Institutional Policies Research Articles

The transformation of 20-year social participation policies of older people in China: Network analysis and text analysis.

Social participation of older adults is a crucial component of China's aged care services and an important strategy for actively addressing the aging population. Analyzing policy texts on older people's social participation can inform future policy formulation and the development of relevant programs. This study aims to quantitatively analyze the transformation of China's social participation policies for older people from 1999 to 2023, employing institutional network analysis and policy text analysis. A two-dimensional policy analysis framework was constructed based on the perspective of "policy tools and social participation stages." Using Rost Content Mining 6.0 and Nvivo 11.0 Plus software, 55 national-level policy texts were coded. Structural analysis of policy-issuing subjects and topic words was conducted to visualize the findings. The analysis revealed that the policy-issuing subjects demonstrated strong authority but weak coordination, with a lack of communication and cooperation across subjects. The use of policy tools was imbalanced, with an over-reliance on supply-type tools and insufficient use of demand-type tools. Additionally, the lack of effective policy tools to support various social participation stages has limited policy implementation. With technological advancement and changing needs of the elderly population, there is a need for a more systematic and forward-looking top-level design of elderly social participation policies: accelerating the systematization and precision of technological elements in policies for elderly social participation, integrating social organizations via technological platforms to mobilize diverse stakeholder engagement, and addressing the digital divide between the elderly and new technologies is imperative.

Enhancing Physics Education in Ugandan Teacher Training Institutions: Technology Integration and Gender-Inclusive Teaching Strategies

Purpose: This article investigates strategies to enhance physics education in Ugandan Teacher Training Institutes (TTIs) by utilizing the TPACK framework. It focuses on technology integration, professional development for educators, and innovative teaching approaches to improve the quality of physics education. Methodology: Employing a mixed-method design, this study examined ICT and gender integration in physics teaching across three Teacher Training Institutions in Eastern Uganda. The research utilized case study and survey designs, gathering data from 14 Physics Lecturers and 14 TTI administrators through surveys, interviews, observations, and document analysis. Purposive sampling was used to select participants with relevant expertise. Data were analyzed using content analysis and quantitative methods in Excel, adhering to ethical protocols that included obtaining permissions and ensuring confidentiality. Findings: The study highlights that while physics lecturers possess strong subject matter and pedagogical knowledge, there is a notable deficiency in updated ICT skills and gender-inclusive practices. Key strategies for enhancing ICT competencies include implementing professional development programs, adopting blended learning models, and conducting ICT integration workshops. The research identifies that demographic factors and digital literacy significantly influence ICT integration, emphasizing the need for targeted training and resource allocation to create inclusive, technology-enhanced educational environments aligned with TPACK, DOI, and sociocultural theories. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice, and Policy: This study underscores the critical need for comprehensive training in ICT and gender inclusivity within TTIs. It emphasizes the importance of institutional support and policy development to modernize physics education, enhance pedagogical practices, and promote gender equity.

Challenges and opportunities for early career researchers: using the theory of practice architectures to unpack enabling and constraining conditions

ABSTRACT Globally, there are growing examinations of what it means to be ‘early career’ in contemporary academia. Across international contexts, the experiences of early career researchers appear to be similar. This paper explores the similarities and differences of the Australian early career experience, through the lens of pathways to the academy and career stage. We use the autoethnographic reflections of two early career researchers, one following the ‘traditional’ pipeline to the academy and the other as a ‘second career’ academic. We use the theory of practice architectures to frame the study and to generate and analyse our reflections: we identify the enabling and constraining conditions and how these differ depending on previous life and professional experiences. The autoethnographic reflections illuminate how practices are shaped by the organisational arrangements within the site of the institution. This study makes a theoretical contribution by using the theory of practice architectures to illuminate early career researcher experiences. By using a practice theory, our analysis and insight provide guidance for institutional policy, professional learning, and development strategies for early career researchers.

