Gender Mainstreaming Approach Research Articles

‘Reimagining’ gender equality in media coverage?: feminist frameworks in European and Olympic portrayal guidelines

European entities (such as the European Union, European Commission, Council of Europe, and the European Broadcasting Union) published several reports between 2019 and 2022 that addressed gender representation in sports media. Drawing on multiple types of sources, including peer-reviewed research, the reports make recommendations for gender balance and gender equality in media coverage pertaining to national-level and international sports. This study analyzes four such documents to identify how research informs recommendations. First, the study examines citation practices in terms of authors’ location and data scope to observe that the guidelines draw primarily on research based in the United States, while omitting data from several regions of Europe. Then, guided by feminist storytelling as a framework, we analyse which feminist concepts circulate in media guidelines. The guidelines use systematic reviews to address gender inequalities in coverage, draw on intersectionality without specific references to theory, and recommend a gender-mainstreaming approach in production practice. We highlight studies that would address asymmetrical citation practices and epistemological gaps in portrayal guidelines and propose future directions for feminist sport media studies and sociology of sport research. A transnational feminist approach would be useful in avoiding universal recommendations while making connections between local particularities and global patterns.

Gender health equity: The case for including men's health

United States' federal policy and infrastructure fail to explicitly consider the health of men, particularly the poor health of marginalized men. This inattention to men's health hinders the nation's ability to improve population health, to achieve gender health equity, and to achieve health equity more broadly. Expanding efforts to consider gender in federal policy and infrastructure to include men, naming men as a population whose poor health warrants policy attention, creating offices of men's health in federal agencies, and utilizing an intersectional lens to develop and analyze policies that affect health would likely yield critical improvements in population health and health equity in the United States. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I illustrate the persistence of sex differences in mortality and leading causes of death, and how these patterns mask gender gaps in health that are driven largely by marginalized men. Given the common practice of presenting data by sex and race separately, it is difficult to recognize when the health of specific groups of men warrants attention. I utilize the case of Black men to illustrate the importance of an intersectional approach, and why men's health is critical to achieving gender and racial equity in health. While a gender mainstreaming approach has enhanced the nation's ability to consider and address the health of women and girls, it has not expanded to be inclusive of boys and men. Consequently, I argue that if our goal is to achieve health equity, it is critical to employ an intersectional approach that simultaneously considers the full range of factors that influence individual and population health and well-being. An intersectional approach would facilitate efforts to simultaneously explore strategies to achieve racial, ethnic, and gender health equity, which are driven by structural determinants beyond sex and gender related factors.

Equity and gender mainstreaming in public policy: A scoping review protocol.

Despite growing attention paid to health equity and efforts to promote gender mainstreaming-a global strategy to promote gender equality-how policymakers have 'institutionalized' this in their work is less clear. Therefore, this planned scoping review seeks to search the peer-reviewed and grey literature to compile evidence on the ways in which policymakers have routinely or systematically considered equity and/or gender in their work. A scoping review will be undertaken by drawing on the PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). With the expert guidance of a research librarian, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, PAIS Index, and Scopus databases will be searched, in addition to custom Google searches of government documents. The search will be conducted from 1995 and onwards, as there were no hits prior to this date that included the term "gender mainstream*" in these databases. The inclusion criterion is that: (i) texts must provide information on how equity and/or gender has been considered by government officials in the development of public policy in a routine or systematic manner (e.g., descriptive, empirical); (ii) both texts produced by government or not (e.g., commentary about government action) will be included; (iii) there are no restrictions on study design or article type (i.e., commentaries, reports, and other documents, would all be included); and (iv) texts must be published in English due to resource constraints. However, texts that discuss the work of nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations will be excluded. Data will be charted by: bibliographic information, including the authors, year, and article title; country the text discussed; and a brief summary on the approach taken. This protocol was developed to improve rigour in the study design and to promote transparency by sharing our methods with the broader research community. This protocol will support a scoping review of the ways in which policymakers have routinely or systematically considered equity and/or gender in their work. We will generate findings to inform government efforts to initiate, sustain, and improve gender and equity mainstreaming approaches in policymaking.

