Gender Equality Policies Research Articles

Economic Frustration and Resistance to Gender Equality among Young Korean Men

Prejudice and negative attitudes toward stronger gender-equality policies are often associated with personal traits such as sexism. An alternate perspective focuses on intergroup threats in resource-scarce situations, highlighting economic frustration. Centered on South Korea, this study examines the connection between deepening pessimistic economic perceptions among young men and their opposition to gender equality, based on intergroup threat theory. Analyzing data from the 2019 Unification Survey, we find that young Korean men expressed less support for gender-equality policies than other segments of the population. And among Korean men in their twenties, a pessimistic view of their economic status correlated with weaker endorsement of gender-equality policies. In contrast, we saw no significant link in this group between sexist attitudes and resistance to gender-equality policies.

Certainty of implementation of assessor’s office mandates: The case of Jolo Municipal Government

Philippine local governments (LGUs) rely on real property tax (RPT), however its implementation varies. This study evaluates Jolo, Sulu's real property tax system as perceived by municipal government personnel. Purposive sampling yielded 100 employee-respondent survey responses. Study findings: Jolo Municipal Government employee-respondents illustrate a gender gap. Employee-respondents have a positive perception of the Assessor's Office and its mandates, rating it agree in all three areas: Timeliness of Property Assessment, Accuracy of Property Valuation, and Customer Satisfaction. However, the study also shows that the length of service affects employee-respondents' perception of the Assessor's Office depending on their work experience, specifically those with under 10 years of service and those with 21-30 years, or vice versa; and the analysis of correlations among sub-categories under the extent of office mandate implementation shows significant correlation between office performance aspects. There are strong positive relationships between property assessment timeliness, valuation correctness, and client satisfaction. This study advises: Jolo Municipal Government may a gender study of its workforce and implement local government gender equality and diversity policy. Jolo Municipal Government may offer training, mentoring, or scholarships to employees with higher education or longer service to improve their skills and abilities. The Jolo Municipal Government may regularly survey and consult property owners and other stakeholders to improve assessment services and processes. Mixed methods study may examine how the Assessor's Office requirements affect the Jolo Municipal Government's economic, social, and environmental consequences from property owners and other stakeholders.

Effectiveness of Gender Equality Policies in G20 Parliaments: A Fuzzy Logic Analysis

The institutional theory draws attention to the possibility of decoupling. Decoupling refers to complying with external pressures, organizations can maintain their internal practices without changing them. There is a relative increase in the number of women in parliament in almost all G20 countries on an annual basis. However even though the ratio of women's seats in the national parliament has increased relatively in some countries, our knowledge is limited whether gender equality policies are effectively implemented. Based on the observation about the relative increase in the women seats in the G20 national parliaments, the current study examines whether there is decoupling. The study adopts the quantitative data collection method and analyses the fuzzy logic method. The findings of the study reveal that decoupling may exist in G20 countries even where the human development index is high.

Feminist democratic innovations in policy and politics

This article examines the potential of feminist democratic innovations in policy and institutional politics. It examines how feminist democratic innovations can be conceptualised and articulated in local institutions. Combining theories on democratic governance, feminist democracy, social movements, municipalism, decentralisation, gender equality policies and state feminism, it conceptualises feminist democratic innovations in policy and politics as innovations oriented at (a) transforming knowledge, (b) transforming policymaking and public funding, (c) transforming institutions, and (d) transforming actors’ coalitions. Through analysis of municipal plans and interviews with key actors, the article examines feminist democratic innovations in the policy and politics of Barcelona’s local government from 2015 to 2023. Emerging from the mobilisation of progressive social movements after the 2008 economic crisis, the findings uncover a laboratory of feminist municipal politics, following the election of a new government and self-proclaimed feminist mayor. Critical actors and an enabling political context play a pivotal role in the adoption of this feminist institutional politics. The article concludes by arguing that feminist institutional politics at the local level contribute to democratising policy and politics in innovative ways, in particular encouraging inclusive intersectionality and participatory discourses and practices.

