Gender Equality Measures Research Articles

Students’ attitudes towards and willingness to intervene in partner violence against women in Sweden

Abstract Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a global public health problem, shown to be related to gender equality and to attitudes towards IPVAW. In Sweden, however, the reported prevalence of IPVAW is high, despite high levels of gender equality and a clear condemnation of such violence on the societal level. This phenomenon has been referred to as The Nordic paradox. One potential explanation for this paradox is that gender equality measures at the public level are not necessarily comparable to gender equality at a private level. One way to find out more about this is to investigate attitudes towards IPVAW at an individual level, which has so far been done to a limited extent in a Swedish context. In the current study, the aim was to investigate different aspects of attitudes to IPVAW (perceived acceptability, perceived severity, victim-blaming and ambivalent sexism) among university students in Sweden, and whether those attitudes were related to studentś willingness to intervene in cases of IPVAW. Any gender differences related to IPVAW attitudes and willingness to intervene were also examined. The respondents (n = 656, ≥18 years old) were recruited from three different universities and represented different scientific fields (e.g. social, behavioral, and technical sciences). Most of the respondents were undergraduate students and the majority were women (81%). The results showed that the students had rather non-accepting attitudes towards IPVAW overall, but viewed victims as to some extent responsible of the violence they are subjected to. There were no gender differences regarding willingness to intervene in cases of IPVAW, and attitudes to IPVAW were related to willingness to intervene. There were both similarities and differences between male and female students, in terms of how attitudes were linked to willingness to intervene. The presentation will discuss the results and their implications for future research, policy and practice. Key messages • Increased knowledge on attitudes towards IPVAW in Sweden may shed light on the Nordic paradox. • While non-accepting attitudes were found overall, gender differences and tendencies towards victim-blaming were identified.

Investigating impacts of gender-transformative interventions in water, sanitation, and hygiene: Structural validity, internal reliability and measurement invariance of the water, sanitation, and hygiene–Gender equality measure (WASH-GEM)

Investigating impacts of gender-transformative interventions in water, sanitation, and hygiene: Structural validity, internal reliability and measurement invariance of the water, sanitation, and hygiene–Gender equality measure (WASH-GEM)

Depoliticized and decontextualized equality promotion in the gender equality planning of Finnish comprehensive schools

ABSTRACT This study critically examines gender equality planning (GEP), which has been obligatory in all Finnish comprehensive schools since 2015. GEP has been welcomed as a promising method of systemizing perspectives on gender in Finnish basic education. A regionally representative, discretional sample of gender equality plans (N = 140) was analysed using a critical discourse approach to examine how these plans discursively bent, stretched, fixed or shrank the meaning of gender equality along with the consequences of these approaches for equality promotion. The analysis shows that the GE plans constantly bent and stretched equality to separate it from gender and fixed it to free-floating gender equality measures, which left gendered power relations undisturbed. Consequently, equality promotion was represented as depoliticized. However, through the shrinking, the contextual construction of gendered power relations was recognized, and GEP exhibited the potential to politicize gender equality. In this paper, we argue that GEP has potential in gender equality promotion if the planning processes recognize contextual construction of gendered power relations and if equality promotion is not reduced to technical measures. Otherwise, the tool might actually impede equality rather than promoting it.

Unveiling gender inequality in the US: Testing validity of a state-level measure of gender inequality and its relationship with feminist online collective action on Twitter.

The Gender Inequality Index is a country-level measure of gender inequality based on women's levels of reproductive health, social and political empowerment, and labor-market representation. In two studies, we tested the validity of the GII-S, a state-level measure of gender inequality in the USA. In Study 1, the GII-S was associated with objective and subjective measures of wellness among women, including life satisfaction, financial well-being, and perceptions of safety. GII-S was not associated with the Gini coefficient, a well-established measure of economic inequality, suggesting that gender and economic disparities represent distinct aspects of social inequality. Study 2 tested the link between GII-S scores and collective action-specifically, participation in the #MeToo movement promoting awareness of sexual harassment and violence against women. Analysis of geo-localized messages on the Twitter social media platform reveals that higher GII-S scores were associated with fewer tweets containing the #MeToo hashtag. Moreover, GII-S was associated with state-level political orientation: the more conservative a state, the higher its level of gender inequality. Results are discussed in terms of possible socio-cognitive processes underpinning the association between gender inequality and sensitivity to violence against women.

