Gender-sensitive Measures Research Articles

“Leave me out of it and raise my salary”: Invisible work in the labor market and the gender wage gap

While the literature shows that “invisible work” – work that is neither defined nor recognized as labor – persists in the workplace, its relation to labor market outcomes, especially wages, remains relatively underexplored. This study examines the connection between invisible work and wages through a gendered perspective. Utilizing mixed-methods sequential analysis, we conducted 12 group interviews with employed women and men in Israel, uncovering four types of invisible work: physical care work, emotion labor, administrative work, and teamwork. Subsequently, we surveyed a representative sample of the Israeli labor force (n = 964). Regression analyses revealed significant relations between three types of invisible work and wages: doing physical care work correlated negatively with wages for all, while performing emotion labor and administrative work rewarded men more than women. Insights from the interviews elucidated gendered mechanisms linking wages to each invisible work type. The study emphasizes the need for gender-sensitive measures to address labor market inequality.

Leaving No Women Behind: Evaluating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Livelihood Outcomes in Kenya and Ethiopia.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has revolutionised our lives, bringing with it the twin crises of illness and the need for an optimal mix of policies to alleviate its impact on the population. There needs to be more evidence on the effects of the pandemic on livelihood outcomes, including an understanding of whether female-headed families in low-income countries fare worse than their male-headed counterparts during pandemics. Using high-frequency phone surveys conducted in Ethiopia and Kenya, we examine the aggregate impact of the pandemic on income and consumption losses, as well as food insecurity. The empirical analysis estimates linear probability models that relate livelihood outcomes with household headship and other socioeconomic characteristics as controls. Overall, the pandemic increased the likelihood of food insecurity while decreasing income and consumption, particularly among female-headed households. In Kenya, living in a female-headed home increased the possibility of an adult going without food by about 10%, an adult skipping a meal by about 9.9%, and a child missing a meal by about 17% in the seven days preceding the telephone survey. In Ethiopia, living in a female-headed household increased the likelihood of an adult going hungry, skipping a meal, and running out of food by about 24.35%, 18.9%, and 26.7%, respectively. Salient pre-existing socioeconomic inequalities further exacerbated the effects of the pandemic on livelihoods. The findings have important implications for public policy and preparations by governments and other organisations interested in developing suitable gender-sensitive measures to lessen the impact of future pandemics in low- and middle-income countries.

Opportunities for Gender Equality in the African Continental Free Trade Area: Drawing Lessons from COMESA

Abstract The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which has been signed by 54 out of the 55 African countries, seeks to create a single continental market for goods and services and facilitate the free movement of people on the continent, thereby boosting and enhancing the competitiveness of intra-African trade. However, while the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA, under Article 3 (e), emphasises that one of the general objectives of the AfCFTA is to promote gender equality, experiences in other African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) FTAs have proven that gender and gender equality have not been adequately mainstreamed in implementing Free Trade Areas which has resulted in gender inequalities in international trade and commerce. Consequently, the majority of women have been left marginalised in trade and faced with serious challenges in accessing opportunities created by regional trade agreements. This paper sought to examine the potential of the AfCFTA to promote gender equality in Africa through the promotion of intra-African trade opportunities. Using secondary data sources, it drew from the experiences of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in mainstreaming gender in regional trade to proffer recommendations for the AfCFTA. The concepts of gender equality, gender mainstreaming and trade liberalisation were utilised for conceptual analysis. Recommendations of the research are key in presenting possible options for implementing gender-sensitive measures and strategic interventions that address the differentiated implications of the AfCFTA on both men and women such that the AfCFTA delivers more transformative, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development in Africa.

European Integral Urban Policies from a Gender Perspective. Gender-Sensitive Measures, Transversality and Gender Approaches

Integrated policy strategies represent an increasingly popular approach in urban development and gender policies. This article analyses the integration between integral urban policies and gender mainstreaming in the European Union. A specific analytical proposal is elaborated and applied to urban policies promoted by the EU in Spain between 1994 and 2013. The Comparative Urban Policy Portfolio Analysis is used to study the inclusion of gender-sensitive policy measures in local project portfolios, their transversality across policy sectors, and the relevance of two main approaches to analyse them. The results show that integral urban development programmes have incorporated gender-sensitive policy measures. Results also show a low level of transversality focused mainly on social integration, although they combine objectives focused on a women-centred approach to classical areas of gender inequality affecting women, i.e., employment, education, health, and a gender approach focused on new welfare challenges linked to care and defamilisation. These results show the relevance of analysing gender approaches included in integral urban policies to comprehend the character of their gender mainstreaming and their potential effects on more gender-equal cities.

