Gender Equality Research Articles

Women on board and business performance

Purpose This study aims to examine the association between women on board and business performance. It also aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and female directors on stock prices, including the function of female directors in moderating the CSR–market performance link that ultimately provides valuable insights into the impact of gender diversity on corporate boards. Design/methodology/approach Data from US publicly listed firms between 2000 and 2018 were collected and analysed using OLS regression, median regression, M-estimator regression and MM-estimator regression at 70% and 95% efficiency. In this study, firm market value was measured through Tobin’s Q, board diversity with ISS database and CSR strength and concern with the KLD database. Findings The results indicated that CSR positively impacts market performance by 3.1%, female board representation positively influences market performance by 4.8% and female board members strengthen the CSR–market performance relationship by 1.0% while playing a moderating role. Overall, these studies demonstrated the significance of female boards of directors for enhancing market performance. Research limitations/implications This study used the data of US-listed firms from 2000 to 2018. The results have contributed to the ongoing discussion about the importance of gender diversity in boards and its influence on firm success. Further research works are suggested to expand the analysis by including other countries or considering additional factors that may influence the association between CSR, board representation of women and market share. Practical implications This study is essential for investors, legislators and CSR institutions in developed countries. The favourable impact of female board presence on market performance and the enhancement of the CSR–market performance relationship highlight the necessity of encouraging gender diversity on boards of directors and CSR activities. Social implications This study emphasises the significance of gender balance on corporate boards in solving important social challenges including climate change, resource scarcity and gender equality. Companies can actively assist in addressing global issues and improving the well-being of stakeholders by promoting gender-diverse boards and encouraging CSR efforts. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study demonstrating that gender diversity on corporate boards moderates the significant association between CSR performance and profitability in the USA. It has contributed to the expanding body of information regarding the moderating influence of female directors on firm value and stronger evidence for female directors in the governance of businesses.

Portraits of Swedish natureculture identity – entanglements of (gender) equity and integration in early childhood education

ABSTRACT Photographs of children are used on a daily basis in Swedish preschool practice. Although the preschool curriculum prescribes gender equality and celebration of diversity, photographs of indoor activities have shown to display a homogenous view of children and an emphasis on masculine-coded productions and accomplishments. This article examines 325 photographs of outdoor activities from Swedish preschools with diverse ethnic compositions. Our results reveal a Swedish natureculture identity that is more explicitly performed in the multi-ethnic preschool classes. Since ideals of gender equality and closeness to nature connect to the image of Swedishness, this can be understood as compensatory pedagogy. Moreover, the natureculture identity appears to be neutral in relation to ethnicity and gender, which risks rendering diversity invisible. However, the displayed neutrality is also possible to understand as working towards equity where conventionally feminine values such as care, empathym and sensitivity are underscored as desirable for everyone.

Outnumbered and outranked: a macrostructural snapshot of gendered inequalities in higher academia in Jordan

Purpose This article aims to illuminate the gendered organisational structure of higher education in Jordan by collecting and analysing a national-level snapshot of the current distribution of women and men in leadership positions and academic ranks across Jordanian universities to pinpoint inequalities in specific levels and fields. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in gendered organisational theory, this study presents a snapshot of the gender composition of 10 public and 14 private universities in Jordan. The snapshot, collected in September 2022 from these universities’ websites, examines counts of male and female administrative leaders as well as academic staff across all ranks for all faculties in both STEM and liberal arts fields. Findings The distribution of women and men in leadership positions in universities across Jordan is highly unequal, with men outnumbering women in the uppermost positions by nearly 10:1. This gap decreases as the rank of positions decreases, indicative of a highly gendered organisational structure, with only three to four fields approaching gender parity. Research limitations/implications This paper offers a comprehensive and detailed quantitative foundation for researchers to investigate the underlying social, cultural, legal, political and economic factors perpetuating gender inequality in academia in Jordan and in comparative studies. Practical implications This study is relevant for targeting policies for advancing sustainable development goals, specifically 5.5, which aim at women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making. Originality/value This study provides the most detailed and extensive macro-level analysis of the gender composition of universities in Jordan.