“We don’t want to be accused of being feminists”. A gender equality measure for leadership positions and the perpetuation of patriarchal arrangements

This article seeks to understand the effects produced by a gender equality measure founded on a career-advancement approach to equality, by scrutinising a managerial control process introduced by the women’s network of a large SBF120 firm to promote women’s representation in leadership positions. Through a qualitative study, and drawing on the work of Acker, we uncover the mechanisms through which action designed to bring more women into leadership positions sustains, and masks, the perpetuation of the surrounding inegalitarian structure. We show that the assumptions underlying such processes – approaching equality through the ideas of career advancement and a better work/life balance for women, and as good for financial performance – reflect patriarchal arrangements – the male worker pursuing self-maximisation, women as complementary to men, women as the principal subjects of reproductive work. Those patriarchal arrangements are then perpetuated through the effects of the related managerial control process. We highlight how it is difficult for the women heading this process to escape the career-advancement view of equality, because it is entrenched in organisational and societal structures that place constraints on the design of the control system. We thus contribute to the accounting literature on gender equality measures 1/ by underlining that the measure studied cannot challenge the status quo because it is constructed by, and locked into, a patriarchal, elitist arrangement; 2/ by arguing that a managerial control process intended to advance women’s representation in leadership positions creates a “blind spot” in the gender equality measure; 3/ by uncovering the “destructive power” of a managerial control process, which lies in its tendency to sap any possibility of understanding the problem structurally, but also in its propensity to wipe out the ability to imagine alternative ways of living and working that differ from the patriarchal arrangements on which our social order is founded.

Comparing gender equality policies in the Swedish and Spanish film industries: Defining the problem beyond the male norm

Gender equality measures are now common in the policies of European film industries and can be an important tool for rendering visible gender inequalities. Recent research, however, indicates that top-down institutional gender mainstreaming might mean better conditions for some women in certain aspects, but structural inequalities tend to remain, including lack of an intersectional approach. In this article, these issues are addressed by analysing gender equality policies currently implemented in the Swedish and Spanish film industries. Following Carole Lee Bacchi’s argument that the way in which a problem is represented must be analysed backwards, by looking at the solutions suggested, we unpack what inequalities gender equality measures render visible and, in so doing, highlight the aspects that remain invisible. We also discuss how such problem representation plays out for women in the film industries of both countries and consider the counter-practices women deploy to cope with continuing gender inequality in the film industries of Spain and Sweden. Our main argument is that Swedish and Spanish gender equality policies, despite having increased the presence of women film workers, still fail to render visible the structural basis of inequalities cemented by androcentric film governance structures and a male norm around which the film industry has been built.

Country Trafficking Protocol Compliance and the Empowerment of Girls and Women

Human trafficking is a gender-based crime of violence. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Protocol) is one of the most important international means to counter human trafficking; however, the ability of the United Nations to enforce the Protocol is considerably limited. The primary purpose of this study is to theoretically and empirically explore the underlying societal factors that drive - or impede - a country’s compliance with the Protocol. We theorize that countries that have relatively fewer gender-based discriminatory laws, policies, and social practices place a greater value on the welfare of girls and women and are more likely to comply with the Protocol. This hypothesis is empirically tested using a cross-country dataset and a series of ordered logit regressions. Cho et al.’s 3 P index is used to measure country compliance. The degree of women’s inclusivity and empowerment in relation to laws and regulations is measured using the World Bank’s Women, Business, and the Law index. The level of socio-economic gender empowerment and inclusivity within a country is assessed using; women’s labor force participation rate, the percentage of parliament seats held by women, and the United Nation’s Gender Inequality Index. The analysis results offer empirical evidence that the degree to which girls and women experience inclusivity and empowerment is a predictor of country compliance. This study extends previous research exploring the relationship between gender inequality and human trafficking to examine how measures of gender inequality can hinder country Protocol compliance.

Social Inequalities in Child Development: Analysis of Low-Birth-Weight Trends in Brazil, 2010-2020.