Cash Transfers to Poor and Vulnerable Households in Nigeria: A Critical Analysis of the Gender Mainstreaming Approach

In 2016, the Federal government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari established the National Social Investment Program (NSIP), including the Cash Transfers (CTs) to tackle poverty in the country and prevent vulnerable households from falling further down the poverty line. The CTs program, known as the Household Upliftment Program (HUP) targeted the poorest of the poor for 6 years (2016-2022) by giving N5000 monthly to “poor” households across the 36 States and the Federal Capital territory. As stated in the National Social Safety Nets Project (NASSP) Manual, cash transfer implementation was guided by gender action plans designed in line with the gender mainstreaming strategy, whose objective is to is to ensure equitable representation and participation in the program by all genders. This paper seeks to address two important research questions; what are the specific ways the gender mainstreaming approach was used in the design of the cash transfer program? Is the implementation of the cash transfers in line with the gender mainstreaming approach?

Gender mainstreaming 2.0: emergent gender equality agendas under Sustainable Development Goals

Global governance frameworks have been largely ineffective at advancing gender equality through development cooperation. Gender mainstreaming, understood as a dual strategy comprising initiatives directly targeting gender equality objectives and integrating gender equality agendas across all other areas of policy and practice, remains limited. Based on insight from over 180 development specialists across the multilateral and national contexts of Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, this article situates the unachieved agenda of gender mainstreaming in the broader legitimacy crisis of global development. Traditional gender mainstreaming approaches are critiqued as insufficiently oriented towards the broader paradigm shift of global development that gender equality agendas require. Gender equality advocates are, therefore, increasingly leveraging the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030) as a tool for their broader sector contestation. Through new policy arenas for nationally led development planning and coordination, Agenda 2030 enables cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder exchange in which gender equality advocates engage as more legitimised actors navigating and strategically challenging traditional paradigms of global development. Dubbed gender mainstreaming 2.0, this emergent strategy is embedded in and contributes to new paradigms of global cooperation that valorise local gender expertise and national ownership.

Analysis of Language Textbooks in Georgia: Approaches to Gender Equality of Males and Females While Teaching Languages

This study aimed to explore gender equality in language textbooks in Georgian schools. The content analysis method was used to answer the research questions, and a theoretical framework was developed based on Porreca's Analytical Framework (1984). The research revealed that men remain more visible in textbooks. Social roles, activities, and professions are gender-biased, and the books contribute to the development of gender stereotypes. The study identified five different approaches that school textbook authors adopt toward gender equality: (1) superficial, (2) artificial, (3) additive, (4) deliberate ignorance, and (5) attitudinal nondeliberate gender mainstreaming approach.

Gender equality in the 21st century: Overcoming barriers to women's leadership in global health.

The purpose of this manuscript is to provide an overview of the significant role that women play in providing global health care, barriers encountered to achieving gender equality in global health leadership, and to propose key recommendations for advancing gender equality in global health decision-making through the integration of gender mainstreaming, gender-based analysis, and gender transformative leadership (GTL) approaches. Data were evaluated to determine the participation rate of women in global health care and social sector roles in comparison to men. Gender equality data from the United Nations, World Health Organization, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Labour Organization, and other resources were analyzed to assess the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on gender equality with an emphasis on women in global health leadership positions, the health care and social sector, and gender equality measures for girls and women throughout the world. The literature was examined to identify persistent barriers to gender equality in global health leadership positions. Additionally, a review of the literature was conducted to identify key strategies and recommendations for achieving gender equality in global health decision-making; integrating gender mainstreaming; conducting gender-based analysis; and adopting GTL programs, incentives, and policies to advance gender equality in global health organizations. Women represent 70% of the health and social care sector global workforce but only 25% of senior global health leadership roles. Since 2018, there has been a lack of meaningful change in the gender equality policy arenas at global health organizations that has led to significant increases in women serving in global leadership decision-making senior positions. During the pandemic in 2020, there were nearly 100 open vacancies-one-quarter of CEO and board chair positions-at global health organizations, but none were filled by women. Women disproportionately provide caregiving and unpaid care work, and the pandemic has increased this burden with women spending 15 hoursa week more on domestic labor than men. A lack of uniform, state-sponsored paid parental leave and support for childcare, eldercare, and caregiving, which is overwhelmingly assumed by women, serve as major barriers to gender parity in global health leadership and the career advancement of women. The pandemic has adversely impacted women in global health care and social sector roles. During the pandemic, there has been a widening of the gender pay gap, a lack of gains for women in global health leadership positions, an increase in caregiving responsibilities for women, and more women and girls have been pushed back into extreme poverty than men and boys. Globally, there is still resistance to women serving in senior leadership roles, and social and cultural norms, gender stereotypes, and restrictions on women's rights are deeply intertwined with barriers that reinforce gender inequality in global health leadership. To ensure comprehensive human rights and that equitable workforce opportunities are available, the concept of gender equality must be expanded within the global health community to consistently include not only women and girls and men and boys, but also persons who identify as nonbinary and gender nonconforming. Efforts to eliminate remnants of systemic and structural gender discrimination must also incorporate gender mainstreaming, gender-based analysis, and gender transformative approaches to achieve gender equality throughout global health systems and organizations.

