Improving Gender Balance Research Articles

Cartels, board gender composition and gender quotas

AbstractCartel busting often results in the restructuring of boards of directors, presumably to remove individuals (both executive and non-executive members) who may have been involved in the cartel. This study employs 2 exogenous changes—cartel busting and binding board gender quotas policies—to examine their impact on board gender composition using DiD and Staggered DiD methods. In countries with binding quotas, boards are already undergoing restructuring to include more women, even without the shock of cartel busting. Furthermore, boards increase the percentage of women in non-cartelized firms only when countries introduce binding gender quotas. Binding board gender quota regulations are effective in improving gender balance on corporate boards. Additionally, in countries without binding board gender quotas, only firms sanctioned for cartel conduct show an increase in the percentage of women after cartel busting, compared to non-sanctioned firms. Thus, board gender quota regulations and anti-cartel policies interact to influence the gender composition of sanctioned firms: binding gender policies are effective in achieving more balanced board gender composition, and cartel busting drives more balanced boards in sanctioned firms regardless of whether their countries have binding board quota regulations or not.

ISCCM Position Statement for Improving Gender Balance in Critical Care Medicine.

Sathe P, Shukla U, Kapadia FN, Ray S, Chanchalani G, Nasa P, et al. ISCCM Position Statement for Improving Gender Balance in Critical Care Medicine. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(S2):S288-S296.

Striving for Diversity of Leadership: Governance in UK Higher Education Institutions

Diversity of membership on boards and governance bodies in a range of sectors have been shown to be a key element in successful boards and effectively lead, monitor and advise their executive. Much progress has been made on improving gender balance on boards, including in universities and higher education institutions (HEI). However, the (scant) literature on HEI boards highlights that higher education or university boards in the UK need to do more to tackle all the other forms of under-representation where limited progress has been made on diversity, other than gender. This paper thus has two main aims, the first to locate the work on developing the diversity of UK university boards within the wider (corporate) theory and literature in this field. This is because the literature in the corporate sector is better established and therefore there is something to learn from practice in this area. The second aim is to develop a practical toolkit to expedite board diversity in higher education to bring it in line with other sectors to enable them to reflect what the OECD believe should be the role of universities: which is to be at the cutting edge of leading societal change.
 This paper reports on quantitative and qualitative data collected and analysed in order to develop a practical Board Diversity Toolkit - the first national scheme of its kind. Data were collected from 44 HEIs, representing a third of the UK’s HEIs and 104 governors to inform the development of the Toolkit. The paper discusses the issues raised in the data that might be a key barrier to achieving diversity and addressing chronic under-representation in UK Boards. This centred around deep-seated attitudes on how diversity may compromise the skills needed on Boards and importantly how to unseat these ingrained (often unconscious) attitudes if we are to achieve genuine change at Board levels. The Board Diversity Toolkit, designed as an output of work, could play a key role in changing such attitudes and develop the UK HEI sector in terms of conducting board business better, as well as meeting the need to be representative of staff and student bodies.

Promoting Gender Equality in Early Childhood Education: Lessons from the Nordic Countries

Education plays a pivotal role in promoting gender equality and Early Childhood Education (ECE) is fast emerging as a new frontier to achieve this. The Nordic countries lead the pack in advancing gender equality in ECE, setting an exemplary standard for other nations. On one hand, they have included gender mainstreaming in their policies and regulations regarding ECE. By using Gender Equality Planning and Gender certificates, they ensure that gender equality is integral to ECE at the institutional level. On the other hand, the Nordic countries have also systematically advanced gender equality in ECE from various perspectives. They have done this by improving gender balance in the teaching workforce, integrating gender equality education into teacher training programs, and providing gender equality education in kindergarten settings. These experiences offer valuable insights for countries worldwide aiming to promote gender equality in the ECE stage.

ESCP President's report.

ESCP President's report.

Gender diversity on corporate boards, firm performance, and risk-taking: New evidence from Spain

Spain was the first European country to pass a ”Gender Equality Act” to improve gender balance on corporate boards. Motivated by this vital development in Spanish law, we examine whether and how women directors play a role in influencing firm risk-taking and performance. We use 805 firm-year observations from 165 unique firms for 2013–2018. We find that firms with higher board gender diversity experience better accounting-based firm performance but lower market-based firm performance. Notably, our results show that firms with more female directors take higher risks, which puts a new insight into the long-standing tale that female directors are risk averse. Our results are robust with alternative measures of board gender diversity, performance and risk measures, alternative model specifications, and the two-step system GMM approach to address possible endogeneity. Our study context is, however, limited to Spain and does not account for female directors’ demographic and professional attributes due to the unavailability of relevant data. Despite these limitations, our research has important practical implications for policy and practice to enact a more gender-diverse board for better firm performance and risk management.

