Mapping Empowerment of Platform–Non-platform Workers through the Lens of Sector, Space, and Gender in Two Cities, India

ABSTRACT Gender lens investing (GLI) is booming. However, while intersecting feminism and social finance, it has received scant attention from political economy scholarship on either. We argue it requires specific attention because it is not reducible to ‘social finance with gender’ or the ‘business case’ for gender equality, though it contains elements of both. Through a three-part analysis, we examine its discourse, markets, and actors to locate GLI within debates around feminism, neoliberalism and social finance. First, we identify three competing discursive narratives: firm-oriented GLI, development GLI, and radical GLI. Second, we map the GLI market and find that it is dominated by public money and institutional investors. Third, we examine participation at a GLI conference and observe that it seems steered by the financial sector. We argue that GLI currently resembles other forms of social finance: it legitimises the decisionmaking power of finance capitalists while offering a progressive veneer. It has generated a renewed discursive architecture that justifies interventions very close to microfinance, while its dominant mode of empowerment is the empowering of women in business and finance. Recognising its radical advocates, we propose avenues for further research and some alternate trajectories that speak to these more transformative agendas.

Rethinking prevention through a gender lens Alyson J. McGregor, MD, MA shares how sex-specific data are redefining Lifestyle Medicine – and why University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville is building the model. When researchers began disaggregating cardiovascular outcomes by sex, one finding stood out: women who adopted lifestyle-based interventions – structured changes in nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and stress management – experienced an even greater reduction in cardiovascular risk than men following the same protocols. The female body, it appears, may be particularly responsive to lifestyle modification. Yet for decades, the evidence behind those interventions was built almost exclusively on male subjects.

ABSTRACT Social media capital, a distinct dimension of social capital that emerges from social connections and interactions on social media, plays a pivotal role in shaping how individuals engage within digital networks. While this emerging concept has gained increasing scholarly attention, further exploration is necessary to uncover these dynamics with gendered inequality in online political behaviors. This study, based on an online survey in the United States (N = 714), illuminates key insights. Firstly, consistent with prior research, it reaffirms the positive association between political social media use and online political participation, with social media social capital both driving these behaviors while also moderating the relationship between them. Additionally, and more importantly, gender differences are observed in how social media social capital influence participation, with a greater amplifying effect more pronounced for men than for women. By explicating and integrating social media social capital into the discourse on online political engagement and considering a gender lens, this study contributes to the conceptual and theoretical understanding of social capital and highlights its potential to shape or mitigate digital inequality through the lens of gender dynamics.

• Gender equality is both a key measure of development and an important means of achieving it. • Paper traces progress in reducing gender inequality from the mid-1970 s and its limits. • Despite progress on some counts, gender inequality persists in property ownership, employment and institutional governance. • Underlying visible inequalities are hidden ones, as in social norms, social perceptions, and social legitimacy of claims. • Tackling hidden barriers will require shifts from individual to group approaches. Progress towards gender equality − economically, socially and politically − is a key measure of development, as well as a means of achieving it. This essay traces both the advances made (theoretical, empirical and in policy) in reducing gender inequality since the mid-1970s, when it was recognised internationally in development discourse, and the limits to that progress, given the persistence of gender inequality in most forms today. It is argued here that underlying visible measures of inequality, such as in women’s property ownership, labour market outcomes, and the governance of public institutions are hidden inequalities, embedded in biased social norms, social perceptions, and the social legitimacy of claims. Tackling these hidden barriers and their visible outcomes will require charting unconventional pathways, in particular shifting away from the dominant individualistic approaches to development to group approaches and collective action as necessary components for change.

ABSTRACT Schoolyards play a crucial role in children’s physical and cognitive development, as well as in fostering social interaction and overall well-being. This systematic review synthesises empirical studies, published between 2004 and 2024, examining the impact of schoolyard design on the physical activity and play preferences of children between the ages of 5 and 12 through a gender-sensitive lens. A systematic search in five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Dialnet, ERIC, and PubMed) was conducted in April 2024 and January 2025 following PRISMA guidelines. Of 984 records identified, 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings highlight the importance of diverse schoolyard features to enhance physical activity, reduce sedentary behaviour and foster gender equity. Key strategies for effective schoolyards interventions include increasing the availability of permanent play facilities, such as green spaces, loose equipment, swings, play structures, courts, coloured markings and climbing equipment, to create more engaging and inclusive outdoor environments.