Study of factors influencing women entrepreneurship in Kabul Afghanistan

This research aims to dissect the intricate factors hindering women's entrepreneurship in Kabul, Afghanistan. By delving into these barriers, we seek to empower women through targeted support programs, therefore catalyzing economic growth and fostering innovation. Our study uncovers the profound impact of societal expectations and cultural norms on women's entrepreneurial endeavors. It illuminates the constraints imposed by limited mobility, the social stigma surrounding women in business, and entrenched gender roles dictating access to resources. These findings underscore the necessity of tailored interventions to dismantle systemic obstacles and cultivate a conducive environment for female entrepreneurship. By examining the unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in Kabul, this research offers original insights into the socio-cultural landscape of a post-conflict society. It contributes to a nuanced understanding of entrepreneurship dynamics, enriching scholarly discourse and informing policy initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and economic development. Key Words: Women Entrepreneurs, Kabul, Afghanistan, Entrepreneurial Challenges, Gender Barriers

A collective action approach to improving attitudes and self-efficacy towards gender equality among male STEM academics

AbstractDespite the implementation of equality interventions within higher education, progress towards gender parity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remains slow. Male educators often exhibit poorer engagement with diversity initiatives, potentially contributing to persisting gender disparities in STEM given men’s longstanding dominance in these programs. Two experiments investigate how equality interventions should be designed to maximize support from male educators. Experiment 1 (N = 72; Mage = 39.72, SDage = 12.33) used virtual reality to manipulate 2 factors among male academics: (1) exposure to gender inequality and (2) virtually taking the perspective of a female scientist. Using self-report and behavioral measures, viewing an empirical presentation outlining the prevalence of gender issues in STEM yielded the greatest support for equality initiatives following successful perspective-taking. Experiment 2 (N = 120; Mage = 32.48, SDage = 10.36) varied two additional factors among male academics: (1) evidence-based methods to reduce gender biases in STEM (i.e., promoting self-efficacy) and (2) blaming male academics for gender inequalities. Promoting self-efficacy and blaming men for disparities led to greater confidence in male academics’ ability to address gender inequalities in their field. Notably, higher self-efficacy accounted for greater support for equality initiatives and internal motives to engage with diversity programs. Findings provide an empirical framework and high-tech training tools for promoting engagement with diversity initiatives among male educators, informing development of interventions within higher education to improve student and faculty experiences in STEM.

Gender mainstreaming in urban projects: A measurement proposal applied to Spanish Urban regeneration policies

Urban policies financed in the framework of the European Cohesion Policy are a privileged area for the study of the Gender Mainstreaming (GM) due to the gender European rules and to the importance of the European Union in urban development. The aim of this paper is to validate an instrument for the systematic measurement of the application of the GM tool, and to evaluate the implementation of GM in Spanish urban policies financed by the EU. For this purpose, based on previous measurements and analysis, a specific methodological tool has been elaborated and applied to the 89 urban intervention projects implemented in Spanish big cities in the framework of the URBAN I, URBAN II, URBANA, and ISUD (Integral and Sustainable Urban Development) calls for proposals (1994–2020). The results reflect a sectorial orientation in the application of the GM. Moreover, we observed a more significant implementation of the strategy in the direction setting dimensions and a scarcer integration in the actor-oriented dimensions. The dimensions' scores could reflect the classic difficulties for actor-oriented dimensions in urban policy design and the effect of the EU's lack of clarity about gender equality on a multi-level governance policy.