Gender Inequalities in Academia: Multiple Approaches to Closing the Gap

This special issue aims to contribute to the debate on gender inequalities in academia and the gender equality policies that address them. In this introduction we offer an overview of the debate and of the main research issues and theoretical perspectives, showing how a multiplicity of approaches are needed for both understanding and transforming higher education institutions. Macro, meso and micro level approaches illuminate the gendered individual, cultural and institutional factors that constrain and enable academic life, with special attention paid to how the neoliberal turn, and its organizational consequences, exacerbates gender inequalities. Women, gender, care, and intersectionality approaches allow scholars to focus on the different gendered or intersectional relationships within academia. Policy-oriented approaches allow us to analyse and assess progress in institutional efforts to close the gap on gender inequalities in academia. Actor-centred studies expose the power struggles between actors that oppose or promote gender equality policies in academia.

Can failure be useful in policymaking? The case of EU equal pay policy

Although equal pay for equal work between women and men is a founding principle of the European Union, enshrined in the Treaties since 1957, the gender pay gap stands at 12.7 per cent in 2021 and has only changed minimally for two decades. This article explores a policymaking paradox: the EU equal pay policy seems unaffected by failure, on the contrary, failure seems to contribute to the legitimisation of the policy. The article asks how and why a policy implementation failure framing has been developed in the field of EU equal pay promotion? What is the political function of this framing and what is its impact on the EU policymaking process? Over the years, the EU equal pay policy has been associated with a repeated experience of implementation failure. This failure framing has been particularly present in the debates over the implementation of the 2006 Recast Directive, especially since this frame has been impelled by the quantitative and symbolic strength of the gender pay gap’s percentage. The article shows that this framing performed important functions. From a policymaking perspective, the implementation failure framing allowed the gender equality policy community to keep the issue firmly on the EU agenda and to ride out the dismantling storm. The article also shows that the analytical definition of what constitutes a policy failure should be more nuanced. To conclude, the article asks if this type of failure framing can continue to produce results in an increasingly polarised context such as that of gender equality.

Digitalisation, Growth Vision and Gender Equality Practices in the Machines and Equipment Sector – Does Gender Matter?

This paper explores the nuanced relationship between gender diversity in senior management and key aspects of organizational dynamics in the machines and equipment sector in the Republic of Serbia. The aim is to uncover differences in digitalization, growth strategies and gender equality measures between companies led by women and men. Employing field research methods, specifically utilizing Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing, the results show that companies led by women have a higher propensity to adopt information and communication technologies, a more optimistic view of their future development over the next five years, greater gender diversity among employees and more robust implementation of gender equality policies compared to companies led exclusively by men. The research findings highlight the significant impact of gender diversity in leadership on business outcomes and show that women-led companies are proactively embracing digitalization, promoting growth optimism and implementing gender equality initiatives. These findings offer valuable insights for business leaders, policymakers and researchers working on initiatives to promote diversity, equality, and technological progress.

Problematic issues of gender equality in the European Union: administrative and legal aspect

The article is devoted to gender equality, one of the most relevant topics today, not only in Ukraine, but also in the European Union. Strategic planning of gender policy is an important aspect in achieving the values of equality between women and men. Building a quality strategy requires experience and expert work, in particular, data collection and processing, setting priorities and evaluating the effectiveness of already developed strategies.
 The aim of the work is a thorough study of gender equality policy in Ukraine and EU countries in law enforcement agencies.
 The methodological basis of the study. In the process of working on the scientific article, such scientific methods as the terminological, systemic-structural, formal-logical, comparative-legal method were used.
 Results. The European Union, in particular, the Commission on Gender Equality and Monitoring its Progress, already has some experience in strategic planning to achieve the goals of gender equality, which is implemented in all spheres of life. A review and analysis of this experience can help Ukraine improve approaches and practices for developing strategies in this area.
 In Ukraine, scientific research on gender aspects of state policy began in the 90s of the last century. The issue of gender equality should be central in the analysis, planning and adoption of political decisions, budgets, programs, and institutional structures.
 The article analyzes actions and trends in the field of gender equality in the EU and Ukraine with the aim of bringing the law enforcement sphere of Ukraine closer to European gender standards.
 Conclusions. It was determined that the observance of gender equality or parity democracy is a system of rights, freedoms and duties of a person and a citizen regulated by regulations and provided for by political and legal principles, ensuring the possibility of their equal implementation and observance in all spheres of state and public activity with the help of an appropriate implementation mechanism. Summarizing the European practice, new principles of gender policy are defined, which form the modern ideology of equality.