ABSTRACT Despite rapid growth in gender lens investing (GLI), substantial variation remains in how gender lens equity funds (GLEFs) integrate gender equality criteria into investment strategies. We map a universe of 43 GLEFs and develop a framework capturing gender equality screening breadth and accountability depth (fund‐level disclosure and stewardship practices) to classify fund methodologies. We then examine a 14‐fund subsample, with ≥ 5 years' history, to provide descriptive comparisons of portfolio composition and performance. Portfolios show limited holdings overlap, even amongst funds in the same region. Most GLEFs exhibited market‐level risk exposure (beta ~1), and actively managed funds more often underperformed their benchmarks. Overall, the findings suggest that the ‘gender lens’ label is an unreliable indicator of fund design, accountability or performance. More consistent disclosure and clearer guidance on gender‐related criteria and stewardship expectations are needed to enable meaningful evaluation of gender‐labelled equity funds and enhance investor protection and market integrity.

Digital divide is an established concept of the differential access to digital resources. However, the concept has emerged to include the second and the third levels of digital divide – the possession of digital skills and the ability to gain meaningful outcomes from the participation in digital sphere. Thus, digital divide has become a wholesome concept to include access, skills and outcome. Cyberspace is the digital “public sphere” which offers the opportunity to network and enjoy all the fundamental human rights. But, it has also been the medium of exclusion, discrimination and harassment for women. Cyberspace as a digital public sphere has to be accessible, safe and provide equal opportunity to all. This paper examines the experiences of women in the cyberspace in terms of access, skill and tangible outcomes from an intersectionalist perspective utilizing the theories of inequality. It adopts a mixed-method approach utilizing both the survey based quantitative method and interview based qualitative method. It is obtained that the social inequalities not only reinforce but also exacerbates the digital inequalities. Thus, from a policy perspective it becomes crucial that a gender lens be adopted to overcome the existing social inequalities in the cyberspace. Only then, we can fulfill the dream of Viksit Bharat in this digital century.

ABSTRACT In public discourses on family law reforms in India, the role of the Law Commission of India (“LCI”) is rarely discussed. As a government-appointed advisory body functioning under the Union Ministry for Law and Justice, its primary mandate is to conduct law research and make recommendations to the government on law reform. Due to its important role in bridging the gap between the written law and the changing contours of jurisprudence and societal perspectives, its reports and recommendations carry substantial normative value. Family law is an area of law with rampant gender-discriminatory provisions. Thus, it becomes imperative to examine the LCI’s recommendations for family law reform (and the rationale for the same) using the lens of gender. This article examines the LCI’s published work to assess whether, and to what extent, the LCI has been impactful in informing, influencing, and shaping gender-just family law reforms in India.

Existing energy research is frequently criticised for its lack of gender sensitivity and for reproducing masculine biases. While literature exploring energy and gender is growing, there remains a significant gap in understanding how these fields precisely interact. Exploring this intersection is important to advance the agenda for gender equality in energy research, policy and practice. This article presents a systematic review of papers published on the topic from 1991 to 2021, employing a novel two-stage interdisciplinary approach: a quantitative bibliometric mapping of literature, concepts, and methods, followed by a qualitative analysis of selected studies through a critical gender lens. The results reveal that while publications are increasing, the field is dominated by quantitative methods and often treats gender as synonymous with biological sex, failing to engage with critical gender theories. Importantly, the review highlights that energy–gender research is often conducted by scholars with limited engagement with gender theory, leading to research that frequently reinforces, rather than challenges, gender stereotypes. A small number of studies adopting feminist or queer perspectives illustrate how alternative theories of gender can enrich energy research. Considering these limitations, we argue for the advancement of a transformative energy agenda by shifting from analyzing sex-disaggregated data to “doing gender equality”. We conclude with eight procedural and thematic recommendations, including the necessity of interdisciplinary teams that include gender scholars, the adoption of qualitative methods to capture lived experiences, and a commitment to challenging gender stereotypes and incorporating alternative gender theories within energy research.

