Gender-based Approach Research Articles

Assessing the Effect of Drivers’ Gender on Their Intention to Use Fully Automated Vehicles

Although fully automated vehicles (SAE level 5) are expected to acquire a major relevance for transportation dynamics by the next few years, the number of studies addressing their perceived benefits from the perspective of human factors remains substantially limited. This study aimed, firstly, to assess the relationships among drivers’ demographic factors, their assessment of five key features of automated vehicles (i.e., increased connectivity, reduced driving demands, fuel and trip-related efficiency, and safety improvements), and their intention to use them, and secondly, to test the predictive role of the feature’ valuations over usage intention, focusing on gender as a key differentiating factor. For this cross-sectional research, the data gathered from a sample of 856 licensed drivers (49.4% females, 50.6% males; M = 40.05 years), responding to an electronic survey, was analyzed. Demographic, driving-related data, and attitudinal factors were comparatively analyzed through robust tests and a bias-corrected Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling (MGSEM) approach. Findings from this work suggest that drivers’ assessment of these AV features keep a significant set of multivariate relationships to their usage intention in the future. Additionally, and even though there are some few structural similarities, drivers’ intention to use an AV can be differentially explained according to their gender. So far, this research constitutes a first approximation to the intention of using AVs from a MGSEM gender-based approach, being these results of potential interest for researchers and practitioners from different fields, including automotive design, transport planning and road safety.

Providing reproductive health information to rural women: The potentials of public libraries.

Access to reproductive health information is an integral part of the sustainable development goal3 of good health and well-being. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a gender-based approach to public health that should holistically address the physical, mental and emotional well-being of women. However, women in urban areas seem to be benefiting more from various laudable reproductive health programmes than those in rural areas. This scenario negates the concept of sexual and reproductive health and rights, which have fundamental bearing for sound economic development and poverty alleviation. It is against this background that this paper examined the provision of reproductive health information to rural women in Nigeria. It identified the reproductive health information needs of rural women, including information on fertility, management of unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, prenatal and postnatal care. It further discussed the problems hindering rural women from accessing reproductive health information. To alleviate these problems, the paper discussed various roles public libraries can play in helping rural women gain access to reproductive health information. It recommended adequate funding, community engagements, and collaboration with relevant agencies for public libraries to take their place in the dissemination of reproductive health information to rural women.

Gendering Neighbourhood Marginalization Metrics in Mental Health Services Research: A Cross-Sectional Exploration of a Rural and Small Urban Population.

Background: Little is known about the extent to which socioenvironmental characteristics may influence mental health outcomes in smaller population centres or differently among women and men. This study used a gender-based analysis approach to explore individual- and neighbourhood-level sex differences in mental health service use in a context of uniquely smaller urban and rural settlements. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis leveraged multiple person-based administrative health datasets linked with geospatial datasets among the population aged 1 and over in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. We used multinomial logistic regression to examine associations between neighbourhood characteristics with risk of service contacts for mood and anxiety disorders in 2015/2016, characterizing the areal measures among all residents (gender neutral) and by males and females separately (gender specific), and controlling for age group. Results: Among the province’s 707,575 eligible residents, 10.7% (females: 14.0%; males: 7.3%) used mental health services in the year of observation. In models adjusted for gender-neutral neighbourhood characteristics, service contacts were significantly more likely among persons residing in the most materially deprived areas compared with the least (OR = 1.09 [95% CI: 1.05–1.12]); when stratified by individuals’ sex, the risk pattern held for females (OR = 1.13 [95% CI: 1.09–1.17]) but not males (OR = 1.00 [95% CI: 0.96–1.05]). Residence in the most female-specific materially deprived neighbourhoods was independently associated with higher risk of mental health service use among individual females (OR = 1.08 [95% CI: 1.02–1.14]) but not among males (OR = 1.02 [95% CI: 0.95–1.10]). Conclusion: These findings emphasize that research needs to better integrate sex and gender in contextual measures aiming to inform community interventions and neighbourhood designs, notably in small urban and rural settings, to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in the burden of mental disorders.

Is Gender-Based Approach Applicable to the Development of Medical Students’ Emotional Intelligence and Empathic Abilities as Key Professional Competences for an Aspiring Physician?