Entanglements of feminist activism and gender equality policy in the Spanish and Swedish film industries: between convergence and critique

ABSTRACT This article compares entanglements between activist demands and policy in the Spanish and Swedish film industries using a critical frames approach. Considering contextual factors such as domestic discourse on film policy and resistance against gender equality, the comparison is based on deep insider knowledge aiming to deepen the understanding of feminist activism and its relation to policy in the two countries. In both Spain and Sweden, activists have demanded equality in the film sector since the seventies. Today, both countries feature gender equality measures and vivid feminist organizations. Based on current equality policies, reports from the Swedish and Spanish Film Institutes, documents from feminist filmmakers’ associations and interviews with activists, the article shows that feminist activists oscillate between strategically converging their demands to policy and criticizing reforms. Furthermore, policy echoes activists’ arguments but are less informed by ideas about structural inequalities. Activists in both Spain and Sweden stand up for the gender equality measures which have been implemented, but the Spanish activists are more prone to simultaneously voice criticism against the reforms..

Much to be done in Japan’s family and gender equality policies

ABSTRACT Prime Minister Kishida’s ‘unprecedented’ measures to counter declining births in Japan include increasing youth incomes, extending childcare leave entitlement and employee social insurance entitlement to precarious workers, and targeting 50% of fathers to take childcare leave by 2025 by increasing the childcare allowance to 80% of salary. He also proposed reskilling opportunities, and mandating firms to disclose their gender wage gap and gender managerial gap. However, reform should also make fundamental changes to Japanese employment practices and the Employee Social Insurance Scheme which is based on a breadwinner-housewife model. Unless the government explicitly moves towards a worker-carer model, the gender wage gap will stay high, and hinder marriage and births, since double income is seen as a must among younger generation. Fundamental change should be in line with the new attitudes of young non-married males and females.

The Place of Women in the Armed Forces: Legislation and State Compliance with Gender Equality Policies

The purpose of this comparative study is to analyse the challenges and problems faced by women during military service based on the state of gender equality in different countries. The study analysed international law and international judicial practise, which are the driving forces behind making adjustments and changes to the legislation of different countries. The main research method was to compare the existing doctrinal approaches to the study of gender inequality in the armed forces of different countries, to display quantitative indicators of women’s military service in those countries, as well as to analyse and compare the nature of the challenges faced by women during their military service. The study also conducted a thorough analysis of the works of scholars in this area, which confirmed the existence of this problem of gender inequality in the armed forces. It was concluded that the authorised bodies of states should allocate significant resources and efforts to implement measures to ensure the rights of women in the armed forces.

Who receives most? Gendered consequences of divorce on public pension income in West Germany and Sweden

Abstract Sweden and West Germany have had persistently high divorce rates in recent decades, but these two welfare states were differently equipped to mitigate the economic consequences of divorce for individual security in old age: Sweden followed a gender-equal policy approach to enable women and men to achieve economic autonomy, while West Germany, following the male-breadwinner model, introduced the system of ‘divorce-splitting’ to account for differences in women's and men's income. Against this background, this study uses large-scale register data from the German Public Pension Fund and the Swedish population registers to examine how divorce is related to the monthly public old-age pension income of women and men. The main comparison groups are divorced and (re)married individuals who entered retirement between 2013 and 2018. We descriptively show annual income histories from ages 20 to 65, and calculate monthly public old-age pension income with respect to lifetime income and pension regulations, such as the supplements/deductions for ‘divorce-splitting’. Multiple ordinary least square regression models further examine how family status relates to monthly public old-age pension income by gender. The results reveal that women and men in Sweden experience similar working histories, although women's incomes are lower. This is also reflected in women still having lower pension incomes than men. However, divorced and married women show comparable pension incomes, while divorced men receive approximately 26 per cent less pension income than married men. In West Germany, divorced women have significantly higher pension incomes than married women. The system of ‘divorce-splitting’ increases women's and decreases men's pension incomes, which seems to equalise their pension incomes. However, both stay below a married man's pension income. The findings indicate economic inequality in public old-age pension income by family status in Sweden and West Germany.