A report from the Irish women in cardiology survey, exploring Europe's largest gender gap in cardiology.

AimsIn Ireland, 8% of public cardiology consultants are female; this is the lowest proportion in Europe. We sought to understand perceptions amongst Irish trainees and consultants regarding aspects of working in cardiology in order to identify areas that can be targeted to improve gender equality.Methods and ResultsIn September 2021, the Irish Cardiac Society distributed a questionnaire to trainees and consultants in the Republic and Northern Ireland. Ethical approval was obtained from the University College Dublin, Ireland. There were 94 respondents (50% male, 50% consultants) which equates to ∼30% of all trainees and consultants in all Ireland. Although females were more likely to be single, overall, they had additional child-care responsibilities compared with male counterparts. Despite 53% of the respondents preferring to work less than full time, 64% reported a perceived lack of support from their departments. Males were significantly more likely to go into procedural/high radiation sub-specialities. Bullying was reported by 53% of females. Almost 80% of females experienced sexism and 30% reported being overlooked for professional advancement based on their sex. Females also rated their career prospects lower than males. Key challenges for women were: sexism, maternity leave/child-care responsibilities, cardiology as a ‘boys club’ and lack of flexible training. There was interest from both males and females in a mentorship programme and support for women in leadership positions.ConclusionDiscrimination including sexism, bullying, and equal opportunity for professional advancement are key aspects that need to be addressed to improve gender balance in cardiology within Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Does balancing gender composition lead to more prosocial outcomes? Experimental evidence of equality in public goods and extraction games from rural Kenya

There is resurging interest in community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) as an approach for achieving global biodiversity conservation goals. Yet, CBNRM remains dominated by men, elevating the importance of designing programs that give voice and agency to women. Arguments for increasing gender balance within CBNRM often assume women have strong preferences for equality and altruism and would therefore be better environmental stewards. Evidence on the effect of gender balance on commons management, however, remains mixed. We report on two framed field experimental games with community members directly engaged in the use and management of natural resources in rural Kenya. Participants were randomly assigned to single-gender (all male n = 23; all female n = 28) or mixed gender groups (n = 36) to assess the role of gender composition on group and individual decisions. The two games provide unique insights into the give (public good games) and take (extraction games) decisions common in natural resource management. We find mixed gender groups tend to achieve more socially optimal outcomes than single-gender groups in the public goods game context, but all male groups tended to conserve the most in the extraction game. Women are not necessarily more likely to make prosocial decisions than men, and factors such as framing and social relations affect decisions. Our results indicate gender composition affects group decision-making and is therefore important for commons management, and that mixed gender groups can be more effective than single-gender groups. Improving gender balance in CBNRM may help achieve more desirable outcomes from a social and conservation perspective but understanding decision-making contexts is critical.

The representation of women in Irish Leaving Certificate Physics textbooks

This paper examines the representation of women in Irish Leaving Certificate Physics textbooks. Findings show that women are significantly underrepresented, both in terms of scientific characters (historic and current) described within the textbooks, and also in terms of more general non-scientific characters within the books. Furthermore, analysis suggests that the language used to describe characters mentioned in the books may compound gender inequalities. Relevant policies (curricular, governmental, etc) are examined and suggestions are made to improve gender balance in future textbooks.

Determinants of Smallholder Farmer Labor Allocation Decisions in Uganda

ABSTRACT This study provides evidence on factors that influence household labor allocation decisions and demand for farm labor in Uganda. We estimated a monthly panel data to deal with potential heterogeneity or individual effect and tested for violation of the random effects modeling assumption that the explanatory variables are orthogonal to the unit effects. In addition, we estimated a random effects tobit model that involve explained variables with corner solutions. The results show that exogenous income did not affect off-farm labor supply by liquidity constrained households while liquidity unconstrained households increased the amount of labor supplied to off-farm activities and the amount of labor hired in. Farm size and education of household head improved labor productivity on farm and hence the amount of labor hired. Road proximity improved both the hiring in and out of labor. The household being male headed improved the work hours in the nonagricultural off-farm activities. The findings imply that direct payments such as input provision to the poor may not improve labor employment unless backed with policies that remove bottlenecks and improve opportunities in the labor market. Instead, investment in micro credit institutions, road infrastructure, and education suited to smallholder production needs and policies that improve gender balance in terms of access to productive resources could help alleviate bottlenecks in labor markets and improve resource allocation between farm and off-farm sectors.

