Reinforce Gender Inequalities Research Articles

Gender Equality in the “Next Stage” of the “New Age?” Content and Fan Perceptions of English Media Coverage of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup

This article offers an original contribution by examining both the quantity and quality of English print media coverage of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and how fans perceive and respond to this coverage. It is the first longitudinal analysis of media coverage of women’s football in the United Kingdom and compares print media coverage between the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups. We draw on a content analysis of five English national newspapers and 49 semistructured interviews with fans. We develop new theoretical insights through the development of our framework of the “next stage” of the “new age.” Our findings show media coverage of women’s football has substantially increased, with respectful coverage sustained. The new theme of gender equality made visible several types of inequality, but the media industry failed to acknowledge its own role in reinforcing gender inequalities. Interviewees were critical of the time-limited “revolution” whereby coverage was limited to the duration of the World Cup. To advance gender equality, future media coverage must be sustained, meaningful, and prominent.

Gendered community-based waste management and the feminization of environmental responsibility in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia

This article investigates gender dynamics in the practices of community-based waste management in households and local communities in the Greater Jakarta region of Indonesia, using a Feminist Political Ecology framework. We argue that community-based waste management, which was established as a decentralized waste management system, reinforces gender inequality by relying on women feeling responsible for waste management in their homes and communities and doing related care work. While our focused ethnographic studies in Bogor District, Tangerang City, and Depok City in 2021–2022 found diverse local waste management systems involving both formal and informal enterprises, the practices across these sites were clearly gendered, with women engaged in underpaid care work. We trace this gendered division of labor to the continued influence of ibuism, the ideology of the Indonesian state that deems women responsible for household and community hygiene, in effect feminizing environmental responsibility. We argue that, to become truly sustainable, waste management practices must be designed with men and women in communities, and address various forms of gender inequality and the gendered impact of community waste practices on health.

Who Lies Beneath? Reflections on Scotland’s Unseen Change Makers

Who Lies Beneath? Reflections on Scotland’s Unseen Change Makers

Gender Inequality in Indonesian Dangdut Songs Containing Vulgar Content: A Critical Discourse Study

Dangdut music is a highly popular genre in Indonesia. It serves not only as entertainment but also reflects the social reality of Indonesia through its lyrics, often depicting everyday life stories. Some Indonesian Dangdut song lyrics frequently exhibit gender inequality, perpetuating stereotypical views on gender roles by portraying women as sexual objects or passive, while men are often depicted as dominant figures. This research aims to explain gender inequality in the lyrics of well-known Dangdut songs in Indonesia. The research methodology employed is qualitative descriptive research. Data collection techniques include observation and note-taking. The research data consists of lyrics containing words, phrases, and sentences that represent gender inequality. Data analysis techniques involve content analysis and focus group discussions. The findings of this research contribute to the fields of linguistics, gender equality, and language use in song lyrics. The results indicate that explicit Dangdut song lyrics convey gender inequality between men and women. The subject-object and writer-reader positions are evident in portraying actors in the lyrics. Men are characterized powerful and actively engaged, while women are portrayed as sexual objects, obedient, passive, and accepting anything. The writer's position is that of a song creator observing societal phenomena, while the reader's position is that of music listeners, representing society. Ultimately, this research can provide insights for songwriters, singers, and stakeholders in the music industry regarding the potential impact of lyrics that create or reinforce gender inequality. This may encourage the adoption of more inclusive and gender-aware creation practices.

Gender Inequalities in Higher Education in Tanzania: Investigating the Influence of Parents’ Socioeconomic Status

This study investigated the extent to which gender inequality manifests in higher education in Tanzania. Furthermore, through a gendered lens, the study investigated the influence of parents’ socioeconomic status on gender inequality among students who major in STEM and teacher education programmes. The study used a sample of 1714 students across four higher education institutions. It was found that gender is an aspect that forms inequality. For instance, the study revealed that gender differences were reflected in our sample, where female students were underrepresented in both STEM majors and teacher education majors. Also, parents’ education, occupation, educational background (in STEM), and income are some of the socioeconomic statuses that reinforce gender inequality. Finally, the implications for future research and policy are discussed.

Asian values in Confucian masculinity: A discourse analysis of parenting advice to fathers

This article examines parenting advice to fathers published in the state-regulated English newspaper, The Straits Times, in Singapore. In November 2020, The Straits Times introduced ST Smart Parenting, with articles written as instruction guides for parents and autobiographical narratives. What is distinct about ST Smart Parenting are the articles written by and for fathers. Fathers are rarely the focus of parenting guides, as mothers have historically and in the present been positioned as having primary responsibility for childcare. Moreover, The Straits Times launched ST Smart Parenting amid two significant developments in Singapore – the publication of the White Paper for Singapore Women's Development as well as constitutional challenges to and the subsequent repeal of Section 377A. I argue that gender essentialism and heteronormativity is entrenched in parenting advice to fathers. As feminist critiques of gendered expectations make their way into public discourse, it is no longer tenable to criticize women per se or blatantly espouse practices that subordinate women and reinforce gender inequality. Consequently, parenting advice to fathers articulates the importance of fathers as benevolent providers of the family, gender differentiation in the family, and the conflation of marriage and parenthood.