Does Gender Kuznets Curve Exist in South Asian Countries? Role of Gender Equality and Economic Development

This study aims to determine the relationship between gender equality and economic growth in major South Asian countries. This study suggests checking the gender Kuznets curve or whether the data support a linear, quadratic, or cubic gender Kuznets curve for major South Asian countries. We used time series data and covered the period from 1980 to 2019. We applied the Ng-Perron unit root test to check for non-stationary time series data. After the integration order is established, the autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) model is used in three steps. The ARDL bound testing approach of covariance shows that Sri Lanka has an S-shaped Gender Cognition Curve (GKC), India has a Z-shaped GKC, Pakistan has an S-shape, and Bangladesh has an S-shape. is the -shaped GKC association. Periods of countries were considered. We also conclude that gender equality is not a direct result of development. Consequently, politicians with gender equality policies should subsidize women's employment in times of financial hardship.

Re-membering the dismembered in university 'politics of process': Strategies for women's empowerment and inclusivity in academic leadership

In response to the legacy of Apartheid, South Africa has implemented gender equality policies to address the marginalisation of women in higher education institutions. Despite this liberation movement, the politics of university systems have continually marginalised previously disadvantaged black people, especially women. This is evident in the statistics of black women in positions of authority and academic development in South Africa. Observations and literature confirm that social, cultural, and institutional practices, often called the "politics of process," remain significant obstacles to women's full inclusion in the university leadership system. Therefore, this study aims to deconstruct gender supremacy within university systems from the perspectives of experienced women. It adopts a decoloniality approach, viewed through a transformative lens, which seeks to transform the perceived organisationally "dismembered" women by "re-membering" them into the sphere of equal recognition in university politics. Participatory research (PR) was employed to design the study, involving five women from a public university in South Africa, selected using a convenient sampling method. Unstructured interviews were conducted to gather information from the participants. Thematic Analysis (TA) was applied to analyse the data. The study found that institutionally induced challenges, women as impediments to themselves, and patriarchy and societal issues are major barriers preventing women from attaining positions of authority. In contrast, institutional support, self-empowerment, and mentoring initiatives represent strategies to re-member the dismembered, forming the basis of the study's recommendations.

Power and culture: Understanding EU policies on agriculture and gender equality

AbstractIn this article, we examine how the European Union (EU) acts as an international organisation, developing policies to be implemented by national governments. We focus on agriculture and gender equality. We examine the relationship between the EU and Member States regarding the construction and delivery of policies. It is a complex process, with differential levels of power and other actors in the process, notably lobby groups. We examine how agricultural policies and gender equality policies are developed. We examine the 2014–2020 Rural Development Regulation and carried out research in four member states. Interviews were undertaken with people who have experience of implementing the Common Agricultural Policy measures at a national level. We find the power of key players to be very strong in the agricultural context and weak in the gender context. When the two fields are ‘married’, we find there is little scope or interest to advance gender equality measures in agricultural policy.

Adherence to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors–recommended gender equity policy in nursing journals listed in MEDLINE or PubMed Central: a descriptive study

Purpose: The evolving landscape of nursing research emphasizes inclusive representation. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) has established guidelines to ensure the fair representation of various demographic variables, including age, sex, and ethnicity. This study aimed to evaluate the adherence of nursing journals indexed in MEDLINE or PubMed Central to the ICMJE’s directives on gender equity, given that journals indexed in MEDLINE and PubMed Central typically adhere to the ICMJE’s guidelines.Methods: A descriptive literature review methodology was employed to analyze 160 nursing journals listed in two databases as of July 28, 2023. The website of each journal was searched, and the most recent original article from each was selected. These articles were then evaluated for their alignment with the ICMJE guidelines on gender equity. Descriptive statistics were applied to categorize and enumerate the cases.Results: Of the articles reviewed from 160 journals, 115 dealt with human populations. Of these, 93 required a description of gender equity. Within this subset, 83 articles distinguished between the genders of human subjects. Gender-based interpretations were provided in 15 articles, while another 68 did not offer an interpretation of differences by gender. Among the 10 articles that did not delineate gender, only two provided a rationale for this omission.Conclusion: Among recent articles published in the nursing journals indexed in MEDLINE and PubMed Central, only 16.1% presented clear gender analyses. These findings highlight the need for editors to strengthen their dedication to gender equity within their editorial policies.