Is Gender-Based Approach Applicable to the Development of Medical Students’ Emotional Intelligence and Empathic Abilities as Key Professional Competences for an Aspiring Physician?

Navigating gender in elite bargains: Women's movements and the quest for inclusive peace in Colombia

AbstractA growing body of scholarship connects the participation of women and the inclusion of gender provisions to the sustainability of peace settlements. But how do women's groups navigate gender power structures and gendered forms of violence within complex and fragile political bargaining processes aimed at ending large-scale conflict? The 2016 Colombian peace agreement, internationally applauded for its inclusion of strong gender provisions and women's participation as negotiators and peace advocates, is a significant case for examining these questions. Drawing on original case material, including interviews of key actors on different sides of the conflict – this article analyses the political bargaining dynamics within and among women's movements, the Santos government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC). We argue that the inclusion of women was pivotal in transforming the elite bargaining process and power structures of Colombian society enabling a gender-based approach to the substantive peace agenda addressing transitional gender justice for sexual violence survivors and gender-equal redistribution through land and rural reform programmes. The study suggests that deeply situated political bargaining analysis is essential to navigating gender in elite bargains rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to inclusive peace.

Gender Differences in Prevalence and Risk Factors for Hypertension among Adult Populations: A Cross-Sectional Study in Indonesia.

Although hypertension is among the main public health concerns in Indonesia, due to the scarcity of data, few studies have investigated the factors associated with hypertension in men and women. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of and factors associated with hypertension among adult men and women in Indonesia. The 2018 Survey of the Sleman Health Demographic and Surveillance System was utilized, consisting of 4328 individuals aged 18+ years. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the sociodemographic and health behavior factors of hypertension. Overall, the prevalence of hypertension was 40% (42% in men and 38% in women). Age, abdominal obesity and chronic non-communicable diseases were the common predictors of hypertension in men and women (p < 0.05). The odds ratio of hypertension among men with low education was lower than among those with high education (OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.29–0.94). For women, being in the poorest socioeconomic condition increased the risk of hypertension by 1.67 times compared to the richest (95% CI: 1.21–2.32). Gender differences in the prevalence of and factors associated with hypertension were observed among adult populations in Sleman District, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Therefore, a gender-based approach in the health prevention strategy to control hypertension for men and women is needed.

Exploring antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions among females in an emerging economy

PurposeThis paper aims at identifying the antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions among females in India using the theory of planned behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on the Adult Population Survey (APS) of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), which has covered 1,683 female respondents from India. The data has been analysed using simple techniques such as chi-square statistics and logistics regression. The antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions have been identified using the theory of planned behaviour.FindingsAbout 20% of the adult females have reported intention for starting an entrepreneurial venture in the country. A significant relationship emerged between the demographics of females with and without intention towards entrepreneurship. The results showed that there is a positive and significant effect of attitudes towards the behaviour, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control to the entrepreneurial intentions among females.Practical implicationsThis paper provides insights on factors affecting entrepreneurial intention among females and helps in developing a policy framework for promoting new ventures among female entrepreneurs. This also explores the possibility of future research on entrepreneurial intention in the Indian context.Originality/valueConsidering the current focus of the government in India for promoting new ventures, this piece of research can be valuable for different stakeholders in adopting a gender-based approach in implementing inclusive entrepreneurial initiatives.

Different Responses to Stress, Health Practices, and Self-Care during COVID-19 Lockdown: A Stratified Analysis.

The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to analyze the differential impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown (3 April 2020) on stress, health practices, and self-care activities across different Hispanic countries, age range, and gender groups. One thousand and eighty-two participants from Spain, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador took part in this study. Irrespective of the country, and controlling for income level, young people, especially females, suffered a greater level of stress, perceived the situation as more severe, showed less adherence to health guidelines, and reported lower levels of health consciousness, in comparison to their male peers and older groups. However, in the case of self-care, it seems that older and female groups are generally more involved in self-care activities and adopt more healthy daily routines. These results are mostly similar between Colombia, Ecuador, and Spain. However, Chile showed some different tendencies, as males reported higher levels of healthy daily routines and better adherence to health guidelines compared to females and people over the age of 60. Differences between countries, genders, and age ranges should be considered in order to improve health recommendations and adherence to guidelines. Moreover, developing community action and intersectoral strategies with a gender-based approach could help to reduce health inequalities and increase the success of people’s adherence to health guidelines and self-care-promoting interventions. Future studies should be addressed to explore the possible causations of such differences in more cultural-distant samples and at later stages of the current outbreak.