What I really want: Policy maker views on education in Southeast Asia

This paper reports the views and perceptions of randomly selected education policy makers in Southeast Asia, based on surveys of 651 senior public officials in 14 middle-income countries globally. The findings show that officials tend to prioritize increasing secondary school completion over improving learning quality, despite global evidence suggesting that improving learning quality is more crucial for economic growth. Additionally, the surveyed Southeast Asian officials severely underestimate learning poverty and do so at twice the rate of officials from other countries. Officials were most likely to cite system capacity as the primary constraint to improving learning. The findings show that officials’ support for gender equality and disability inclusion is high. Interviewed officials prefer to invest in in-service teacher training or early-grade reading compared to other options such as EdTech or inclusion for students with disabilities. This mix of alignment and misalignment between policy makers’ goals and the stated goals of development partners can inform future engagement in policy dialogue, analysis, and information campaigns.

Global Ecology and Geography of Gender Equality.

Proximal socio-economic drivers of gender equality tend to obscure its remote ecological origins. General systems theory predicts that the greater annual variability in daylength, temperature, and daily precipitation at higher latitudes requires greater psychosocial flexibility. We extend this prediction to gender equality as a likely consequence. Accordingly, for 87 pre-industrial societies after 1500 CE, we find more gender equality in more variable habitats, and that this link is mediated by greater subsistence flexibility-foraging rather than raising plants and animals. Mutatis mutandis, these ecological predictors of global gender equality replicate in 175 modern countries after 2000 CE. Gender equality was, and still is, lowest around the Equator, higher toward the North and South Poles, and invariant in east-west direction. The geographical positioning of gender equality in pre-industrial times can predict over 40% of the opposite north-south gradients of gender equality in the opposite Northern and Southern Hemispheres today.

Women and Nationality Laws in the GCC States Gender Discrimination and Violation of Constitutional Rights

The paper reviews the situation of a number of GCC states where women married to non-national husbands find themselves and their children in a unique and un-justiciable position. The paper systematically reviews constitutional provisions for equality, and looks at the case law in these states that promise gender equality for all before the law. But it notes that a major exception in all GCC states is that of the right of women married to non-national men, to pass nationality to their children. The objectives of this article rest on proving that nationality laws of the GCC States appertaining to the practice of not allowing national women married to foreign men to pass nationality to their children is breaching a constitution rules. The study adopted a comparative and analytical approach, where the relevant data have been analyzed; this includes constitutional laws, nationality laws, case law of the high courts in the GCC States as well as books and articles. This study has shown that although all GCC States have declared in their constitutions that rights and freedoms are ensured and guaranteed, in practice, the story is different: the right of gender equality and right of litigation are being violated. This study has demonstrated that rules on acquisition of nationality in the GCC States involves clear discrimination against national women. Such a situation undoubtedly beaches the constitutional provisions of equality, and therefore should be amended. In a situation of developing human rights awareness in the GCC states, this paper explores how there appears to be an exception, in the form of nationality rights for women and children. The paper reviews the situation of a number of GCC states where women married to non-national husbands find themselves and their children in a unique and un-justiciable position. The paper systematically reviews constitutional provisions for equality, and looks at the case law in these states that promise gender equality for all before the law. But it notes that a major exception in all GCC states is that of the right of women married to non-national men, to pass nationality to their children. The paper asks if this anomaly is still justified in the 21st century. The objectives of this article rest on proving that nationality laws of the GCC States appertaining to the practice of not allowing national women married to foreign men to pass nationality to their children is breaching a constitution rules. The study adopted a comparative and analytical approach, where the relevant data have been analyzed; this includes constitutional laws, nationality laws, case law of the high courts in the GCC States as well as books and articles. This study has shown that although all GCC States have declared in their constitutions that rights and freedoms are ensured and guaranteed, in practice, the story is different: the right of gender equality and right of litigation are being violated. This study has demonstrated that rules on acquisition of nationality in the GCC States involves clear discrimination against national women. Such a situation undoubtedly beaches the constitutional provisions of equality, and therefore should be amended.