Empowering women in academia: navigating institutional dynamics, gender roles, and personal pursuits among female researchers in Norwegian higher education

ABSTRACT Numerous studies have documented the widespread marginalization of female scholars throughout their professional journeys in various societies. It has been noted that women in academia are not given the same opportunities as men when it comes to advancement into professorship, leadership roles, productivity in research, and salary. The personal pursuits and willingness of female researchers, including how they self-activated to negotiate with structural empowerment factors, have been largely ignored in literature. This article uses empowerment as an analytical lens to look at how career advancement and recognition of female researchers have been influenced by a mix of structural and individual factors. Empowerment is a motivating process that places power at the centre of its conception and results in increased competence, self-efficacy, self-confidence, self-esteem, and wellbeing. Therefore, empowerment is interpreted as cooperative and agreed-upon efforts by empowered agents to improve the career prospects of female researchers. This study explores the ways in which female researchers are empowered or disempowered as they advance in their careers, negotiating institutional policies and practices, gender roles, important relationships, and personal pursuits. Drawing upon interview data, this study intends to spark additional discussions and theoretical considerations on the intersections of gender, career advancement, and empowerment in higher education. It also asks for more culturally aware policy adjustments to empower female researchers inside the institution.

Ethical and Legal Challenges in Caring for Older Adults with Multimorbidities: Best Practices for Nurses.

This study explores the ethical and legal challenges faced by nurses in caring for older adults with multimorbidities, focusing on issues related to patient autonomy, polypharmacy, and end-of-life care. Through semi-structured interviews with 15 nurses in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the research highlights the complexities of obtaining informed consent from patients with cognitive impairments and the ethical dilemmas of balancing autonomy and safety. The management of polypharmacy emerged as a significant concern, with nurses emphasizing the importance of thorough documentation and coordination among healthcare providers to prevent adverse drug interactions. End-of-life care and advance directives posed further challenges, particularly when family members disagreed with patients' documented wishes. The study underscores the need for comprehensive strategies, including ongoing education, clear communication, and supportive institutional policies, to address these issues effectively. The findings suggest that enhancing nurses' understanding of ethical principles and legal requirements is crucial for improving patient care and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Future research should aim to develop evidence-based guidelines to support nursing practice in managing these ethical and legal challenges.

Patient and Provider Opinions Regarding Chaperones for Sensitive Exams.

Recommendations for chaperone use during sensitive exams have been left mostly to individual institutions, despite a paucity of data providing guidance. The purpose of this study was to survey patients and medical providers on their attitudes toward chaperone use and explore factors that may influence these attitudes. A survey was administered at a single tertiary military medical center to providers and patients across multiple specialties, and further sub-analysis of the data were completed. For patients, sub-analysis was done for gender, age, history of sexual abuse, and clinic seen. For providers, sub-analysis was done for provider gender and training status. Before data collection, this study was deemed exempt from institutional review board approval by the Eisenhower Army Medical Center Human Research and Protections Office. A total of 319 patient surveys and 61 provider surveys were collected. Fifty seven percent of patients have no preference regarding chaperone use, 19% prefer having a chaperone, and 24% prefer to not have a chaperone. Female patients and patients with a history of sexual abuse are more likely to prefer a chaperone. Forty two percent of providers always use a chaperone, 79% are more likely to use a chaperone if a patient is of the opposite gender, and 43% select a chaperone based on the gender of the patient. Male providers and providers still in training are more likely to use a chaperone. The majority of patients do not have a preference regarding chaperone presence during sensitive exams; however, female gender and history of sexual abuse increase the likelihood of a patient preferring to have a chaperone present. These factors should be considered when creating an institutional policy regarding chaperone use. Future research should focus on homosexual and transgender patient preferences as this has yet to be explored.

Modern youth policy in the context of realization of fundamental national interests of Ukraine

The article explores the relationship between youth policy and civil society institutions, as well as their impact on ensuring fundamental national interests targeted by state policies in the sphere of national security and defense. In current conditions, when the country faces numerous challenges and threats, the role of youth in strengthening national security becomes particularly significant. Youth policy is regarded as an important element of the humanitarian space that promotes the formation of a resilient and patriotic society capable of effectively countering internal and external threats. This necessitates new approaches to shaping policies aimed at integrating youth into processes of socio-economic and political development. An important aspect of the conducted research is the identification of mechanisms through which youth policy can contribute to strengthening national security. Specifically, emphasis is placed on the role of youth civil organizations as significant actors in this process, fostering the development of active civic engagement, patriotism, and increasing the level of social responsibility among youth. Youth civil organizations, like civil society institutions, can act as partners to the state in addressing socio-economic and political issues that directly affect national security. The conducted research provides grounds to argue that youth policy can be an instrument for strengthening national security through supporting youth initiatives and integrating youth into decision-making processes. The adoption of a series of normative legal acts and program documents regarding the legal support of the implementation of youth policy, unfortunately, did not completely solve deep-seated problems (paternalism; lack of dialectical connection between programmatic documents and legislative acts; inefficiency and a formal approach to monitoring, etc.). The Euro-integration direction of Ukrainian policy dictates not only the normative establishment of “participation-based policy” but also the implementation of advanced European practices.