The Women Want The Fall of The (Gendered)Regime

The post-2011 breakdown of state media authority in Syria exposed a multilayered terrain of competing counter-discourses, in which citizen journalists were positioned as narrators of events on the ground. Conceptualized in this paper as Emerging Syrian Media (ESM), the rapid pluralization of Syria’s media landscape has irrevocably transformed how citizens engage with the discourse disseminated by the al-Assad regime. However, this phenomenon has not been examined through a gender-based approach. Employing a feminist post-structuralist perspective and utilizing subaltern counterpublic theory, this paper examines whether the opening up of a virtual space has enabled the creation of an online feminist counterpublic, through which Syrian women are able to challenge the dominant representations of gender within the Syrian state feminism discourse. A Critical Discourse Analysis of texts produced by two state-affiliated media outlets reveals the intrinsically patriarchal nature of Syrian state feminism, while a narrative analysis of seven interviews with women participating in Emerging Syrian Media explores the ways in which such a discourse is being challenged. Through their performance of ‘active narrator’ identities, production of anti-regime discourses, and participation in women’s discussion groups, all seven women expressed an ability to counter the gender discourse of the regime. The occurrence of such challenges within confined spheres of activity results in the theorizing of a specifically ‘inward-oriented’ online feminist counterpublic within the ESM online space, whereby alternative discourses on gender can be both established and enacted.

The problems of violence against women in international law

The problems of violence against women and domestic violence were reflected in Goal No. 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which calls for gender equality and empowerment of women and girls while addressing such challenges as elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls; eradication of violence against women and girls in the public and private sphere, including human trafficking, sexual and other forms of exploitation; liquidation of all harmful practices, in particular forced marriages and female genital mutilation. In this article, the authors examine existing conventional and doctrinal definitions and qualifications of the terms “violence against women” and “domestic violence” in international law, explore international legal aspects of prevention and combatting violence against women and domestic violence, conduct a comprehensive analysis of a conceptual framework related to these offences, and present basic approaches to the concept of domestic violence. The authors also examine the link between two core international universal and regional legal acts in this field — Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence. The authors derive a new understanding of the due diligence principle (a well-known principle/standard in international law) with regard to violence against women and domestic violence issues, clarify its key components while codifying states’ main obligations in this sphere. In conclusion, the authors deduce that the questions of elimination of discrimination against women and eradication of violence against women can only be considered collectively, confirming the validity of the theory of a genderbased approach to the issue, which is adhered to by international human rights bodies.

Gender-based approach on the social impact and mental health in Spain during COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveLockdown has impacts on people’s living conditions and mental health. The study aims to assess the relations between social impact and mental health among adults living in Spain during COVID-19...

The impact of sex and gender on heart-brain axis dysfunction: current concepts and novel perspectives.

The heart-brain axis (HBA) recapitulates all the circuits that regulate bidirectional flow of communication between heart and brain. Several mechanisms may underlie the interdependent relationship involving heterogeneous tissues at rest and during specific target organ injury such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmia, stroke, mood disorders, or dementia. In-depth translational studies of the HBA dysfunction under single-organ injury should include both male and female animals to develop sex- and gender-oriented prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies. Indeed, sex and gender are determining factors as females and males exhibit significant differences in terms of susceptibility to risk factors, age of onset, severity of symptoms, and outcome. Despite most studies having focused on the male population, we have conducted a careful appraisal of the literature investigating HBA in females. In particular, we have (i) analyzed sex-related heart and brain illnesses, (ii) recapitulated the most significant studies simultaneously conducted on cardio- and cerebro-vascular systems in female populations, and (iii) hypothesized future perspectives for the development of a gender-based approach to HBA dysfunction. Although sex- and gender-oriented research is at its infancy, the impact of sex on HBA dysfunction is opening unexpected new avenues for managing the health of female subjects exposed to risk of lifestyle multi-organ disease.