Gender and editorship in oculoplastics societal publications

ABSTRACT Purpose The editorship of medical journals is a leadership role that can affect recognition and career advancement. We determine the gender representation of the editorial boards of oculoplastic surgery journals in comparison to the proportion of women in oculoplastics societies. Methods The gender composition of the American, European and Asia-Pacific societies of oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery and the editorial boards of their respective society journals were determined with online searches in March 2021. Statistical tests for the equality of proportions were performed. Results Excluding 44 individuals with missing gender data, the three combined oculoplastics societies comprised 1,230 distinct members, with 29% women. The editorial review boards of the three official society publications comprised 59 medical editors, 22% of which were women. There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of women editors versus women OPRS members (p = .201) but the study is underpowered to detect a 7% difference. A sensitivity analysis with the missing data did not alter the conclusions. The mean h-index/m-quotient of the women editors was 20.50/0.87 and for the men 21.05/0.84, with no statistically significant difference (p = .903/0.851) Conclusion Women are underrepresented on the editorial boards of oculoplastic journals. Possible methods to improve gender balance include multicriteria objective decision-making criteria for editor nominations, mentoring peer reviewers that are women, and appointing a journal editor for equity, diversity and inclusion.

How Heads of Departments Find It Meaningful to Engage with Gender Balance Policies

Abstract This article investigates how heads of department (HoDs) understand and implement gender balance policies in Norway, considered to be among the most gender-equal countries in the world. Previous studies have found that HoDs often resist enacting gender equality policies. This interview-based study provides a more optimistic and nuanced picture. Employing domestication theory and narrative analysis, this study shows that HoDs understand gender balance as an important goal and responsibility in principle. However, to actively engage with implementation, HoDs needed to see how improving gender balance would benefit their departments and help reach other goals. This sense-making was pivotal for motivation to enact measures and change their practices. The article brings new knowledge on how HoDs may work to improve the gender balance among faculty and generates deeper insight into the critical co-production of sense-making and enactment of practices related to improving gender balance.

Representation Of Women In Art Museums: How Can We Improve Gender Balance In Exhibition Practice?

This paper is a summary of my master thesis from 2019. The paper examines the obstacles that artists, who are women, face in their artistic practice and opportunity to have their works exhibited in a Danish context. The paper is the result of a study into the representation of women artists in Danish state art museums; a study stemming from the observation that the prestigious Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition in Copenhagen always exhibits as many (if not more) women than men. Given the well documented imbalance of men and women artists in museum exhibitions around the world, the paper offers some inspiration for curators and museums to look at their own exhibition practice in order to foster gender equity and engage in active history-making.

Gender equality and the business case in horse racing

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the findings and outcomes from research undertaken in 2016 on diversity in British horse racing. The last decade has seen increasing focus on improving gender balance in senior roles in most sectors. Motivation for change within horse racing came from women at a senior level, who identified that the industry was behind in this respect. This work offers a case study to consider, with a business case context, whether an initiative, driven from the top, can open up a conversation about inequality and precipitate change that benefits women across a whole sector.Design/methodology/approachThis research took an action research approach using a survey alongside key stakeholder interviews.FindingsThe findings showed a diverse industry with complex career paths. Growing numbers of women have entered the sector, though this was often not reflected in women's seniority or in perceptions about their capabilities. Issues identified included the importance of mentoring, networking and career advice for women's progression, which are needed to navigate myriad career paths and male-dominated structures. The paper argues that investigating equality issues from a perspective of those in leadership roles can lead to pragmatic initiatives supporting women at all levels.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper is that it focuses on work which, for the first time, explored women's career participation in the horse racing industry. It challenges existing critiques of using a business case to promote gender equality.

A Typology of Legal, Regulatory and Voluntary Initiatives to Address Gender Balance on Corporate Boards

The slow pace of global progress in improving gender balance on corporate boards cannot be attributed to a lack of policy initiatives: a considerable variety of legal, regulatory and voluntary efforts have been implemented across multiple jurisdictions. However, the lack of an agreed means of categorising such initiatives has made it difficult to effectively compare their relative merits. Inconsistent terminology when reporting and analysing policy interventions is not only confusing, it can hamper identification of which aspect or aspects of a policy intervention are advancing (or failing to advance) the desired goal. This paper addresses this gap by proposing a typology based on four factors: Source, Approach, Enforcement and Legal Basis. Based on an extensive review of initiatives in numerous countries we have identified eight common categories that reflect particular combinations of these four factors, namely Quotas, Equality Policies, Targets, Measurements, Governance, Suggestions, Aspirations and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.