How CEOs can Increase Public Engagement via Microblogs: The Role of CEO Gender and Content Orientation

AbstractIn the social media era, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are increasingly using microblogging sites to communicate with the public. Drawing on schema‐congruity theory and gender egalitarianism, we investigate how CEO gender and work–life content orientation interact to influence public engagement with CEOs on microblogs. Using China as our research setting, we conduct a content analysis of data collected from 63 high‐profile CEOs’ microblogs and four laboratory studies with some 2000 respondents. Our results show that for female CEOs, work‐related content leads to greater engagement than life‐related content; for male CEOs, the effect is reversed. We find that such outcomes are driven by the incongruity between stereotypical gender roles and content orientation, which enhances perceived novelty and audience interest, thus leading to greater engagement. This effect diminishes when the audience has a very high or very low perception of gender equality in their society; or when the audience supports male privilege values personally. Our research provides new theoretical insights for online leadership communication, public engagement and gender research. It also offers useful managerial guidance for executives to effectively leverage the capabilities of social media in engaging with the public.

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Women Empowerment and Work-Life Balance Enhancement in Management

This research article explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in empowering women in various aspects of life, particularly in management and work-life balance. AI offers a plethora of opportunities to support women's empowerment, and this study highlights several ways in which AI can contribute to their advancement. By offering flexible and affordable learning opportunities, AI can empower women to acquire new skills and knowledge, enabling them to pursue fulfilling careers and leadership roles. In the healthcare sector, AI-powered solutions can improve access to healthcare for women in remote or disadvantaged regions. AI-driven diagnostics and virtual health aides enable early detection of health issues, facilitating prompt and effective treatment. In the workplace, AI can help identify trends in gender inequality, wage discrepancies, and other injustices. Armed with these insights, employers can take specific actions to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace, offering women equal opportunities to advance in their careers. Furthermore, AI-powered personal assistants can assist women in managing their daily responsibilities and schedules effectively, facilitating a better work-life balance. Additionally, AI-powered security and surveillance systems can enhance workplace and public safety, contributing to a safer environment for women to commute, work, and interact. AI can also play a vital role in promoting social change and advocacy for women's rights and gender equality. In times of crisis and humanitarian contexts, AI can offer support in disaster response, resource allocation, and medical aid, catering to the unique challenges women may face in such situations. This research article emphasizes the importance of women's empowerment in society and how AI can act as a catalyst for positive change. By leveraging AI's capabilities while prioritizing the well-being and equality of women, this study seeks to create a more inclusive and empowering environment for women in management and beyond

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this”: a qualitative investigation of surgeon burnout and opportunities for organization-level improvement

IntroductionBurnout is a pressing issue within surgical environments, bearing considerable consequences for both patients and surgeons alike. Given its prevalence and the unique contextual factors within academic surgical departments, it is critical that efforts are dedicated to understanding this issue. Moreover, active involvement of surgeons in these investigations is critical to ensure viability and uptake of potential strategies in their local setting. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore surgeons’ experiences with burnout and identify strategies to mitigate its drivers at the level of the organization.MethodsA qualitative case study was conducted by recruiting surgeons for participation in a cross-sectional survey and semi-structured interviews. Data collected were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, which was informed by the Areas of Worklife Model.ResultsOverall, 28 unique surgeons participated in this study; 11 surgeons participated in interviews and 22 provided responses through the survey. Significant contributors to burnout identified included difficulties providing adequate care to patients due to limited resources and time available in academic medical centers and the moral injury associated with these challenges. The inequitable remuneration associated with education, administration, and leadership roles as a result of the Fee-For-Service model, as well as issues of gender inequity and the individualistic culture prevalent in surgical specialties were also described as contributing factors. Participants suggested increasing engagement between hospital leadership and staff to ensure surgeons are able to access resources to care for their patients, reforming payment plans and workplace polities to address issues of inequity, and improving workplace social dynamics as strategies for addressing burnout.DiscussionThe high prevalence and negative sequalae of burnout in surgery necessitates the formation of targeted interventions to address this issue. A collaborative approach to developing interventions to improve burnout among surgeons may lead to feasible and sustainable solutions.