Appraisal of Agricultural Extension Delivery Approaches among Mbororo Fulani Women in the North West Region of Cameroon

The focus to this study is to make an appraisal on the different agricultural extension delivery approaches that are used to disseminate agricultural innovations to Mbororo Fulani women in the North West region of Cameroon. The study was done between January 2018 to May 2020 and involved only Mbororo Fulani women between the ages of 21-60 years. Primary data was collected through the use of structured questionnaires, observations, focus groups and Interview guides. While secondary data was collected through the study of books, journals, research projects and scientific articles. Multistage sampling techniques were used to select the female farmers for the study. 400 questionnaires were administered randomly to Mbororo women in Mezam, Momo, Boyo, and Donga-Mantung Divisions of the North West Region of Cameroon. Statistical package for social science (SPSS) was used for data analysis and the spearman correlation coefficient test was equally used to verify the hypothesis. Results from the study revealed that farmer field school (37%) and participatory approach (47%) are the most common extension approaches used to provide agricultural innovations to the Mbororo Fulani women in the North West region of Cameroon. Also, the study noted that Mbororo Fulani women in the North West region have limited knowledge about extension delivery approaches needed to bring about innovations in the agricultural sector which they are greatly involved. It is therefore recommended that Policy makers in agricultural extension related issues, should develop gender sensitive measures to increase Mbororo Fulani women in education and training that can create awareness on the application of extension delivery approaches in the agricultural sector which the find themselves as active participants and this can be done through the creation of Mbororo Fulani female farmer’s cooperatives.

Navigating Institutions for Integration: Perceived Institutional Barriers of Access to the Labour Market among Refugee Women in Sweden

Abstract Sweden may in many respects be regarded as one of the most gender-equal countries in the world today. However, when looking at the situation of immigrant women a more unsettling picture emerges. Employment rates illustrate large gaps between native and immigrant women, as well as significant gender gaps between immigrant men and women. When investigating plausible explanations for underrepresentation of immigrant women in the labour market, scholars have mainly focussed on cultural and individual explanatory factors. In contrast, this article casts our analytical gaze towards institutional factors by examining the experiences of refugee women who, despite expressing a positive attitude and strong willingness to establish themselves on the Swedish labour market, had not succeeded in finding secure employment. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with refugee women, the results suggest that the insufficient institutional support during the first years in Sweden, devaluation of competence and challenges with ‘starting over’ are perceived as central barriers hindering their access to the Swedish labour market. To facilitate higher labour force participation among refugee women in Sweden it is crucial to develop and implement gender-sensitive measures that target different groups of immigrant women and meet their distinct experiences, needs, and interests.

The gendering of Ethiopia's agricultural policies: A critical feminist analysis

This paper provides a critical feminist analysis of seven policies relating to gender equality in the agriculture sector of Ethiopia. A review of 22 major documents that outline legislation and policy frame the feminist analysis. Despite the strong commitment of the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) toward gender equality and gender mainstreaming, many of the policies analyzed do not integrate gender equality as a priority for the growth and development of the country and do not adequately mainstream gender. At best, there is an emphasis on increasing women's participation and integration, but few solid gender targets are set. Moreover, gender-specific policies have regressed since the 2006 National Action Plan on Gender Equality (NAP-GE) that proposed important gender-sensitive measures. This represents the paradox of gender relationships in Ethiopia, whereby the gains made are reverted as the government tried to hold onto power by suppressing human rights. Nevertheless, agriculture-related policies have significantly improved in gender-sensitivity over the same time, culminating with the approval of the Gender Equality Strategy for Ethiopia's Agricultural Sector (GESEA) in 2017. This paper explores some of the reasons why this change may have occurred and what can be learned from it.