Strategies of Gender Mainstreaming in Provincial Election of Nepal

An election brings changes in society. Both politics and gender emphasize power, prestige, and privileges. The gender gap in politics indicates the level of participation during all aspects of the election. The gender gap in the electoral system proliferates complexity in gender inequality. Gender mainstreaming is a globally accepted means to reduce gender inequality. To examine the status and strategies of gender mainstreaming in provincial level first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system, this article is prepared as the title “Strategies of Gender Mainstreaming in Provincial Election of Nepal”. The analysis of this study is based on the report of provincial election published by the election commission, Nepal. A simple and systematic literature review is conducted to collect essential information to fulfill objectives. This study is based on the critical mass theory, critical act approach, and gender mainstreaming approach. There was a low level of gender mainstreaming at the provincial level FPTP electoral system in Nepal. All political parties should formulate and implement an effective strategy at the political level to increase gender mainstreaming in electoral activities. The government of Nepal must implement the Provision of sustainable development goals, the constitution of Nepal, and the international declaration of human rights regarding gender mainstreaming as soon as possible.

Gender Impact of Interregional Trade

After two decades of negotiations, the European Union (EU) and Mercosur celebrated a new Association Agreement in 2019. Structured around three pillars (political dialogue, cooperation, and trade), the deal is still pending ratification but has raised strong criticism. Most concerns address the effect of trade liberalization on social and environmental agendas. This article contributes to this debate, conducting qualitative analysis on the agreement's potential impact on gender equality in the EU and Mercosur. Departing from the feminist scholarship assumption that trade has an unavoidable effect on gender, this article argues that interregional trade agreements can be a helpful policy instrument to promote gender equality. Nevertheless, this research demonstrates that, so far, the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement has neglected this opportunity. The provisional text does not reflect a gender mainstreaming approach, lacking the appropriate mechanisms to manage its effects on women. As a result, the new interregional trade liberalization instrument risks widening gender inequality in both regions. Nevertheless, this research demonstrates that, so far, the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement has neglected this opportunity. The provisional text does not reflect a gender mainstreaming approach, lacking the appropriate mechanisms to manage its effects on women. As a result, the new interregional trade liberalization instrument risks widening gender inequality in both regions.

Gender mainstreaming in risk reduction and resilience-building strategies: local conceptualisation of gender and masculinities in Malawi and Zambia