Low birth weight (LBW) is a global issue prevalent in low-income countries. Economic assessments of interventions to reduce this burden are crucial to guide health policies. However, there is a relative scarcity of research that illustrates the magnitude of LBW by country and region to support the design of public policies. This study aimed to analyze the temporal trend of fetal growth in newborns in Brazil between 2010 and 2020. A time series study was conducted using data from the Live Births Information System (SINASC), which is managed by the Department of Information and Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS) of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The Prais-Winsten linear model was applied to analyze the annual proportions of LBW. The annual percentage changes (APC) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. Prevalence rate averages of LBW were calculated and displayed on thematic maps to visualize the evolution dynamics in each Federation Unit (FU). A total of 31,887,329 women from all Federative Units of Brazil were included in the study from 2010 to 2020. The Southeast region had the largest proportion of participants, with records from 2015 accounting for 9.5% of the total. Among the women in the study, 49.6% were between the ages of 20 and 29, and the majority (75.5%) had between 8 and 12 years of schooling. The newborns of these women were predominantly male (58.8%) and non-white (59.5%). The study found that there was a trend towards stabilization of increasing proportions of LBW in the North, Northeast, and Centre-West regions between 2010 and 2020. In Brazil and other regions, these tendencies remained stable. To improve living conditions and reduce social inequalities and health inequities, public policies and actions are necessary. Strengthening the Unified Health System (SUS), income transfer programs, quota policies for vulnerable groups, and gender equality measures such as improving access to education for women and the labor sector are among the suggested approaches.

Digitalisation, Growth Vision and Gender Equality Practices in the Machines and Equipment Sector – Does Gender Matter?

This paper explores the nuanced relationship between gender diversity in senior management and key aspects of organizational dynamics in the machines and equipment sector in the Republic of Serbia. The aim is to uncover differences in digitalization, growth strategies and gender equality measures between companies led by women and men. Employing field research methods, specifically utilizing Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing, the results show that companies led by women have a higher propensity to adopt information and communication technologies, a more optimistic view of their future development over the next five years, greater gender diversity among employees and more robust implementation of gender equality policies compared to companies led exclusively by men. The research findings highlight the significant impact of gender diversity in leadership on business outcomes and show that women-led companies are proactively embracing digitalization, promoting growth optimism and implementing gender equality initiatives. These findings offer valuable insights for business leaders, policymakers and researchers working on initiatives to promote diversity, equality, and technological progress.

Entanglements of feminist activism and gender equality policy in the Spanish and Swedish film industries: between convergence and critique

ABSTRACT This article compares entanglements between activist demands and policy in the Spanish and Swedish film industries using a critical frames approach. Considering contextual factors such as domestic discourse on film policy and resistance against gender equality, the comparison is based on deep insider knowledge aiming to deepen the understanding of feminist activism and its relation to policy in the two countries. In both Spain and Sweden, activists have demanded equality in the film sector since the seventies. Today, both countries feature gender equality measures and vivid feminist organizations. Based on current equality policies, reports from the Swedish and Spanish Film Institutes, documents from feminist filmmakers’ associations and interviews with activists, the article shows that feminist activists oscillate between strategically converging their demands to policy and criticizing reforms. Furthermore, policy echoes activists’ arguments but are less informed by ideas about structural inequalities. Activists in both Spain and Sweden stand up for the gender equality measures which have been implemented, but the Spanish activists are more prone to simultaneously voice criticism against the reforms..

Power and culture: Understanding EU policies on agriculture and gender equality

AbstractIn this article, we examine how the European Union (EU) acts as an international organisation, developing policies to be implemented by national governments. We focus on agriculture and gender equality. We examine the relationship between the EU and Member States regarding the construction and delivery of policies. It is a complex process, with differential levels of power and other actors in the process, notably lobby groups. We examine how agricultural policies and gender equality policies are developed. We examine the 2014–2020 Rural Development Regulation and carried out research in four member states. Interviews were undertaken with people who have experience of implementing the Common Agricultural Policy measures at a national level. We find the power of key players to be very strong in the agricultural context and weak in the gender context. When the two fields are ‘married’, we find there is little scope or interest to advance gender equality measures in agricultural policy.