The Insidiousness of Institutional Betrayal: An Ecological Systematic Review of Campus Sexual Violence Response Literature.

Recently, post-secondary institutions have been under increased public and academic scrutiny regarding their ability to prevent and respond to instances of campus sexual violence. Emerging research has explored institutional betrayal (IB), which is a theoretical framework that states that actions and inactions on the part of the institution can cause further harm to survivors of violence. The goals of this review were, using an ecological systems lens, to identify what specific behaviors, policies, responses, and other factors constitute IB or institutional support (IS) as defined by the existing literature. A search of 16 databases across 8 disciplines led to the identification of 100 articles that mentioned either IB or IS verbatim. Factors that can be categorized as IB and IS were identified across nine levels: (1) the individual level, (2) the interpersonal level, (3) within institutional spaces, (4) within institutional procedures, (5) within institutional policies, (6) at the institutional structural level, (7) at the institutional culture level, (8) at a government and public policy level, and (9) within greater societal cultural values and established social norms. IB itself manifests across all levels of the institution and is, in fact, quite insidious-it is largely invisible and deeply rooted in systemic oppression, woven into the structure of institutions of higher education. IB remains a looming, almost inevitable outcome of the structural violence that occurs in post-secondary settings. Yet, IS and the related concept of institutional courage are emerging fields of study that pose important implications for institutional change.

Exploring the Impact of Experience, Department, and Course on the Perception of the Internationalization of Curriculum (IoC) Among Staff at UTAS-Salalah

The internationalization of Curriculum (IoC) is a significant aspect of higher education to prepare graduates for a globalized world. This study explores academic staff perceptions of IoC at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences-Salalah (UTAS) in Sultanate of Oman, addressing a gap in the literature on IoC in non-Western contexts. Furthermore, the study explores the perspectives of academic staff regarding the implementation of IoC at different levels within the institution, department, and courses. Not only this, it also explores how these perspectives may vary based on the number of years of experience, as well as the differences in perceptions among different departments. Additionally, the study explores the perceptions of academic staff regarding the three fundamental levels of IoC, namely awareness, competence, and expertise. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among all academic staff at UTAS. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVAs, and paired t-tests. Results revealed that perceptions of IoC did not vary significantly based on years of experience or across departments. However, perceptions varied significantly across the three core levels, with expertise rated highest and awareness lowest. Strengths and weaknesses were identified within each level. This study contributes to the understanding of IoC in non-Western settings and informs institutional policies and practices. A holistic and contextually sensitive approach is needed, involving staff development, institutional support, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Finally, the findings represent a significant step towards a more inclusive understanding of IoC in the Omani context and beyond.

Assessing the digital competence of in-service university educators in China: A systematic literature review

Rapid growth has been witnessed in digital technologies, resulting in significant productive changes in communication and information technology-oriented practices in different fields. Hybrid teaching or blended learning has gained progressively widespread acceptance in the educational process, and concerns about teachers' information and communication technology (ICT) competence or digital competence have become prevalent. This study adopts a systematic review to interpret and analyse the relevant research findings, aiming to systematically investigate the existing models and paradigms of ICT competence or digital capacities and to understand further how these models and paradigms are applied specifically within the context of Chinese universities. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 12 out of 801 candidate studies were accessed from Web of Science, Scopus and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. The findings indicate that the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and the National Educational Technology Guides for Teachers in Higher Education (CETG) are frequently used to evaluate college educators' digital proficiency or ICT capability in China. Educators’ demographic characteristics, self-efficacy, external factors such as institutional policies and the availability of infrastructure and training collectively influence how digital teaching is integrated within Chinese higher education institutions. By conducting a systematic review of research trends and the critical factors affecting the digital competence of faculty in Chinese universities, this study aims to equip policymakers and educators with a deeper understanding of how to prepare for educational shifts in the digital era and thereby ensure the sustainability of professional development.