Work-Family Policy for Fathers in Dutch Municipalities: A Vignette Experiment on Contexts for Parental Leave Among Male Civil Servants

The European Union Work-Life Balance Directive aims to promote a better work-care balance by introducing extensive parental leave. However, a change in policy does not necessarily mean behavioral change. Starting from the idea of gendered organizations and gendered policies within local government a conceptual model is developed to investigate under which organizational circumstances male civil servants in Dutch municipalities are willing to take parental leave. With a vignette experiment ( N = 572) among civil servants in the summer of 2021, the organizational characteristics that affect employees’ decisions on the potential use of parental leave are investigated. Adverse career consequences have the largest influence, followed by managerial support and coworker support. Furthermore, the larger the work ambition is, the more negative the effect of career consequences is for using parental leave. That adverse career consequences hardly had an effect among male civil servants with low work ambition shows that the relationship to parental leave uptake is nuanced. The results of this study underscore the importance of contexts in implementing policy goals and achieving greater gender equality in local government.

Exploring Discourse Markers in Analyzing Gender Discrimination in Pakistani Drama Serials: A Corpus-Based Study

This research examines gender-related language patterns and discourse markers in Pakistani drama serials, focusing on the lexical choices made by male and female authors. Drawing on Lakoff's model, we conduct qualitative content analysis on the selected episodes to uncover gender dynamics and power imbalances. Results show that men use words like "absolutely", "decide", "go", "listen", and "stop" along with self-referential pronouns "I" and "he" more frequently. Women employ words like "doubt", "maybe", "very", "excuse me", "wonder", "we", and "might", as well as pronouns "she", and "we" more often. These findings reveal gender stereotypes in Pakistani drama serials, underscoring the need for more diverse and inclusive narratives challenging traditional roles. This research impacts the broader media landscape, emphasizing media's role in shaping societal perceptions and the importance of promoting gender equality in representations. Moreover, by analyzing the corpus of Pakistani drama serials authored by both genders, our methodology employs qualitative content analysis, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive media environment by dissecting gender-related language patterns and discourse markers in these serials.

A Contribution to the Study of Violence Against Women in Politics

This chapter addresses various aspects of the emerging research area, exploring concepts, theories, and data related to the study of violence against women in politics. It occurs within the political sphere but specifically targets women. It is used to reinforce traditional social and political structures by targeting women leaders who challenge patriarchy and the prevailing social expectations and norms. In many societies, such practices are marginalized, naturalized, depoliticized, and remain invisible. When female politicians are attacked for their political views alone, this is not necessarily a case of violence against women in politics. Ambiguity emerges, however, due to the fact that the means for attacking female politicians often rely on gendered scripts, focusing on women’s bodies and their traditional social roles, primarily as mothers and wives, to deny or undercut women’s competence in the political sphere. Symbolic and semiotic violence in politics can be effective in sustaining women’s oppression because it is subtle, euphemized, and invisible. Even if women recognize these acts as exercises of power, they still do not name it violence, even in societies with greater levels of gender equality. The concept of semiotic violence refers to the use of language, images and symbols as a means to marginalize and disqualify women as political actors. Often normalized, these dynamics serve to maintain gender hierarchies, undermining democracy and eroding the possibilities for women’s political empowerment. In response to the question of how to solve the problem of violence against women in politics, researchers offer a solution in the form of a comprehensive approach to addressing this sort of violence.

A study of political party affiliation as a means to enhance gender equality and women’s political participation in Kazakhstan

PurposeThe article aims to identify the main mechanisms for promoting more Kazakhstani women participation in the legislative authorities based on a study of the competition of political parties in 2023.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing the structural-biographical method, the article investigates the ways of increasing women’s participation in the political life of Kazakhstan. This empirical study comprises a total of 18 biographies of women deputies / candidates on party lists who were elected to the legislative body. Content analysis was also conducted to investigate the pre-election programs of the political parties.FindingsThis study has identified that political party is the main resource for promoting gender equality and involving women in the decision-making process. All 18 women deputies of the Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament, are members of political parties. The findings show that women candidates without party affiliation were unable to get into representative body. The results of the election campaign of 2023 provided evidence for determining the gender order in the Kazakhstani political space. The party has become an effective channel for promoting women participations in the parliament of the country. By comparison, in single-mandate constituencies no woman was able to pass to the elected body.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature of gender equality and women’s political participation in Kazakhstan and may be relevant for other countries. It also has practical significance and policy implications for the government and political parties.