Women's mobility via bus rapid transit: Experiential patterns and challenges in Lahore

BackgroundWomen in developing countries experience greater restrictions in mass urban mobility. UN's Sustainability Development Goals for 2030 recommend safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable public transportation, particularly for the vulnerable groups. Pakistan experiences rapid urbanization trends and considerably low ranking worldwide for gender equality. In addition, socio-cultural norms, higher dependency on public transport, lack of gender-responsive mass transportation, and harassment experiences limit women to explore potential growth opportunities. ObjectivesSince limited evidence exists on the subject, this study aims to investigate typical mobility attributes of women users of Pakistan's first bus rapid transit (BRT) in Lahore, explore the challenges they face, and recommend measures for improved urban mobility. MethodsPrimary data include face-to-face interview-based questionnaire surveys along the BRT corridor to assess various quantitative and qualitative travel characteristics. Descriptive and cross-comparison statistical techniques were applied to obtain reliable results. Responses related to harassment were documented and evaluated. Graphical trends and pictorial evidences were also presented. ResultsMajor segments of the study sample belonged to lower-income, relatively younger and middle age, students, employees and users with no or limited work. More prevalent modes to and from BRT stations were paratransit, including rickshaws and chingchis (motorbikes converted into rickshaws), followed by walking. Majority accessed BRT within 5 km, covered less than 15 km along 27 km BRT corridor, and traveled during daylight. Major challenges were harassment at stations and in buses (younger users being more affected), limited facilities for the elderly, lack of seating/waiting facilities near entrances/exits of BRT stations, limited dedicated space in buses and ticketing booths during rush hours. ConclusionThe study highlights important typical mobility trends and difficulties of women while using Lahore BRT. Addressing women's mass urban mobility issues could improve their educational and economic prospects. Findings could be useful for transportation agencies and practitioners to incorporate gender-sensitive measures in future BRT systems, particularly in developing countries.

WASH and gender in health care facilities: The uncharted territory

ABSTRACTHealth care facilities in low- and middle-income countries are high-risk settings, and face special challenges to achieving sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Our applied interdisciplinary research conducted in India and Uganda analyzed six dimensions of WASH services in selected health care facilities, including menstrual hygiene management.To be effective, WASH monitoring strategies in health care facilities must include gender sensitive measures. We present a novel strategy, showing that applied gender sensitive multitool assessments are highly productive in assessments of WASH services and facilities from user and provider perspectives. We discuss its potential for applications at scale and as an area of future research.

Gender counts: A systematic review of evaluations of gender-integrated health interventions in low- and middle-income countries

ABSTRACTAs a result of new global priorities, there is a growing need for high-quality evaluations of gender-integrated health programmes. This systematic review examined 99 peer-reviewed articles on evaluations of gender-integrated (accommodating and transformative) health programmes with regard to their theory of change (ToC), study design, gender integration in data collection, analysis, and gender measures used. Half of the evaluations explicitly described a ToC or conceptual framework (n = 50) that guided strategies for their interventions. Over half (61%) of the evaluations used quantitative methods exclusively; 11% used qualitative methods exclusively; and 28% used mixed methods. Qualitative methods were not commonly detailed. Evaluations of transformative interventions were less likely than those of accommodating interventions to employ randomised control trials. Two-thirds of the reviewed evaluations reported including at least one specific gender-related outcome (n = 18 accommodating, n = 44 transformative). To strengthen evaluations of gender-integrated programmes, we recommend use of ToCs, explicitly including gender in the ToC, use of gender-sensitive measures, mixed-method designs, in-depth descriptions of qualitative methods, and attention to gender-related factors in data collection logistics. We also recommend further research to develop valid and reliable gender measures that are globally relevant.

Women participation in the management of a Marine Protected Area in Brazil

The Marine Extractive Reserve Corumbau, a MPA unit, was created for the sustainable use of fishing resources. The exclusive right over resources requires that its population of fishermen and fisherwomen have consistent and equitable participation in the decision-making for an effective co-management. This research considers the importance of incorporating women's experiences and knowledge in the MPA management. We aimed to know the working conditions of women involved in fishing at the Corumbau MPA and reasons that affect their participation in management and decision-making. We have heard fisherwomen and shellfish collectors of three communities, during two consecutive years, through interviews and participative observations. Women's participation in meetings of MERC is limited and hampered by factors related to gender, unmet expectations, lack of information. The dynamics of the meetings and the decision-making process need to address specific women's needs and priorities, with gender sensitive measures. Increasing women's rights at MERC and hearing their voices could lead to significant impacts on personal and collective levels, benefiting the communities as a whole. Measures directed to inform, motivate and support them could increase their degree of confidence in co-management and increase their participation, with positive reflections on conservation and socioeconomical conditions.

