation of gender considerations when formulating policies and development strategies within the fisheries sector.

Income change and sympathy for right-wing populist parties in the Netherlands: The role of gender and income inequality within households.

The global rise of right-wing populist [RWP] parties presents a major political concern. RWP parties' voters tend to be citizens who have either experienced or fear economic deprivation. Income change constitutes a viable measure of this deprivation. However, previous contributions examining effects of income change on support for RWP parties have yielded diverging conclusions. This paper challenges previous findings by incorporating considerations of gender and within-household inequality. We hypothesise a negative relationship between, on the one hand, personal and household income change and, on the other hand, sympathy towards RWP parties. Furthermore, we expect to find a stronger association between personal income change and RWP sympathy among men. Moreover, we expect the relationship between household income change and RWP sympathy to differ between genders. Finally, we hypothesise that this gender disparity can be interpreted by considering who contributes most to the household income. All these hypotheses are grounded in gender socialisation and economic dominance theories. Analysing Dutch LISS longitudinal data spanning from 2007 to 2021 (N=7,801, n=43,954) through fixed-effects multilevel linear regression models enables us to address various competing explanations. It appears that only for men, personal income change is negatively linked with sympathies towards RWP parties. However, considering who is the highest earner within households reveals that women are also affected by their personal income change if they earn the highest income. For both men and women, household income change is negatively linked with sympathies towards RWP parties. These results lend partial support to both the socialisation and economic dominance theories. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Quantitative transport mapping of multi-delay arterial spin labeling MRI detects early blood perfusion alterations in Alzheimer’s disease

BackgroundQuantitative transport mapping (QTM) of blood velocity, based on the transport equation has been demonstrated higher accuracy and sensitivity of perfusion quantification than the traditional Kety’s method-based cerebral blood flow (CBF). This study aimed to investigate the associations between QTM velocity and cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using multiple post-labeling delay arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI.MethodsA total of 128 subjects (21 normal controls (NC), 80 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 27 AD) were recruited prospectively. All participants underwent MRI examination and neuropsychological evaluation. QTM velocity and traditional CBF maps were computed from multiple delay ASL. Regional quantitative perfusion measurements were performed and compared to study group differences. We tested the hypothesis that cognition declines with reduced cerebral blood perfusion with consideration of age and gender effects.ResultsIn cortical gray matter (GM) and the hippocampus, QTM velocity and CBF showed decreased values in the AD group compared to NC and MCI groups; QTM velocity, but not CBF, showed a significant difference between MCI and NC groups. QTM velocity and CBF showed values decreasing with age; QTM velocity, but not CBF, showed a significant gender difference between male and female. QTM velocity and CBF in the hippocampus were positively correlated with cognition, including global cognition, memory, executive function, and language function.ConclusionThis study demonstrated an increased sensitivity of QTM velocity as compared with the traditional Kety’s method-based CBF. Specifically, we observed only in QTM velocity, reduced perfusion velocity in GM and the hippocampus in MCI compared with NC. Both QTM velocity and CBF demonstrated a reduction in AD vs. controls. Decreased QTM velocity and CBF in the hippocampus were correlated with poor cognitive measures. These findings suggest QTM velocity as potential biomarker for early AD blood perfusion alterations and it could provide an avenue for early intervention of AD.