“It’s a Balancing Act”: Contradictory Ambitions of Journalistic Media in Addressing Harassment in Sport

Over the last five years, the Finnish sports media has played a key role in disseminating information and stimulating debate on gender equity, sexual harassment, and the structures and culture that perpetuate the latter in sport. Triggered by the Me Too movement, the handling of harassment cases has shifted from the private domain to the public debate in the media, making it political. In this article, I study the perception of the politicisation of harassment within sports media. The article utilises interviews with 16 Finnish sports journalists who have been reporting on harassment cases in national and regional media houses. In the thematic analysis, the facilitators and constraints of harassment reporting are examined in relation to the prevailing power structures, culture, and attitudes in the professional sports environment. While the interviews highlight the changing face of sports journalism and, within it, an ambition to move from entertainment and performance reporting to socio-politically critical journalism, the article also highlights the problematic contradictions embedded in the ambition within sports media to address harassment in sport. The findings of this research suggest that when studying the outcomes of news reporting, it is important to pay attention to news production processes and the gendered aspects that influence them.

How to measure inequality of opportunity: The axial institutions index

The article presents a critical analysis of indices and indicators of gender equality and suggests a new comprehensive approach to measuring gender equality of opportunity within axial institutions, which are family, labor market, education, science, public and corporate governance. Whereas the main gender indices measure inequality of access to resources, the axial institutions index measures equality of opportunity using the concept of agency. The key innovations are as follows: the inclusion of the institution of family and the gender division of unpaid domestic work as the basis for gender inequality of opportunities; horizontal segregation in labor markets and in education by calculating the average gap in the share of women and men with different educational profile; inclusion of an institute of science, including academia decision-making, inclusion of an institute of corporate governance (along with the state one). As a result, the index of axial institutions is visualized in the form of a hexagon, which describes the specifics of the model of gender equality in Russia.

Fostering gender equality (SDG 5) through audiovisual fiction

Esta investigación examina la segunda temporada de la serie infantojuvenil transmedia Irabazi Arte! en relación a la promoción del empoderamiento y la igualdad de género (Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible 5). Irabazi Arte!, emitida por la televisión pública vasca (EITB), está producida íntegramente en euskera y su argumento central es el fútbol femenino. A través de una metodología mixta, se analiza si en su universo transmedia se fomenta la igualdad de género, cómo lo hace y si tiene un potencial de influencia en su público infanto-juvenil. Se constata una representación cuantitativa y cualitativamente positiva del ODS 5. Esta narrativa transmedia se ajusta a las características de la generación Alpha y contribuye al avance hacia la igualdad de género desde la educomunicación, fomentado la igualdad en la generación Alpha.

Hurdles and Challenges Perceived by Women Scientists in India

Women constitute a high percentage of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates in India but this is not well reflected at the professional level. It is believed that women face numerous challenges, affecting not only their choice of STEM as a career but also their professional and personal lives. Thus, it is essential to understand the underlying causes. The study aims to explore the hurdles faced by women in CSIR laboratories. A primary survey, using questionnaires, was conducted to gain a realistic and holistic view of their experiences of working and the differences they come across in the work environment compared to the other gender. Data was collected from 582 women scientists, technical staff, and students. The survey explored the role of personal, institutional, and social factors responsible for promotions/ hindrances in the scientific career. Analyses were conducted using both quantitative and qualitative data. Insights and suggestions were also sought from the respondents to enhance further understanding and remedial measures. Suitable policies could be framed based on the recommendations for gender equality in STEM.