Historical Legacies and Their Impact on Human Capital: Comparing Regions within Romania

This article asks if the measures of human capital, ethnic diversity, and gender equality from 1930 explain current levels of human capital in Romania, while also assessing the role of macro-regional differences in the manifestation of historical legacies. We focus on human capital, measured by educational attainment and by conscientiousness, a personality trait we estimate using a behavioral measure. The analysis is based on a recent large-scale national survey from 2019–2020 and census data from 1930. We find that contemporary human capital levels are influenced by a combination of factors, including historical human capital levels, ethnic diversity, and gender equality. Additionally, we show that the long-term impact of these factors can vary by region. Specifically, our study identifies four distinct long-term effects within the historical region of Transylvania and two in the rest of the country. In Transylvania, the present educational attainment is shaped by both the 1930 literacy rate and gender equality, while in the other regions, only the literacy rate exerts a statistically significant influence. Similarly, when it comes to current levels of conscientiousness, Transylvania’s levels are affected by both the 1930 literacy rate and ethnolinguistic fractionalization, whereas in the rest of the country, only ethnolinguistic fractionalization has a statistically significant impact.

Does Gender Equality Promote Happiness in Developing Countries?

Gender equality and happiness are both of concern to academics, governments, and policymakers. Using data from a sample of eighty-four developing and emerging countries over the period 2006–2018, this article analyzes the impact of gender equality on happiness. By applying an instrumental variable approach, the results show that gender equality increases happiness in developing and emerging countries. Further investigations show that, the magnitude of the effect of gender equality on happiness is higher in democratic or high-income countries than in non-democratic or low-income countries. The results are robust to disaggregated measures of gender equality, excluding outliers, estimation strategies and indicate a positive relationship between gender equality and life satisfaction.

Monitoring as a steering tool for gender equality policy in higher education institutions: ideal and reality

In an ideal-typical process of gender equality policy development and implementation, empirical evidence plays a central role. The gender analysis at the beginning of the process describes the gender issue to be addressed. Based on this baseline, objectives and priorities are defined, policies are designed and implemented, and these are then monitored and, ideally, evaluated. The aim of monitoring is to provide information on the implementation of the gender equality measure so that countermeasures, if needed, can be taken at an early stage in the event of deviations from the planned implementation. However, this requires that the monitoring indicators are derived from the policy objectives and are measurable. Practice shows that the availability of data, rather than the objectives, determines the development of indicators. The procedure for developing indicators is described and reflected on using the example of monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of the Austrian Convention of Higher Education Institutions on strengthening gender competencies in higher education processes. The preconditions for the steering function of monitoring and its limitations are discussed.

Cultural Contexts and Policy Frameworks: Examining Work-life Balance Initiatives in East Asia

This study presents a comparative analysis of work-life balance (WLB) policies in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and China. Through a qualitative case study approach, it examines the legislative frameworks, implementation strategies, and cultural contexts influencing WLB policies in these countries. The research reveals varying levels of policy comprehensiveness and effectiveness across the four nations. Singapore emerges as a leader with its comprehensive government-led initiatives and strong legislative support for WLB. Japan demonstrates significant policy reforms aimed at addressing demographic challenges, albeit with persistent implementation issues. China shows regional variations in policy implementation, while Hong Kong's approach is characterized as more market-driven with less cohesive government strategies. The study identifies common challenges across the region, including deeply ingrained work cultures, gender disparities, and the need to balance economic competitiveness with employee well-being. The research concludes with targeted recommendations for Hong Kong, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive legislative framework, enhanced gender equality measures, and a cultural shift towards valuing work-life balance. These findings contribute to the ongoing dialogue on improving work-life balance in East Asian economies and offer insights for policymakers and organizations striving to create more balanced and productive work environments.

“It is competence first”: executives navigating gender equality targets and meritocracy in technology companies

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how executives in technology companies relate to targets for gender equality, especially pertaining to top management.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on 19 interviews of CEOs, senior line managers and HR directors in ten technology companies operating in Finland. The method is (reflexive) thematic analysis.FindingsPrevious studies on the role of executives in promoting gender equality provide somewhat mixed results: while their role is vital, senior leaders may not be inclined to support gender equality targets and measures. Drawing on critical feminist theorizing, this study identifies three ways in which the executives in technology companies related to gender equality targets: endorsing, negotiating and resisting. However, all these responses were constrained by the executives’ assumption that their companies are meritocratic. The study illustrates how executives’ narrow understanding of gender equality and reliance on the presumably well-working systems, combined with underlying doubts about the competence of women, hinder the advancement of women to top management.Originality/valueWhile previous studies have evaluated targets to increase the number/percentage of women, both in certain “ideal case” companies and in terms of their effectiveness more broadly, this study discusses how technology company executives navigate these targets in relation to women's assumed “competence”.