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the local conceptualisation of gender and framings of men and masculinities at the local level, which may be applied to improve gender mainstreaming in smallholder farming.Design/methodology/approachQualitative data were collected from a total of 70 key informants and community members knowledgeable about climate change and smallholder agriculture, disaster risks, gender and broader community issues in Malawi and Zambia. The thematic analysis was used to identify the themes emerging from the qualitative data.FindingsPractitioners apply western framings of gender while communities consider their realities and contexts and emphasise that gender means men and women need to work together. Although institutional provisions are in place for gender mainstreaming, practitioners have cautioned against the influence of the global north in gender mainstreaming, which ignores local realities. Applying a masculinities lens at a local level established the existence of subordinate and marginalised men often excluded from interventions and how hierarchical relationships among men limited women's participation.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research, practice and policy initiatives in disaster risk reduction and resilience-building need to engage with positive masculinities in gender mainstreaming. This work stimulates a broader framing of gender that builds on the core values and perspectives of communities.Practical implicationsContemporary gender mainstreaming approaches need to consider local contextualisation of gender, emphasising the critical aspect of cooperation between women and men in overcoming climate-related hazards and risk reduction.Originality/valueThis work contributes to the nascent discourse on local gender perspectives and masculinities in disaster risk reduction and resilience in Southern Africa.

A Gender Mainstreaming Approach to South Africa’s Budget Response to COVID-19

abstract In 1995, the fourth ‘World Conference on Women’ was held in Beijing, China. This marked a watershed moment in the international efforts to promote women empowerment and gender equality as it birthed the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, coincides with the COVID-19 pandemic which has seriously impacted the entire world. In South Africa, throughout the decades, care work has been largely carried out by women. It therefore comes as no surprise that studies have found that women are leading in the forefront of essential care work during this pandemic, including through work as frontline health workers and as primary caregivers in the household. Additionally, women’s unpaid and underpaid work goes unrecognised in South Africa, despite the significant contribution care work has in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and overall economic development. The Beijing Declaration called for budgetary commitments by governments to address the social-economic needs of women. It is the position of this article that South Africa’s budget should reflect care work and cover that through an adequate social wage and better formalisation of the care work industry. The article discusses three key areas where a gendered response is needed, the Child Support Grant system, the working conditions of Community Health Workers, and public service delivery, respectively. The article also offers recommendations on how South Africa can employ gender budgeting. Overall, this pandemic presents an opportune time for economic and structural reform and a feminist lens to these reforms is well overdue.

Role of gender participation in urban household energy technology for sustainability: a case of Kathmandu

Sustainability has endured as a global topic in terms of quality of life and energy-saving for an equalized system. Households represent one of the most energy-consuming sectors globally and are expected to increase tremendously in the future. Women have higher responsibility in the household energy use in most societies. However, their participation and impacts have been less prioritized in the sustainability concept regarding energy perspective. In contrast, most development studies reveal that women's participation in managing resources can positively impact women and policy management. However, women's active participation and influences on social, economic, and environmental contexts are mostly ignored in energy-related decisions, disregarding women's productive activities. Thus, this study evaluates the gender role in urban household energy in three contexts of economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainability pillars. This study is exploratory research based on questionnaire survey, interviews, observation, and air quality tests to apprehend appropriate data. The study revealed that the lower-income group uses a larger share of their monthly income for household energy with unclean cooking fuel. It has an impact on low-willingness to participate in new energy technology purchases. The use of electrical appliances and income has a moderate correlation (r = .48). However, Kathmandu urban households are eager to use electric cooking, but urban women have insufficient knowledge, information, and less affordability for new technology. The city's sustainability level is still low (47 scores) from a gender perspective, and it suggests the city needs a long way on the sustainability route. The study concluded that innovative technical interventions and women's financial power are essential, including the subsidy policy to reduce inequality between low and high energy household share variation and elevate gender participation. The gender mainstreaming approach in energy policy can increase women's participation in energy technology to get a clean environment and reduce the nation's financial burden of importing fuel.

Female presence in lobbying careers in Europe: A comparison of women in the lobbying workforce in three national political systems and the EU

This paper investigates women in lobbying careers in Italy, the UK and France in comparison with the EU Parliament to verify the hypothesis that in political systems with a gender mainstreaming approach, it is easier for women to have access to political, institutional and politics-related careers. Given the differences between national and supranational political systems, the collected data display a fairer gender balance in the stock of registered lobbyists at the EU Parliament than in the national registers for lobbyists. The explanatory factors are the EU institutional approach towards gender mainstreaming and a fairer gender balance in EU top-political and administrative jobs. The paper argues that there is a spillover effect from fair-gendered political careers to the lobbying professions. EU lobbyists need to reflect the diversity of EU politicians and administrative staff. In this sense, the EU institutionalization of the gender mainstreaming approach goes beyond issues such as the descriptive and substantive political representation of women in politics while creating a more inclusive environment for equal opportunities in traditionally male-dominated jobs.