COVID-19: a gendered disease? Possible interpretations and knowledge limitations

Several important gender differences in susceptibility, clinical manifestation and response to treatments for a number of diseases are known since a long time, although they continue to be underestimated by a multiplicity of operators, especially men. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has provided a further evidence of the importance of gender medicine. The epidemiological analysis of COVID-19 data has highlighted the presence of multiple and important gender differences, with more unfavourable scenarios for the male gender. The mechanisms underlying these gender differences are varied (including socio-behavioral, immune and viral factors) and not yet fully clarified. A gender-based approach to clinical practice also in the context of this pandemic seems to be mandatory, as it could significantly contribute to health promotion by improving the effectiveness of diagnostic and/or therapeutic approaches and, therefore, leading to important benefits primarily for the patients but also for the sustainability of the National Health System.

A cultural and gender-based approach to understanding patient adjustment to chronic heart failure

BackgroundPersons identifying as Black, Chinese, or South Asian make up the largest minority groups in Canada. Individuals with chronic heart failure (CHF) from these groups experience a greater rate of re-hospitalization and poorer quality of life. Although experts agree that culture can shape the experience of CHF, little is known about how patients from these minority populations define a good quality of life with CHF and what barriers they experience when carrying out self-care behaviours. The aim of this qualitative study was to examine cultural and gender-based influences on quality of life in patients with CHF.MethodsPurposive sampling included 30 patients (67% male), 18 to 75 years of age, who self-identified as Black (n = 8), Chinese (n = 9), or South Asian (n = 6). Caucasians (n = 7) were included as a comparison group. Semi-structured interviews (see the online appendix), lasting approximately 60 min, were conducted, which focused on personal understanding of CHF and living with the disease, including impact on lifestyle and quality of life. An inductive qualitative approach with thematic content analysis was used to develop key insights into individual experience of CHF, as well as cultural and gender-based influences on self-care and quality of life. Descriptive statistics were generated from questionnaire responses.ResultsFive key themes emerged from the narrative analysis of participant interviews: (i) CHF as an emergent reality, (ii) quality of life and disruption of lifecourse milestones, (iii) the challenge to accept CHF and re-evaluation of quality of life; (iv) impact on social activities essential to quality of life, and (v) life with CHF as a commitment to culturally tailored self-care. Participants described the unique impact of CHF on their quality of life, including life trajectory milestones such as dating, parenting, and retirement planning, as well as the importance of accepting their diagnosis, and the reframing goals for living well with heart failure. Positive and negative impacts on social relationships were noted, including sexual intimacy and interactions with spouses, other family members, and co-workers.ConclusionsStudy findings highlight important lifespan, cultural, and gender considerations that can inform the improvement of patient care and quality of life for patients and their families.

ГЕНДЕРНЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ ПРИРОДОПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ

This analytical article examines the issues of natural resources use and conservation of the biological diversity through the prism of a gender-based approach. In particular, the author touches upon the issues of equal access by both men and women to the management, use and protection of natural resources and biological diversity. Examples are given from different regions of the world in various sectors of environmental and economic activities. Recommendations are provided for improving the equitable use of natural resources.

A proposed gender-based approach for diagnosis of the coronary artery disease

The in-time and correct diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) assists cardiologists to take the right decisions. The patient’s gender affects the diagnosis, treatment process, and recovery program. The patient’s gender affects the structure and performance of the CAD diagnosis system. This paper studies the patient’s gender effects on the CAD diagnosis model structure and performance. The work in the paper built two separate and individual models: male and female. The feature set of each model was selected using the features ranking voting (FRV) Algorithm. The memberships of the selected features for each model were computed using the probabilistic clustering technique. We built 38 different classifiers for each model to select the best one with high performance and a simple structure. The results of each selected diagnosis model of each gender were analyzed and compared with related works. The comparison shows that the proposed approach outperforms current models and with a simple structure. The accuracy of the male diagnosis model was 95%, with a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 100%. The accuracy of the female diagnosis model was 96%, with a sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 96%. The high-performance results prove the success of the proposed gender-based approach for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

Gender-based vulnerability in women who inject drugs in a harm reduction setting.