Climate just entrepreneurship: feminist entrepreneurship for climate action

PurposeThis paper aims to explore synergies between feminist, first nations and queer theories and social, circular and climate entrepreneurship, to build a framework for supporting climate just entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on an extensive qualitative review of the literature on gender justice, equality, social entrepreneurship, the circular economy, climate entrepreneurship and climate action, as well as theorising feminist, first nations and queer approaches to climate action through entrepreneurship.FindingsWhilst climate change is a “threat multiplier” for existing gender (and other) inequalities, gaps remain in engraining gender equality and gender justice principles in social, circular and climate entrepreneurship. Through analysing the literature for critical gaps and theorising at the intersection of climate entrepreneurship and feminist, first nations and queer theories, the authors advocate that a framework for climate just entrepreneurship could play a pivotal role in combining proactive climate action and gender equality measures through entrepreneurship. It could also be a significant step towards ensuring entrenched, systemic inequalities are not perpetuated in nascent and rapidly evolving fields such as the circular economy, social enterprise and climate entrepreneurship.Originality/valueThe literature on climate entrepreneurship is burgeoning, yet key entrepreneurial concepts lack an explicitly feminist or gender lens approach, even whilst being inextricably linked to effective climate action. This paper seeks to rectify this gap by promoting climate just entrepreneurship as a model for effective climate action.

The Role of Gender Equality on Poverty Alleviation: Case of Indonesia

The Gender Development and Empowerment Index of Indonesia, which represents the equality between genders, has consistently fallen below the global average since 1990. This concerning trend gains significance given that half of the country's population is female. Relying on only half of the population for economic and developmental progress is suboptimal. Hence, fostering empowerment for all genders emerges as a potentially more effective strategy to catalyse economic growth and alleviate poverty across the nation. This study investigates how gender equality measures affect poverty at the regional level using dynamic panel data by system-generalised method of moments (system-GMM) technique on 514 districts in Indonesia spanning from 2014 to 2020. The result indicates that the Gender Development Index, characterized by a higher average score and lower standard deviation pronounces a more positive effect on poverty alleviation in comparison to the Gender Empowerment Measure. This can be attributed to the prevailing underrepresentation and limited participation of women in critical spheres such as the economy, higher-level management, parliamentary activities, and decision-making processes. Thus, there is a need to reinforce women's inclusion into formal positions and campaign for the participation of both genders in household chores and childcare to improve gender equality. Even small increases in the opportunities available to women and some release of cultural and political constraints can lead to significant economic and social benefits.

Heterogeneity in the US gender wage gap

Abstract As a measure of gender inequality, the gender wage gap has come to play an important role both in academic research and the public debate. In 2016, the majority of full-time employed women in the United States earned significantly less than comparable men. The extent to which women were affected by gender inequality in earnings, however, depended greatly on socio-economic characteristics, such as marital status or educational attainment. In this paper, we analyse data from the 2016 American Community Survey using a high-dimensional wage regression and applying double lasso to quantify heterogeneity in the gender wage gap. We find that the wage gap varied substantially across women and that the magnitude of the gap varied primarily by marital status, having children at home, race, occupation, industry, and educational attainment. These insights are helpful in designing policies that can reduce discrimination and unequal pay more effectively.

Trans* inclusion and gender equality in sport and exercise – an (im)possible equation?

Heteronormativity and the idea of binary sex constrain sport and exercise as well as many gender equality measures that are implemented in sport and exercise contexts. This strongly affects trans people’s opportunities to participate. The purpose of the paper is to explore trans performativity in relation to gender equality efforts in sport and exercise. Through interviews with ten trans individuals, we untangle how trans is, in the words of Karen Barad, produced in and through agential intra-actions of multiple apparatuses of bodily production. Our diffractive analysis shows how meaning comes to matter in sport and exercise regarding what trans ‘is,’ who and how one can identify as ‘trans,’ and in what ways trans individuals experience inclusion and exclusion. The study demonstrates challenges with reconciling gender equality and trans inclusion in sport and exercise contexts given current conceptualizations of sport and exercise, gender equality, and trans.