A systematic review of the ambivalent sexism literature: Hostile sexism protects men's power; benevolent sexism guards traditional gender roles.

According to ambivalent sexism theory (Glick & Fiske, 1996), the coexistence of gendered power differences and mutual interdependence creates two apparently opposing but complementary sexist ideologies: hostile sexism (HS; viewing women as manipulative competitors who seek to gain power over men) coincides with benevolent sexism (BS; a chivalrous view of women as pure and moral, yet weak and passive, deserving men's protection and admiration, as long as they conform). The research on these ideologies employs the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, used extensively in psychology and allied disciplines, often to understand the roles sexist attitudes play in reinforcing gender inequality. Following contemporary guidelines, this systematic review utilizes a principled approach to synthesize the multidisciplinary empirical literature on ambivalent sexism. After screening 1,870 potentially relevant articles and fully reviewing 654 eligible articles, five main domains emerge in ambivalent sexism research (social ideologies, violence, workplace, stereotypes, intimate relationships). The accumulating evidence across domains offers bottom-up empirical support for ambivalent sexism as a coordinated system to maintain control over women (and sometimes men). Hostile sexism acts through the direct and diverse paths of envious/resentful prejudices, being more sensitive to power and sexuality cues; Benevolent sexism acts through prejudices related to interdependence (primarily gender-based paternalism and gender-role differentiation), enforcing traditional gender relations and being more sensitive to role-related cues. Discussion points to common methodological limitations, suggests guidelines, and finds future avenues for ambivalent sexism research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Time Divide, Gender Divide: Gender, Work, and Family in South Korea

Abstract South Korea is celebrated for its rapid economic growth and development, but gender equity is far out of reach in the South Korean economy: women’s labor force participation remains among the lowest, and the gender gap in pay is among the largest among the advanced industrialized countries. What explains this pervasive and persistent gender disparity? In this introductory essay, the authors argue that the social organization of time—specifically, how time is used and valuated—is an important proximate mechanism that creates and reinforces gender inequality in South Korea. Following the logic of gender, which dictates what women and men should do at work and in the family and how hours spent on these domains are compensated economically and culturally, the time divide takes a deeply gendered form and creates unequal economic outcomes between women and men. The authors also argue that the time divide is more consequential in South Korea, relative to other countries, because two cultural forces—work culture emphasizing long work hours and parenting culture emphasizing gender essentialism—both operate at the highest level. At the end of this essay, the authors put forth ideas about how organizational and institutional policies might help to reform this deeply gendered system.

Commuting to work and gender norms by sexual orientation

We assess the role of gender-conforming social norms in household decision-making and gender inequalities in the labor market with a parsimonious household model that endogenizes commuting time. Using the American Community Survey 2008–2019, we test the model predictions and find that women in same-sex couples have a longer commute to work than working women in different-sex couples, whereas the commute to work of men in same-sex couples is shorter than the one of working men in different-sex couples, even after controlling for demographic characteristics, partner's characteristics, location and urbanicity, fertility, marital status, industry and occupation. These differences among men and women amount to a sizable portion of the gender commuting gap estimated in the literature, and are particularly stark among married couples with children. Within-couple gaps in commuting time are also significantly smaller in same-sex couples, and labor supply disparities mimic the commuting ones. According to our model, these differences are interpreted as gender-conforming social norms leading women in different-sex couples into jobs with a shorter commute and fewer hours worked while their male partners or spouses hold jobs with a longer commute and more hours worked, thus reinforcing gender inequalities.

‘What a lying slut’: the (re)production of rape myths in online misogyny towards women disclosing their experiences of rape through the #MeToo movement

Online misogyny is a form of online abuse against women and girls which is rooted in a hatred and mistrust of women which seeks to silence them and reinforce gender inequalities. This study extends existing research in this area by examining online misogyny within the context of the #MeToo movement. The #MeToo movement created a safe space for women to share their experiences of sexual violence, and while this promoted solidarity, support and healing, there was also an abusive backlash towards the women involved. Based on a thematic analysis of abusive YouTube comments directed at women sharing their experiences of rape, it was found that 69 per cent of abusive comments were characterised by one or more of the seven rape myths: she asked for it, it wasn’t really rape, he didn’t mean to, she wanted it, she lied, rape is a trivial event, and rape is a deviant event. This article discusses each rape myth and demonstrates how rape myths are (re)produced in online misogyny towards victims/survivors of rape and concludes by arguing this response attempts to discredit victims/survivors, the #MeToo movement and disrupt the safe space the movement created to derail the collective conversation about men’s violence against women and girls.