Background and aimsIn comparison with men, women who use drugs (WWUD) have considerably more frequent and intense experiences with interpersonal violence, sexual abuse and trauma. The aim of this study was to identify issues related to gender-based vulnerability in a group of WWUD attended in a harm reduction facility in Madrid, Spain.Material and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted during a screening of blood borne infections. We included WWUD (smoked or injected heroin/cocaine) who were actively screened for HIV, HBV and HCV in a harm reduction setting in Madrid (Spain) from January to December 2017. WWUD were interviewed for gender-based abuse or violence using a face-to-face questionnaire by a trained interviewer. Aspects related to their social-epidemiological condition and gender-based vulnerability were collected.ResultsWe included 109 women who were actively using drugs. The median age was 39 (IQR 35–47) years, 84.4% were Spanish born, 22.9% were homeless, 43 (41.7%) had ever used injected drugs, 29 (26.6%) were currently using injected drugs, and 27.1% had mental health disorders. Aspects related to gender-based vulnerability were collected. Among those surveyed, they reported having ever suffered emotional or psychological damage (88%), having experienced at least one incident of serious physical injury by a male partner (71%), and having ever suffered sexual abuse (49%). In addition, 28% had ever exchanged sex for money/drugs. When compared to women that did not use injecting drugs, those who injected drugs had more frequently exchanged sex for money/drugs (55% vs 21%, p = 0.003).ConclusionsA high proportion of WWUD suffer psychological or physical violence by partners denoting gender-based vulnerability. Interventions in harm reduction settings with a multidisciplinary and gender-based approach should be implemented.

Norms and gender in simultaneous interpreting: a study of connective markers

This paper focuses on a possible gender-based approach towards norms in simultaneous interpreting by analysing the use of connective markers by male and female interpreters to reveal patterns of interpreters’ handling of translational norms. Drawing on the 2008 subcorpus of EPICG with French source texts and their English and Dutch interpretations, the present study checks whether male and female interpreters translate, omit or add connective markers in the same way. The results are then tested against other parameters which might have an influence such as language, speech delivery rate or the gender of the speaker. It appears that the interpreter’s gender does not affect the use of connective markers. As for the other parameters under study, it seems that only speech delivery rate significantly impacts the interpreters’ performances, especially when it comes to the omission of connective markers.

Design of The Learning Environment Considering the Gender Characteristics of Students

In this study, the motivation and cognitive characteristics of students in the implementation of a gender-based approach to teaching and their consideration in the educational process of boys and girls are presented. The purpose of the study is to verify empirically the effectiveness of the design of the learning environment considering the gender characteristics of students by analyzing the cognitive characteristics of children studying in different types of classes. In the study, the following methods were used: “Amthauer Intelligence Structure Test” adapted by L. A. Yasyukova , “Test for assessing the formation of reading skills”, “Test for assessing the independence of thinking”, test “Determining the level of school motivation and emotional attitude to learning (Spilberg-Andreeva)”, as well as observation, comparison and assessment. It is shown that children studying in same-sex classes show a higher motivation for learning; their cognitive abilities manifest themselves differently than in mixed classes.

Peer victimization, depression, and sexual risk behaviors among high school youth in the United States: a gender-based approach.

Little research has examined how different types of peer victimization (i.e. school bullying, cyber-bullying, and physical and sexual dating violence) predict sexual risk behaviors and how depression may mediate the relationship of such behaviors with types of peer victimization. Few works have investigated gender differences in these direct and indirect associations as well. This study, therefore, examined gender differences in the direct and indirect associations among four types of peer victimization, depression, and sexual risk behaviors in United States (US) high school students. Data were drawn from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior System Survey, collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A multigroup path analysis was conducted using a national sample of high school students who reported having ever engaged in sexual intercourse (n = 5,288). All the peer victimization variables positively predicted depressive symptoms for both females and males. The direct effects of physical and sexual dating violence were associated with increased sexual risk behaviors for females and males. However, school-bullying victimization did not significantly predict sexual risk behaviors for either gender. Cyber-bullying victimization significantly predicted increased sexual risk behaviors for males only. Among indirect effects, depression positively mediated the relationship between cyber-bullying victimization and sexual risk behaviors for males only. Our findings suggest that male adolescents who are victimized may actually be at higher risk of negative outcomes compared to their female adolescent peers. This study highlights the need to pay attention to male victims who may be ashamed to self-identify and difficult to detect in cyber-bullying.