The relationship between Gender Mainstreaming approaches and the Performance of Rice growers’ cooperative in Bugesera District, Rwanda

The relationship between Gender Mainstreaming approaches and the Performance of Rice growers’ cooperative in Bugesera District, Rwanda

A Gender Mainstreaming Approach of Social and Economic Impact Management during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Urban Settlements

This article describes the gender mainstreaming based community approach in Polaman Village, Mijen District in reducing the risk of non-natural disasters for the Covid-19 pandemic. This study used the quantitative approach and data collection technique by interviewing 3 community representatives and distributing questionnaires to 24 households. Assessment of gender mainstreaming indicators used the scoring analysis with 5 indicators, i.e., access, benefits, participation, control and inclusion. The results showed that Kampung Siaga Candi Hebat was formed through the establishment of a food storehouse to help meet the needs of food security during the pandemic, freshwater cultivation through involving people affected by layoffs, and the construction of a health center as a monitoring facility, and an isolation accommodation for residents affected by the Covid-19 virus. However, in the management of residential spaces, impediments were still found in terms of lack of availability and management of existing green public spaces and the lack of management integration of waterways, water disposal and garbage. In conclusion, the control aspect was found to be the most influential, with a contribution value of 21% out of 75%. Accordingly, accustomization of the gender mainstreaming approach showed a value of 75% which can be considered quite effective.

The Role of Gender in Adolescent Dating Abuse: An Interpretive Meta-Synthesis of the Qualitative Literature.

The role of gender has received considerable attention in the academic literature on intimate partner violence (IPV). The Grand Challenges for Social Work take a gender-neutral approach, without regard to the influence of gender on adolescent development and dating relationships. This positioning is inconsistent with gender mainstreaming approaches that have been integrated into international framings of IPV. The purpose of this article is to conduct a qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis to investigate how gender is represented in research on adolescent dating abuse across qualitative literature (N = 17 articles). Results underscore that gender influences the impact of abuse, with female adolescents more likely to be fearful in relationships, at higher risk for damage to their social standing, and more likely to be blamed for the abuse. Gender-specific attitudes affect perceptions of the seriousness of abuse, antecedents of abuse, and rationales for perpetrating violence. Findings across the studies indicate that adolescents have internalized gender scripts. Therefore, strategies to prevent dating abuse need to be cognizant of the socializing role of gender and the myriad ways it influences adolescents' lived experiences. Therefore, the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare should consider revising the language of the existing challenges to mainstream gender.

Transportation professionals' visions of transit sexual assault: The problem of deproblematizing beliefs

Abstract This study examines planners’ views of transit sexual assault in two transit systems where sexual assault is widespread, but little action has been taken: TransMilenio Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Bogota and Soacha, Colombia and informal transit in El Alto, Bolivia. In both cases, many planners lack information about transit sexual assault in their city, and the agencies do not systematically measure its frequency. Additionally, planners’ views of transit sexual assault are shaped by five widespread deproblematizing beliefs: (1) victims of sexual assault on transit are often mistaken or lying; (2) groping and sexual rubbing do not seriously harm victims; (3) victims brought the attack on themselves; (4) assault is natural and unchangeable; and (5) planners should not be responsible for addressing sexual assault because they did not create the problem. These beliefs, which were more common among male planners, pose a significant barrier to action because they support an attitude that sexual assault on transit is not a problem to which planners should devote resources; either there is no problem to solve or attempting to solve it is so difficult as to be futile. Additionally, deproblematizing beliefs reduce openness to new data about transit sexual assault. The belief that women are likely to mistake innocent actions for sexual assault renders some planners dismissive of survey data based on the self reports of (ostensibly) unreliable narrators. The results indicate that in the long term, a gender mainstreaming approach that includes training for planners is needed. In the short term, one critical task is to convince reluctant reformers that transit sexual assault is a problem on which planners can and should take action.