Girls under surveillance: Engaging Zimbabwean parents on young people’s sexual health

Background: Parents play an important role in shaping young people’s sexual lives and behaviours with implications for their current and future sexual and reproductive health. This study examined the perspectives of rural Zimbabwean parents on young people’s sexual health. Design: Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 19 (6 men and 13 women) participants. Setting: Interviews were conducted in a rural district in Zimbabwe. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Community Field Officers who were the parents or caregivers of teenage learners in two rural secondary schools. Transcripts were coded and thematic analysis conducted by reading, re-reading, interpretation and reflection on the coded texts. Results: Parents approached the question of young people’s sexual health by placing young women’s sexuality under surveillance and regulation. Puberty and female bodily changes triggered concern about heterosexual relationships informed by protectionist and moralising discourses. Abstinence and self-control were promoted as expectations for female sexuality based on cultural norms concerning purity and female virginity. Female sexual purity provided a claim to status, was differentiated from other forms of femininity and was an important cultural and economic resource. In a context of economic precarity, the institutions of marriage and bride wealth, whereby female virginity status is valued, provide opportunities for future economic security and reinforce cultural norms concerning respectability. Conclusion: Working with parents to address the ways in which gender and cultural norms operate within the local social and economic context is vital to understand the enduring processes by which young female sexuality is placed under surveillance while reinforcing gender inequalities.

I Can Protect His Future, but She Can’t Be Helped: Himpathy and Hysteria in Administrator Rationalizations of Institutional Betrayal

ABSTRACT It is well-established fact that sexual assault survivors who report the violence they endured are retraumatized by the reporting process, but there is limited research on how these institutional betrayals are enacted. The current study draws on ethnographic observation and interview data to explore how 24 administrators use gendered rationalization frames to justify betrayal in Title IX cases. Specifically, administrators invoke himpathy to define their primary role as protecting the futures of young men. To defend this view from critique, they condemn how survivors use Title IX by casting them as hysterical women who are either mistaken in labeling an experience as sexual assault or suffering from trauma too severe for a Title IX process to repair. Taken together, these frames portray institutional betrayal as moral, even as these ideologies reinforce gender inequality.

Do Youth Dream of Gender Stereotypes? The Relationship among Gender Stereotyping, Support for Feminism, and Acceptance of Gender-Based Violence.

Although gender roles have continued to evolve, stereotypical perceptions about men and women persist. From a traditional perspective, men are viewed as aggressive, competitive, and dominant, whereas women are expected to be pretty, affectionate, and passive. The relevance of gender stereotypes lies in the way such expectations reinforce gender inequality and discrimination. Gender stereotyping is also linked to an increased acceptance of gender-based violence, as such conceptions are based on the premise that women are subordinate to men. The current study uses data from the Barometer on Youth and Gender, conducted by the Centro Reina Sofía in 2021 (N = 1201), to analyze the potential associations among gender stereotyping, support for feminism, and acceptance of gender-based violence among young people in Spain (15-29 years old). The results show that young people ascribe, to some extent, stereotypical characteristics to women and men and point to the existence of gender-based occupational stereotypes. Our results shed light on the role that gender stereotyping plays in support for feminism and the acceptance of gender-based violence. They also provide valuable information about the magnitude of gender-stereotypical perceptions among young men and women.

Technological fascination and reluctance: gendered practices in the smart home

Smart home technology (SHT) is becoming more widespread, implemented to enhance convenience as well as energy flexibility and efficiency. Smart heating, lighting, security and entertainment systems are affecting social practices and the use of energy in different ways. This paper explores differences in competences, meanings and forms of knowledge involved in the performance of (gendered) household practices based on two Danish qualitative studies of different user groups: SHT frontrunner households (<em>n</em> = 15) and less tech-interested households (<em>n</em> = 12). The former had incorporated a broad range of smart technologies, <em>e.g</em>. vacuum cleaners, lighting and entertainment systems, while the latter were primarily engaged with smart heating systems. In the frontrunner households, internal differences in competences and meanings between men and women were more apparent than in households with less tech interest. A clear division between traditional and digital housekeeping is apparent that reinforces gender inequality. Evidence shows the variation in how SHT is part of gendered everyday practices; how SHT changes meanings and competences in practices and induces new ways of performing practices that can involve gendered digital inequality. Thus, it is necessary to consider competences and meanings in everyday practices as well as gendered ideas behind the technology. <em><strong>Policy relevance</strong></em> Strategies and policies for a green transition of the energy systems in Denmark and the European Union include a digitalisation of consumption in households. This transition will induce reconfigurations of everyday practices potentially entailing both digital and gendered inequality. The home has often been a contested space, relating to gender roles, inequality and division of household labour. This paper shows that SHT potentially reinforces gender inequality by creating a gendered gap between digital and traditional housekeeping. To avoid potential reinforcement of gender inequality within the home, SHT promotion and development needs to account for gender differences. Actions by industry would include differences of gendered housekeeping, showing an awareness of varying technology competences and meanings in everyday practices as well as the gendered vision of SHT and its users.