Purpose: While Emotional Intelligence (EI) is widely praised as a critical competency for entrepreneurial success, this article argues that its utility is not gender-neutral. This review applies a gender lens to examine the implications under which high EI may generate unintended professional and psychological costs for women entrepreneurs. Design/Methodology/Approach: A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature from 1990 to the present was conducted across major business, psychology, and sociology databases. Keywords included “emotional intelligence,” “women entrepreneurs,” “gender stereotypes,” “emotional labor,” “entrepreneurial success,” and “downsides of EI.” Findings: A close reading of the literature suggests that high EI can, in practice, generate a set of interrelated challenges for women entrepreneurs. These challenges include intensified expectations to assume emotional caretaking roles, an increased burden of ongoing emotional regulation within the venture, and persistent internal tension between empathic orientations and norms of assertive entrepreneurial leadership. Originality/Value: This article challenges the universally positive narrative surrounding EI in entrepreneurship. By applying a gendered lens, it contributes a critical perspective to the literature, highlighting that for women entrepreneurs, high EI can function as a double-edged sword, simultaneously enabling relationship-building while creating unique professional and personal costs. The review calls for a more nuanced understanding of EI and provides recommendations for future research, training, and support systems.

Inter-regional inequality is a persistent feature of India’s development trajectory, but it becomes especially consequential when viewed through the joint lens of gender and human development. This review synthesises scholarship on subnational variation in human development outcomes and the gendered processes that shape, reproduce, and sometimes disrupt those patterns. A systematic literature review was conducted across Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed (January 2006 to February 2026) using specific search strings combining terms for spatial inequality, human development, and gender constructs. Peer-reviewed articles with empirical analysis of Indian subnational data or theoretical work on gendered human development were included, while descriptive pieces and single-site studies were excluded. Bringing together work on district- and small-area measurement, spatial inequality, and gendered capabilities, the review argues that India’s “development geography” is best understood as a multi-scalar system in which state-level gradients (often described as North–South, core–periphery, and coastal–interior) coexist with large within-state disparities and micro-geographies of deprivation. Evidence from district and small-area studies demonstrates that averages can conceal substantial heterogeneity in maternal and child health coverage, child undernutrition, vaccination, and women’s work participation. The review further shows that gender is not merely an “outcome domain” but a central mechanism linking institutions, norms, and public policy to human development: kinship and patriarchy regimes influence girls’ education and women’s agency; gendered labour market structures constrain economic capability formation; and gendered exposure to violence and bargaining constraints shape health and nutrition. The article concludes by proposing an integrative framework for research and policy that treats gender equality and human development as mutually reinforcing, emphasises scale-sensitive measurement, and prioritises geographically targeted interventions that are attentive to within-district and within-state clustering.

Abstract This study explores gender disparities in flood mortality across Europe and the Mediterranean, leveraging the Database of Flood Fatalities from the Euro-Mediterranean region (FFEM-DB). It applies a gender lens for the first time to a high-resolution, multinational flood mortality dataset in the region, aiming to examine how gender influences fatality patterns, behaviours, and vulnerabilities, to provide more robust insights into gendered patterns, and to extend the analysis to areas that have received limited attention in previous research. Using data on 2,875 flood fatalities from 12 European and Mediterranean territories (1980–2020), we conducted descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Gender was cross-tabulated with variables such as age, place of death, activity, incident dynamics and behaviour of the victims. Demographic adjustments were made to account for population structure to refine age- and gender-based comparisons. Males accounted for 61% of known-gender fatalities (m/f ratio = 1.58), a disparity observed across age groups and regions. Male fatalities were found to be more common in high-risk, outdoor settings, exhibiting active behaviours (e.g. fording rivers), while female victims were overrepresented in passive behaviours or indoor settings. These patterns suggest differing exposures and responses to flood risk based on gender and are discussed in detail in comparison with previous research findings, offering a framework of potential explanations.