The implementation of gender equality within the South African Public Service (1994–2019)

Background: There are various factors that affect the effective implementation of gender equality in South Africa. Some of the factors include digital divide, economic empowerment, gender relations, gender-based violence, poverty, women’s access to political power, and women’s mobility in the workplace. Aim: The feminist movements resulted in the notion of transformation that demands that gender-based aspects need integration in all government policies, programmes and projects. This approach is called the gender mainstreaming approach (GMA). This article within the theoretical framework of GMA examines the factors that hamper the implementation of the gender equality (focus) within the South African Public Service (locus). Setting: The research is descriptive in nature that played an important role in developing an in-depth account of gender inequalities in the public service. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive research method was employed. This article, which is theoretical in nature, drew its arguments from secondary data, which included books, journal articles, newspaper clippings, Internet sources and official documents. Results: The article argues that the consideration of women in lower management levels affects their career in the long term as the succession from entry-level positions to higher management positions requires a considerable time frame and is often delayed. Conclusion: The article recommends that all South African Public Service departments need to submit a gender mainstreaming report annually to the Department of Public Service and Administration for assessment to identify gaps in the implementation of gender equality within the public service.

MONITORING OF THE EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BY THE GENDER MATURITY EVALUATION MODELS (CASE STUDY OF UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITIES)

The current approaches to the organizational management of higher education institutions in accordance with the priority areas identified by the World Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-first Century are analyzed. The focus of the research is the application of gender mainstreaming approach to assessing the maturity of the university management system. It is noted that the necessary methodological basis for the development of models of gender-oriented monitoring of educational management should be the components of organizational development (from the operational level to the strategic one), as well as gender characteristics that correspond to the principles of equality in the workplace. Comparative monitoring of organizational and project management of higher education institutions by the example of three Ukrainian universities has been carried out. The author’s model of quantitative assessment of organizational and technological maturity using gender-sensitive indicators is applied. The gender maturity of the organizational system is evaluated in terms of the organizational capabilities of the ability and gender sensitivity Model of estimation of gender maturity of organizational system the three-layer method of synthesis of mathematical model of integral estimation of gender maturity is applied. The matrix of indicators of gender maturity in the context of elements of organizational development and gender characteristics of organizational maturity is presented.

Understanding gender dimensions of climate-smart agriculture adoption in disaster-prone smallholder farming communities in Malawi and Zambia

Purpose Through the application of traditional and contemporary feminist theories in gender mainstreaming, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to emergent debate on gender dimensions in climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption by smallholder farmers in disaster-prone regions. This is important to ensure that CSA strategies are tailored to farmer-specific gender equality goals. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory-sequential mixed methods research design which is qualitatively biased was applied. Key informant interviews and farmer focus group discussions in two study sites formed initial qualitative phase whose findings were explored in a quantitative cross-sectional household survey. Findings Findings shared in this paper indicate the predominant application of traditional gender mainstreaming approaches in CSA focusing on parochial gender dichotomy. Qualitative findings highlight perceptions that western gender approaches are not fully applicable to local contexts and realities, with gender mainstreaming in CSA seemingly to fulfil donor requirements, and ignorant of the heterogeneous nature of social groups. Quantitative findings establish that married men are majority adopters and non-adopters of CSA, while dis-adopters are predominantly de jure female household heads. The latter are more likely to adopt CSA than married women whose main role in CSA is implementers of spouse’s decisions. Access to education, intra-household power relations, productive asset and land ownership are socio-cultural dynamics shaping farmer profiles. Originality/value By incorporating African feminisms and intersectionality in CSA, value of this study lies in recommending gender policy reforms incorporating local gender contexts within the African socio-cultural milieu. This paper accentuates potential benefits of innovative blend of both contemporary and classic gender mainstreaming approaches in CSA research, practice and technology development in disaster-prone regions.