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

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

Women who challenge or defend the status quo: Ingroup identities as predictors of progressive and reactionary collective action

AbstractCollective action (CA) research looking at gender has focused predominantly on feminist activism, overlooking activism of women who reinforce gender inequalities and traditional gender roles (such as women supporting men's rights or anti‐abortion protesters). Our research addresses this oversight, demonstrating the key role of identity content in predicting CA in support of progressive and reactionary social change among women. Using two large online samples of women from the US (Study 1: N = 1825) and the UK (Study 2: N = 992), we show that identification with ‘women’ is either weakly associated or unrelated to progressive and reactionary CA and is thus too broad to differentiate between support for CA with opposing goals. In contrast, subgroup identities matter: feminist identification is associated with support for progressive CA, while identification with traditional women is associated with support for reactionary CA. We discuss the implications of our findings for research on CA and gender inequalities.

Understanding the meanings of male partner support in the adherence to therapy among HIV-positive women: a gender analysis

ABSTRACT Background Previous literature reports that low male partner support is a barrier to women’s adherence and retention in HIV care programs. Objective This qualitative study explored the relationships between partners to understand what is meant by male partner support in adherence of HIV-positive women in four healthcare facilities in Southern Malawi. Methods We conducted 8 semi-structured focus group discussions (FGDs) with 73 participants (40 men and 33 women) and 10 in-depth interviews (IDIs) between August 2018 to December 2019. Participants were HIV-positive patients, healthcare workers (HCWs), expert patients (EPs), and couples attending the clinic. All data were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using a gender-responsive grounded theory approach. Results This study confirms previous literature, which suggests male partner support is expressed by providing access to transport to the clinic and accompaniment to appointments. However, we found that men can also control access to resources and decision-making. Support is more complex than previous literature reported and, in some cases, gender norms significantly limit women’s capacity to engage in care independently of male support since women need male partner permission to access the resources to attend clinics. Conclusions This paper suggests that restrictive male-partner gender norms limit women’s power to engage in care. Most importantly, the gender analysis reveals that what previous literature describes as male partner support can sometimes hide male partner control in permitting access to resources to attend health facilities. For this reason, policies enhancing male support should consider the gender power relationship between partners to avoid reinforcing gender inequality.

Sex, drugs, and coercive control: Gendered narratives of methamphetamine use, relationships, and violence

AbstractWhile many of the motives people provide for using drugs transcend gender, there are also notable gendered differences. These differences in motive talk aid in stigma management, shape gender performances, and can encourage or constrain behavior. Using data from a photoethnography with 52 people who use methamphetamine in rural Alabama, we find that men and women articulate their motives for drug use in distinctly gendered ways. Most notably, men emphasized the benefits of sex on meth while most of the women did not. Men's stories of meth as a sex drug shaped how they interacted with women often leading them to use violence and coercion to control when, where, and with whom women used meth. Women were less likely to say that increased sexual feelings was their primary motive for using meth. They drew on gendered themes of femininity (e.g., motherhood, home keeper) when explaining their drug use. They also sought ways to resist coercive control that were intertwined with their gendered narratives of drug use. The findings point to the importance of gendered narratives in shaping interactions, and significantly, how narratives can contribute to harm and reinforce gender inequality in drug markets.

The deployment of gender for masculine balance: analyzing multi-platform K-pop performances

ABSTRACT Using content analysis of a Korean pop (K-pop) idol’s performances on a range of media platforms, this article critically examines how and when hybrid masculinities are enacted to achieve what Kathryne Young calls “masculine balance.” K-pop stars appear on a variety of platforms—television appearances, photoshoots, music videos, and on-stage performances—where they perform hybrid masculinities by incorporating feminine, androgynous, queer, and/or masculine aesthetics or expressions. Through the strategic deployment of genders on different platforms, they construct masculine balance as an ideal gender performance that embodies both femininity or transgressiveness and hegemonic or hyper-masculinities. Taking G-Dragon’s performance as a case study, this article extends our understanding on hybrid masculinity and masculine balance by describing specific contexts where men deploy feminine, androgynous, and transgressive gender aesthetics and practices and by identifying strategic ways with which men reach masculine balance and reinforce gender inequality.

The Lancet Commission on water, sanitation and hygiene, and health

The Lancet Commission on water, sanitation and hygiene, and health