State Abortion Policy and Moral Distress Among Clinicians Providing Abortion After the Dobbs Decision

Moral distress occurs when individuals feel powerless to do what they think is right, including when clinicians are prevented from providing health care they deem necessary. The loss of federal protections for abortion following the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision may place clinicians providing abortion at risk of experiencing moral distress, as many could face new legal and civil penalties for providing care in line with professional standards and that they perceive as necessary. To assess self-reported moral distress scores among abortion-providing clinicians following the Dobbs decision overall and by state-level abortion policy. This survey study, conducted from May to December 2023, included US abortion-providing clinicians (physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and nurses). A purposive electronic survey was disseminated nationally through professional listservs and snowball sampling. Abortion policy in each respondent's state of practice (restrictive vs protective using classifications from the Guttmacher Institute). Using descriptive statistics and unadjusted and adjusted negative binomial regression models, the association between self-reported moral distress on the Moral Distress Thermometer (MDT), a validated psychometric tool that scores moral distress from 0 (none) to 10 (worst possible), and state abortion policy was examined. Overall, 310 clinicians (271 [87.7%] women; mean [SD] age, 41.4 [9.7] years) completed 352 MDTs, with 206 responses (58.5%) from protective states and 146 (41.5%) from restrictive states. Reported moral distress scores ranged from 0 to 10 (median, 5) and were more than double for clinicians in restrictive compared with protective states (median, 8 [IQR, 6-9] vs 3 [IQR, 1-6]; P < .001). Respondents with higher moral distress scores included physicians compared with advanced practice clinicians (median, 6 [IQR, 3-8] vs 4 [IQR, 2-7]; P = .005), those practicing in free-standing abortion clinics compared with those practicing in hospitals (median, 6 [IQR, 3-8] vs 4 [IQR, 2-7]; P < .001), those no longer providing abortion care compared with those still providing abortion care (median, 8 [IQR, 4-9] vs 5 [IQR, 2-8]; P = .004), those practicing in loss states (states with the greatest decline in abortion volume since the Dobbs decision) compared with those in stable states (unadjusted incidence rate [IRR], 1.72 [95% CI, 1.55-1.92]; P < .001; adjusted IRR, 1.59 [95% CI, 1.40-1.79]; P < .001), and those practicing in surge states (states with the greatest increase in abortion volume since the Dobbs decision) compared with those in stable states (unadjusted IRR, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.11-1.46]; P < .001; adjusted IRR, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.09-1.41]; P = .001). In this purposive national survey study of clinicians providing abortion, moral distress was elevated among all clinicians and more than twice as high among those practicing in states that restrict abortion compared with those in states that protect abortion. The findings suggest that structural changes addressing bans on necessary health care, such as federal protections for abortion, are needed at institutional, state, and federal policy levels to combat widespread moral distress.

Factors influencing patient experience in hospital wards: a systematic review

BackgroundPatient experience plays an essential role in improving clinical effectiveness and patient safety. It’s important to identify factors influencing patient experience and to improve quality of healthcare.ObjectiveTo identify factors that influence patient experience in hospital wards.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review including six databases; they were PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, ProQuest, and Cochrane. Studies were included if they met the inclusion criteria. The JBI checklist was used to perform quality appraisal. We used 5 domains of the ecological model to organize and synthesize our findings to comprehensively understand the multi-level factors influencing the issue.ResultA total of 138 studies were included, and 164 factors were identified. These factors were integrated into 6 domains. All domains but one (survey-related factors) could be mapped onto the attributes of the ecological framework: intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and public policy level factors. All factors had mixed effect on patient experience. The intrapersonal level refers to individual characteristics of patients. The interpersonal level refers to interactions between patients and healthcare providers, such as the caring time spent by a nurse. The institutional level refers to organizational characteristics, rules and regulations for operations, such as hospital size and accreditation. The community level refers to relationships among organizations, institutions, and informational networks within defined boundaries, such as a hospital located in a larger population area. Public policy level refers to local, state, national, and global laws and policies, including health insurance policies. The sixth domain, survey-related factors, was added to the framework and included factors such as survey response rate and survey response time.ConclusionThe factors influencing patient experience are comprehensive, ranging from intrapersonal to public policy. Providers should adopt a holistic and integrated perspective to assess patient experience and develop context-specific interventions to improve the quality of care.PROSPERO registration number CRD42023401066

A systematic review of the complications of skin puncturing procedures in the upper limbs of patients that have undergone procedures on the axilla or breast.