Exploring the Capability Approach to Conceptualize Gender Inequality and Poverty in Fiji

This article highlights the gaps in Fiji's poverty literature, notably the persistent insensitivity to gender within mainstream approaches to poverty measurement. To address the androcentric biases in household analyses, the author suggests the capability approach as more suited to conceptualize and assess gender inequality and women's poverty within the household. This article uses the capability framework to indicate a space within which intrahousehold comparisons are made using empirical evidence from Fiji. The article explores the ways in which one could operationalize the methodologies for gender-sensitive measures of poverty, which are capable of reflecting the experiences of women and men.

Gender and innovation for corporate change in ICT: Culture as continuity or change for women workers?

The presence and position of women working in ICT companies in Spain has until now been unchartered territory. This working paper is based on a research project looking at women’s participation and position in the ICT sector in Spain. Empirical research consisted of both quantitative and qualitative analysis including a survey to 327 companies (48% response rate) and 12 indepth case studies in a range of ICT companies. Findings from the quantitative analysis revolved around three main issues, a) how male and female respondents perceived different barriers hindering the access of women to top positions b) how the culture, size and the type of innovative company influenced the implementation of gender sensitive policies c) how the increased presence of women in management could be linked to the implementation of gender sensitive policies. Findings from the qualitative analysis enabled us to develop a typology of companies according to their conception of ‘equality’ (non-discrimination v diversity), openness to change (space/ time), implementation of gender sensitive measures (reactive/ proactive) and level of formalization. The main findings of the research highlighted major differences between how multinational (Anglo-Saxon culture) and Spanish (Latin culture) companies operate in terms of the above axes. Our research showed how company cultures therefore act as either a barrier hindering women’s entry and progression or can open up opportunities for women in the ICT industry.

The Prosecution of Gender-based Crimes at the ICC: Challenges and Opportunities

AbstractThe ICC statute incorporates a mandate to implement gender-sensitive measures in its structures and procedures, but trials in progress at present demonstrate that the ICC faces considerable challenges in tackling gender-based crimes consistently. The current Article discusses the fact that gender-based crimes are still under-investigated, under-prosecuted and remain the least condemned crime. In the face of considerable difficulties, not least the absence of guidance on the implementation of its statute in this regard and its limited resources, the ICC must make a firm commitment to the prosecution of gender-based crimes. The Article concludes with an analysis of three specific areas: (i) the necessity for the establishment of institutional arrangements for decision-making about prosecutions and investigations; (ii) the necessity for Member States to demonstrate commitment that such crimes will not be tolerated and (iii) the necessity for gender-based crimes to be expressly identified as international crimes.

An assessment of gender as a factor among severely mentally disabled case management clients.

Ninety-four clients who were receiving intensive case management services were assessed for gender differences on a variety of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, functioning level, social network and subjective and objective quality of life. The high degree of similarities among male and female clients in the study suggests the possibility that mental disability is more socially handicapping than gender. An alternative explanation is that there is a paucity of gender sensitive measures available to evaluate mental health services. Regardless of gender, younger clients were less satisfied with their living arrangement and were less satisfied with family relations, although young women were least satisfied with family relations. The need for development of gender sensitive measures and the development and evaluation of services addressing needs of women with serious mental illness is discussed.

Gender inequalities in health: social position, affective disorders and minor physical morbidity.

Research has consistently reported a female excess of minor physical morbidity and affective disorders compared to men. Using data from a national cross sectional survey of British women and men aged 18-59, this paper explores three prominent explanations for these patterns: that the female excess is due to problems associated with menstruation and the menopause; that it is 'caused' by the social positions which women occupy in contemporary western societies; and that the excess of affective disorders is 'caused' by women's social positions but that their higher rate of physical illness is psychosomatic in origin. The analysis presented here suggests that problems with menstruation and the menopause cannot explain gender inequalities in minor illness. Similarly the argument that the female excess of minor physical illness is psychosomatic is not supported, indeed, there is evidence that women's experience of minor physical illness may 'cause' their higher rates of affective disorders. Finally, with a few exceptions, the relationship between minor illness and four dimensions of social positions--marital status, employment status, social class and income--were broadly the same for women and men but in each social position category, women report higher rates of both types of ill health than men. It is concluded that present measures of these social positions do not capture the differing experiences of women and men and that more gender sensitive measures are needed if gender inequalities in minor illness are to be understood.