To identify well-established and/or validated CA-based frameworks and measures attuned to intersectional gender inequality that analyse women's well-being over the life course and across multiple geographies.If needed, to develop a new conceptual framework to analyse WHW over the life course through an intersectional gender inequality lens. The scoping review, which was carried out between January and May 2024 and re-run in May 2025, adhered to the methodology by Arksey and O'Malley, Levac et al and Daudt et al, and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist. The EGH-WHW Framework was developed by a multidisciplinary Working Group comprising representatives of organisations in the WHW Project consortium. The review drew upon database searches (Scopus, PubMed) and targeted online hand searches for CA-based frameworks and measures. All CA-based frameworks and measures of multidimensional well-being were included. CA-based empirical research was considered if it applied a framework or measure; or if it analysed multidimensional well-being across multiple geographies. Information about each type of CA-based application-its choice of well-being dimensions, methods, focus on inequality, intersectionality and the life course-was recorded in a data charting form. Thematic summative syntheses of publications about each CA-based framework or measure led up to an overall evaluative synthesis of the fit between existing work and our requirements. The review culminated in 94 publications, including six frameworks and 14 measures that met only some of the WHW Project's requirements: multidimensionality of well-being; attention to intersectional gender inequality and the life course; as well as demonstrated and intended measurements across multiple geographies. The review reaffirms the need for the EGH-WHW Framework, which recognises that WHW depend on their freedom 'to be' and 'to do', and proposes three interconnected clusters of dimensions depicting key capabilities, agency and functionings that are sensitive to intersectional gender inequality and the life course. Each dimension is mapped to specific indicators to support comparative assessments of country performance and drivers of progress across low-income and middle-income countries. The EGH-WHW Framework distinguishes itself from other CA-based frameworks by incorporating both an intersectional gender lens and a life course perspective. The framework's conceptualisation of multidimensional well-being allows for a rich and nuanced foundation on which to build policies and programmes that address the complex determinants of health, well-being and human rights of different groups of girls and women.

This article analyses the gendered experiences of ancestral return migration from Turkey to Abkhazia and to Adygheya. There is an ongoing transnational movement of diaspora and return migrants between Turkey and the Caucasus. With strict and conflicted border regimes families are divided, having less opportunities to travel back and forth. Though in much fewer numbers than men, there have been women in constant mobility between their two homes, being involved in trade, keeping two halves of the family intact, or being part of diaspora political groups. Their migration and mobility are considered as a challenge to the traditional image of women in the community and to social norms. However, it is also seen as a ‘courageous act’ due to the policy restrictions on mobility and the limited knowledge of the homeland conditions by the diaspora. The study is based on data collected between 2005 and 2014 through qualitative research, in-depth interviews, participant observation and ethnographic research. The aim of the article is to bring the gender lens into analysis of return and dual transnationalism revealing how contested statehood and border regimes are experienced, navigated and seen differently by women and men.

ObjectiveThe most common psychiatric disorders in adolescents are anxiety and mood disorders. Often, anxiety itself is a prelude to depression and irritability is an antecedent to both. Thus, irritability likely heralds the onset of mental illness in adolescents, especially those disorders with a bias in gender prevalence. Consequently, it is necessary to examine irritability to obtain a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon. Further, factoring gender into these examinations may provide insights into its nature and the role it putatively plays in the development of anxiety, depression and suicide in adolescence. Presently, efforts for early intervention look to identifying established disorders early in their course; however, by detecting symptoms that are precursors it may be possible to shift the focus of health practice and policy.ConclusionsViewing irritability through a lens of gender during adolescence may yield key insights that inform our understanding of how disorders and outcomes that have a bias in gender prevalence emerge. By considering the divergent experiences of puberty, and factoring these into our mechanistic understanding of irritability, pathways for future systematic examinations become clearer.

Purpose – the aim of study is to examine how interface design elements (usability, presentation, navigation) influence trust, behavioural intention, and adoption of Neobanks among younger users, using data from students at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. Research methodology – a modified Technology Acceptance Model (mTAM) was tested via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) using primary survey data (n = 159, valid respondents under 25 years old) and quasi-exploratory analysis from Neobank users. Findings – perceived ease of usage significantly mediates the relationship between interface quality and behavioural intention. Trust significantly impacts attitudes and intentions toward fintech, with stronger effects observed among female users. These insights advance cognitive trust theory in digital banking contexts. Research limitations – limited sample diversity and local scope at the University of Debrecen constrain generalizability. The PLS-SEM method focuses on prediction over theory testing may oversimplify complex trust dynamics. Future studies should employ mixed methods and cross-cultural samples for broader relevance. Practical implications – Neobanks can enhance adoption by prioritizing intuitive interface design and tailoring trust-building strategies to gender-specific user preferences. Originality/Value – this research integrates gender differences into mTAM and offers novel insights into trust formation for digital banking among younger European university students, A departure from prior studies is focused solely on technical features.