The increasing incidence and prevalence of breast malignancies have led to increasing numbers of surgical interventions performed on the axilla and breast, including axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), and mastectomy. The risk of postoperative complications, like breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL), can have significant deleterious cosmetic and quality of life effects. National guidelines and cancer councils publish recommendations to avoid skin puncturing procedures, such as venepuncture and intravenous (IV) cannulation, on arms ipsilateral to the surgical site to prevent BCRL occurrence. The initial trials that established a link between BCRL and skin puncture were conducted in the 1950s and 1960s; the evolution of surgical management of breast cancer has likely led to large decreases in complication rates. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, four databases were systematically searched for relevant articles. Eleven relevant articles were identified for inclusion in the final analysis. Updated Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists & Faculty of Pain Medicine (ANZCA) guidelines were included in the analysis following their publication after the initial search had been completed. The overall quality and quantity of evidence in this field is sufficient to conclude that skin puncturing procedures on ipsilateral arms should not be avoided in patients with previous breast or axillary surgery. The highest-quality and most recent available evidence does not support an association between BCRL and skin puncturing procedures. Policies and practices that advocate avoiding skin puncture procedures to prevent BCRL may lead to delays in clinical care. The 2023 ANZCA guidelines recommend against avoiding affected arms for peripheral access and suggest the removal of institutional policies preventing this practice. In patients that have undergone breast surgery or axillary procedures, venous access procedures can be safely performed on the ipsilateral arm. The evidence does not support overarching restrictions on using the ipsilateral arm without pre-existing lymphoedema.

Baccalaureate and practical nursing students’ experience with academic accommodation: A qualitative descriptive study

BackgroundBased on the National Educational Association of Disabled Students report, there are numerous gaps in supporting students with disabilities. AimWe examined undergraduate students’ experiences with academic accommodation in the nursing program. Presently, there is minimal research that examines the transition of nursing students with academic accommodation needs in higher educational institutions in the classroom, lab, and clinical environment in Canada. MethodA qualitative descriptive design was used to elicit nursing students' experience with academic accommodation in classroom, lab, and clinical practice within higher education. ResultsNine in-depth semi-structured interviews revealed the challenges and barriers nursing students encountered in their academic journey. Three emergent themes were identified: Students’ experience of their academic accommodation journey, the academic accommodation process through the learning accommodation centre, and recommendations from students’ perspectives. ConclusionThe findings from our study have implications relevant in supporting nursing students, understanding students’ academic accommodation experiences and processes, and informing institutional policies within associated degree nursing programs.

Addressing The Importance of Financed Emissions to The Indonesian Financial Sector

Business trends, including the disclosure of financed emissions, drive more precise sustainability reporting. Financed emissions are greenhouse gas emissions from activities or projects sponsored by financial institutions, such as banks, insurance firms, pension funds, and other financial institutions. This concept emerges from an examination of the function of a financial service institution in distributing capital to companies that emit emissions or have a high carbon footprint. This study aims to examine the phenomenon of financed emissions and formulate policy recommendations to disclose financed emissions in Indonesia. Employing a systematic literature review approach, this study discovered various emission accounting standards, including the GHG Protocol, PCAF, and new standards developed by the ISSB and TCFD. The issuance of green bond instruments, sustainable loans, and the formation of carbon exchanges all contribute to Indonesia’s emission accounting reporting regime. Policy recommendations include the development of environmentally sound KYC policies for financial services institutions, the synchronization of business classification according to the Green Taxonomy or KUBL, and proposals for investment emission intensity taxation in Indonesia. However, hurdles to financed emission disclosure include data quality, complexity of the finance transaction structure's complexity, the technology's equivalency, and incomplete standard setting.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canadian colleges: examining definitions and unveiling perceptions

ABSTRACT Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) through strategic policy development has been at the forefront of institutional change, especially within the higher education sector. Canadian colleges have a large equity-seeking student population due to their open admission structure, but despite this, there are implicit biases and actions that impede students’ learning experience. Limited literature exists around how Canadian colleges have approached EDI policy development; thus, this paper initiates the unpacking of the evident policy – practice disconnect by asking: ‘How do colleges understand equity, diversity, and inclusion as articulated in policy documents?’ To address this, the study employs Critical Policy Analysis (CPA) as its main research method to deconstruct the narratives found within purposefully sampled documents including: 1) EDI policies and procedure; 2) institutional multi-year strategic plans; and 3) EDI-based plans and performance reports. Results indicate that colleges tend to be selective in their usage of EDI definitions. There is also a tendency to use ambiguous language around EDI, which makes it difficult to mobilise knowledge effectively and approach equity directly. Policies often fail to address the privileges held by certain positionalities, reinforcing existing power structures rather than challenging them. The significance of this research is in its contribution to enhancing a theoretical understanding of how knowledge supports policy, as well as informing the future development of constructive EDI policies in higher educational institutions.