Gender and policies on paid family care: Overview of debate and theoretical reflections

Objective: This article discusses the implications of systematically including policies on paid family care in the concept of care policy for older people for theorizing the relationship between such policies and gender inequality. Background: In theoretical debates about the relationship between gender and care policy, most welfare state researchers agree that policies that support extra-familial care promote women’s participation in formal, paid work and can thus reduce gender inequality. By contrast, the role of policies that offer pay and elements of social security for family care in promoting gender equality is up for debate. Method: This article addresses the aforementioned debates’ key arguments by discussing the relationship between gender equality and care policies that actively support family caregivers. The argument is contextualized with examples of empirical findings from the literature. Results: We argue that, to some degree and under specific conditions, new policies on paid family care have the potential to reduce gender inequality. Conclusion: The article contributes to theoretical debates about gender and care policy by evaluating the implications of systematically including policies on paid family care in the study of care policy. This inclusion could clarify the circumstances under which policy support for family caregivers can contribute to fostering gender equality.

Comparative Analysis of Legislation on Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy: Italy's position relate to international panorama.

The voluntary interruption of pregnancy (VIP) remains one of the most contentious issues worldwide, subject to different legal frameworks and cultural interpretations. Access to VIP is considered a fundamental right for women, recognized by international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and supported by the United Nations. It is estimated that 40-50 million abortions are performed each year, of which about 75% are in developing countries. IVG is legal in only 25 countries, while in the others, it is severely restricted or illegal, leading to an increase in risky and illegal practices. We consulted government and ministerial websites in European countries to gather data on current abortion laws. In addition, scientific articles and legislative documents compare regulations across some countries, especially from 2020 to today, analyzing differences, similarities and implications. Percentage data on the number of abortions in several European countries, including Italy, were analyzed. Our analysis revealed significant differences in abortion laws between European countries. In many countries, abortion is allowed at the request of the woman within a certain gestational age limit, which typically ranges between 10 and 24 weeks. However, in some countries, the restrictions are much stricter, with limitations making access to legal abortion very difficult or impossible. In conclu-sion, the Italian experience highlights the importance of considering local sociocultural dynamics in shaping IVG policies and highlights the need for an evidence-based approach to guarantee women right to reproductive health internationally, surrounding reproductive rights, gender equality, and public health policy.

Evidence-based policy-making in normatively divided policy fields: European Institute for Gender Equality, Agency for Fundamental Rights and Slovak policies tackling violence against women

In recent years, we have seen a shift towards soft law policy-making within EU gender equality policies, embracing a new rationale of evidence as a promising panacea for the ills of democratic deficit. This shift has been fostered by the establishment of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), which both promote tools of benchmarking, ranking and good-practice sharing. Focusing on the relative impact of Europeanisation, this case study sheds light on the various processes of negotiating and resisting these indicator-based tools of policy-making by national actors in the field of gender-based violence. Gender-based violence is a normatively divided policy field in which actors struggle for limited resources. By viewing the accounts of the respondents through the framework of usage of Europe, we discuss the practices the actors engage in when employing the work of FRA and EIGE at the national level.

The “boy problem” in public policy

AbstractThe article investigates how gender differences in school performance are conceptualized in recent Swedish and Norwegian public commission reports against the backdrop of an increasing public focus on “problem boys” and boys' underachievement in school as a policy challenge. We found substantive country differences, despite regime similarities and the considerable level of gender equality norms and policy diffusion within the Nordic region. Whereas Swedish reports address gender differences in school performance and behavior equipped with radical feminist perspectives and theories of patriarchal oppression, Norwegian reports largely avoid explicit references to feminist theory and include analyses of the unfair burdens of boys in school and society. It is argued that the diverging approaches are connected to features of the commissions and of the wider knowledge regimes of the two gender equality forerunners, but also to historical differences in the ideological underpinnings of Swedish and Norwegian gender equality policy making.Related ArticlesIreni‐Saban, Liza. 2013. “Give Me Children or Else I Die: The Politics and Policy of Cross‐Border Reproductive Care.” Politics & Policy 41(1): 5–38. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12004.Svallfors, Stefan, Erica Falkenström, Corrie Hammar, and Anna T. Höglund. 2022. “Networked Reports: Commissioning and Production of Expert Reports on Swedish Health Care Governance.” Politics & Policy 50(3): 580–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12462.Tusalem, Rollin F. 2022. “Does Gendered Representation in National Legislatures Promote Substantive Representation and Human Development? Evidence from the Developing World.” Politics & Policy 50(6): 1096–137. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12503.