Gender Factor in the Nuclear Industry

The aim of the work is to study the role of women managers in the nuclear industry. The article analyzes the documents of the United Nations (UN), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation, the Rosatom State Corporation, the Rosatom Technical Academy, the Russian Foundation for the Support and Development of Women’s Initiatives “Association of Women of the Nuclear Industry”, the results of research by domestic and foreign scientists to improve gender balance in the nuclear field. Worldwide, the proportion of female specialists is less than a quarter of all specialists working in the nuclear sector. The article shows that the gender gap has significant implications for the future of nuclear energy in countries with the nuclear industry. These states need new generations of specialists to ensure the further safe and effective use of nuclear technologies for industrial, scientific and medical purposes. Attracting and retaining more women and their career growth in the nuclear industry is an important goal for a country with nuclear industry. The article examines the role of women holding high positions in leading large organizations in various spheres of modern society, analyzes the role of women and their place in scientific, technical, engineering and mathematical careers. The novelty of the work lies in the fact that it presents the results of the first conducted sociological research on the problems of gender equality among women managers, specialists in the nuclear industry of Russia. The study showed that women are overcoming the “glass ceiling” in an industry traditionally dominated by men, but not so fast as new challenges require. Gender inequality in the nuclear industry is particularly pronounced in comparison with other industries. The results of the sociological research show changes in the industry aimed at making the nuclear industry more open and attractive to women.

Physics and Humanity: the advancement of women in physics at universities

The physics community of practice has been active at many levels in promoting the advancement of women. However, the percentages of women in university departments remain generally lower in physics than in the life sciences. Arguments relating to teaching and research loads and work-life balance are comparable in these disciplines. This paper addresses the questions of why the advancement of women is relatively slow in physics, and why comparative numbers return to their former levels at the conclusion of initiatives to improve gender balance. Several useful concepts and recent changes are summarised. It is suggested that two relevant dominant factors that differ across these fields are perceived gender bias in the fields, and belief that innate talent is a prerequisite, combined with the stereotype that women do not possess this talent. Two global projects are cited, one of which is currently in progress.

Cadets in portuguese military academies: a sociological portrait

The aim of this article is to revisit the question of the social origins of the armed forces officer corps, using data drawn from a survey to all cadets following military training at the three Portuguese service academies in 2016. It puts forward the question of whether the sociological characteristics of the future military elite reveal a pattern of convergence with society or depart from it, in terms of geographical origins, gender and social origins. The article offers a sociological portrait of the cadets and compares it with previous studies, identifying trends of change and continuity. The results show that there is a diversified and convergent recruitment pattern: cadets are coming from a greater variety of regions in the country than in the past; there is a still an asymmetric but improving gender balance; self-recruitment patterns are rather stable, and there is a segmented social origin pointing to the dominance of the more qualified and affluent social classes. In the conclusion questions are raised regarding future civil-military convergence patterns as well as possible growing differences between ranks.

There She Goes Again: A Project on Gender Representation in Norwegian Museums’ Collections and Exhibition Practices

Recent research has shown that Norwegian museums reproduce outdated ideas, power structures and inequities in their exhibitions and educational programmes, as well as in the management of their collections. In 2018, the Arts Council Norway granted the Norwegian Museum Network for Women’s History (led by the Women’s Museum in Norway) NOK 2.8 million (EUR 260,000) for a project aiming to change such anti-democratic practices. This article discusses the background for and development of this project. The project’s title, ‘There She Goes Again’, refers to an expression museum professionals are often confronted with when addressing the lack of women’s perspectives in their own institutions. The expression shows a patriarchal attitude that still persists in Norwegian museums. This project develops a methodology designed to help museum practitioners improve gender balance in their collections, as well as when curating new exhibitions. The focus is on museums’ everyday practices. One of the project’s challenges, but also one of its ambitions, is to devise a toolkit that can be easily implemented by museums to improve how gender is represented in museums. The Norwegian Museum Network for Women’s History will form pilot groups to test and evaluate the new methodology. This is an ongoing project that was initiated in January 2019 and will end in March 2021. This article presents the initial phases of the project and reflects upon the challenges we have thus far observed. It includes a critical discussion of the project, its methodology and the workgroup’s own practices.

'Pushing the limits': experiences of women in tropical peatland research

Science fields, including tropical peatland research, are facing persistent under-representation of women. In this perspective piece, we explore, as women at different stages of our career, our personal experiences of ‘what is it like to be a woman working in tropical peatland science’? We collected our responses and analysed them thematically. Although we come from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures, our responses all dealt with common issues, such as from practical challenges of being women in the field, persistent sexism, issues of harassment to navigating the politics of research as a woman. The peat swamp is seen as a site of rebellion against traditional gender roles. Senior female role models were also vital for us all, which highlights that mentoring schemes in aquatic and wetland research, as in other science fields, need further consideration and investment. Continuing to improve gender balance is central to effecting a positive change in research culture, and we stress that the issue of the ‘bravado’ surrounding fieldwork needs to be further explored and challenged. By pushing these ‘limits’ both in the field and in the academy, we will not only produce a more equal and compassionate working environment, but also ultimately improve our science.