An Interview with Volker Boege

Dr Volker Boege is a Senior Research Fellow for Climate Change and Conflict at Toda Peace Institute. He has made significant contributions to peace studies, particularly in the Pacific region. His work focuses on hybrid political orders, traditional conflict transformation methods, and the link between environmental degradation and conflict. Currently, he researches the intersection of climate change, land, migration, identity, and conflict, with a focus on Pacific Island Countries. Dr Boege is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Queensland’s School of Political Science and International Studies. His career includes research roles at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg, the University of Duisburg, and the peace research institute BICC. He has lectured extensively and in the 1980s/1990s advised the Green Party in the German Parliament on peace and security policy. Through his diverse roles and research, Dr Boege has advanced the integration of environmental and traditional approaches in conflict resolution.

중학생이 지각하는 부모의 양육 태도가 자살 위험성에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to verify the dual mediating effects of social support and satisfaction with appearance regarding the influence of middle school students’ perceived parental parenting attitude on the risk of suicide. The subjects of the study were 1,945 middle school students who participated in the 2021 survey on the mental health of teenagers conducted by the Korea Youth Policy Institute (National Youth Policy Institute: NYPI), and correlation analysis between related variables and dual mediation effects were verified using spss 27.0 and the Macro Process (model 6) of Hayes (2013) did. As a result of the analysis, it was found that social support and satisfaction with appearance had a significant dual mediating effect in the influence of middle school students’s perceived parental parenting attitude on suicide risk. These results suggest the importance of social support and appearance satisfaction in middle school students’ suicide risk and the possibility of intervention through activation and counseling of school social welfare.

Female firefighters' experiences of discrimination and harassment: Implications for institutional gender policy

Women in uniformed professions, including firefighters, are at high risk of being victims of institutional discrimination and sexual harassment. The aim is to describe the occupational, social, and psycho-emotional experience of female firefighters in Chile in situations of discrimination and harassment in the organization and formulate guidelines for creating institutional gender policies. Data collection was carried out through three focus groups. Eleven female firefighters participated. The information obtained was analyzed through content analysis, forming four themes. Difficulties were identified in women doing their jobs as firefighters. Simultaneously, the presence of situations of gender discrimination and institutional sexual harassment were identified, which causes emotional exhaustion in female firefighters. Our results highlight the need for effective implementation and dissemination of institutional policies that protect female workers from abusive situations. Guidelines are proposed for the development of such institutional policies.

Enhancing equity, diversity and inclusion in the European Union military schools and academies through collaborative initiatives and gender policy reform

AbstractThe European Union Military Schools and Academies (EUMSAs) have long grappled with persistent gender imbalances among their student body, indicative of an entrenched male‐centric culture within these institutions. In recognition of this issue, the collaborative Military Gender Studies initiative was launched under the auspices of the Erasmus+ program. This project involved partners from Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal and Romania, each offering unique insights shaped by their diverse socio‐political contexts. This research aims to go beyond mere acknowledgment of disparities and instead seeks to identify actionable strategies that can foster genuine equity, diversity and inclusivity within the EUMSAs. To this end, a comprehensive data‐gathering approach was employed, incorporating various qualitative methods including face‐to‐face interviews, face‐to‐face focus groups, direct observations and analysis of official documentation sourced from the referred EUMSAs. The resulting insights highlight the need for substantial improvements in institutional gender policies. Particularly, while efforts have been made to instill gender sensitivity within fitness assessments, their impact has been disappointingly limited. Furthermore, the practice of assigning military roles based solely on gender has been found to undermine both effectiveness and fairness within the schools/academies. Conversely, an encouraging sentiment pervades among the student body, advocating for a curriculum that incorporates gender‐related subjects into the EUMSA educational framework (curriculum). This suggests a growing recognition of the importance of addressing gender issues not only in policy but also in practice, signalling a promising shift towards a more inclusive and equitable environment within the EUMSAs.