Forcibly displaced women face intersecting economic and psychosocial risks, yet few rigorously evaluated programs address both simultaneously. This pilot aimed to examine the preliminary feasibility and effects of the Entrepreneurship School with a Gender Lens (ESGL), an 8-9-month hybrid program combining business training, seed capital, and mental health and psychosocial support, could promote self-reliance among forcibly displaced women who have experienced or are at risk of gender-based violence (GBV). This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with 253 Venezuelan and Colombian women living in Colombia. Eligible participants scored between 2 and 4.25 on the Self-Reliance Index (SRI) and were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to the intervention (n = 175) or control (n = 78) group. The intervention included seven group workshops, one individual counselling session, and post-training business plan presentations for seed capital. Outcomes measured at baseline in March 2024 and at 8-9-month follow-up in December 2024 included overall and domain-specific self-reliance (SRI), depressive symptoms measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and resilience measured with the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS). Analyses used intent-to-treat (ITT) and instrumental variable (IV) regression models controlling for baseline scores and key covariates. 211 out of 253 participants completed both assessments (146 intervention, 65 control). At baseline in March 2024, mean SRI was 3.27 (SD 0.54) in the intervention group and 3.25 (SD 0.52) in the control group. At endline in December 2024, assignment to the intervention was associated with statistically significant positive changes in overall self-reliance (B = 0.195, CI 0.026-0.364; p < 0.05) and in the domains of food security, employment, and debt. Effects were stronger among participants who completed the program and received seed capital. No statistically significant effects were observed for depressive symptoms or resilience. ESGL shows preliminary promise in maintaining or improving economic self-reliance among forcibly displaced women in urban Colombia. A fully powered RCT is needed to confirm these initial findings and examine potential mental health effects. Future research should also assess longer-term impacts and optimize delivery in urban humanitarian contexts.

There are increasing calls for economic assistance in the form of social safety nets (SSNs) to be designed and implemented to promote women's economic inclusion and agency, contributing to closing gender disparities globally. Here we investigate the extent to which SSNs affect women's economic achievements and agency through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials implemented in low- and middle-income countries. We searched six databases utilizing search strings in English, French and Spanish through December 2024. Studies were assessed for risk of bias using an adapted version of the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool. Our sample includes 1,307 effect sizes from 93 studies, representing 218,828 women across 45 low- and middle-income countries. Using robust variance estimation meta-analysis, we show significant overall pooled effects (Hedges' g = 0.107, P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.085-0.129), driven by increases in economic achievements (productive work, savings, assets and expenditures) and agency (voice, autonomy and decision-making). We find significant treatment effects for unconditional cash transfers (Hedges' g = 0.128, P < 0.001, 95% CI 0.097 to 0.159), social care services (Hedges' g = 0.122, P < 0.001, 95% CI 0.071 to 0.174), asset transfers (Hedges' g = 0.115, P < 0.001, 95% CI 0.071 to 0.160) and public work programmes (Hedges' g = 0.127, P = 0.031, 95% CI 0.015 to 0.239). We find comparatively smaller effects for conditional cash transfers (Hedges' g = 0.059, P = 0.019, 95% CI 0.011 to 0.108) and found no evidence of effects for in-kind transfers. SSNs can empower women economically and socially; however, limitations and evidence gaps remain, including the need for further rigorous testing of design and operational components, the role of contextual factors and cost-benefit analysis with a gender lens.

A sound mind plays a significant role in shaping the behaviour, affective and cognitive functioning of an individual. Mind when is under pressure not only affects psychological wellbeing but also influences physical, environmental, emotional and social functioning. Although stress has been a commonly discussed concern in contemporary society, it at times remains an overlooked area when it comes to marginalized populations. The current study aims to explore the perceived stress among tribal college going students using a comparative research design. Initially, 148 tribal students participated in the study through the administration of Cohen’s perceived stress scale. Later on, the data from 136 tribal students out of 148 were found suitable for final analysis and were processed using MS Excel and SPSS software. Male tribal undergraduate students experienced higher stress than their female counterparts. Psycho-social interventions at large are required to boost the psychological functioning of marginalized students, particularly tribal ones pursuing higher education.