Women In Decision-making Positions Research Articles

Advancing Gender Equality in Healthcare Leadership: Protocol to Co-Design and Evaluate a Leadership and Mentoring Intervention in Tanzania.

Women constitute almost two thirds of the health and social workforce. Yet, the proportion of women in decision-making positions remains significantly low leading to gender inequities in access to and appropriateness of healthcare. Several barriers which limit women's advancement to leadership positions have been documented and they generally constitute of gender stereotypes, discrimination and inhibiting systems; these hinderances are compounded by intersection with other social identities. Amelioration of the barriers has the potential to enhance women's participation in leadership and strengthen the existing health systems. This protocol describes a proposed study aimed at addressing the organisational and individual barriers to the advancement of women to leadership positions in the Tanzanian health sector, and to evaluate the influence on leadership competencies and career advancement actions of the female health workforce. The study utilises a gender transformative approach, co-design and implementation science in the development and integration of a leadership and mentorship intervention for women in the Tanzanian health context. The key steps in this research include quantifying the gender ratio in healthcare leadership; identifying the individual and organisational barriers to women's leadership; reviewing existing leadership, mentorship and career advancement interventions for women; recruiting programme participants for a leadership and mentorship programme; running a co-design workshop with programme participants and stakeholders; implementing a leadership and mentorship programme; and conducting a collaborative evaluation and lessons learnt. This research underscores the notion that progression towards gender equality in healthcare leadership is attained by fashioning a system that supports the advancement of women. We also argue that one of the pivotal indicators of progress towards the gender equality sustainable development goal is the number of women in senior and middle management positions, which we hope to further through this research.

Gendering the Decision-Making Positions in Higher Education: A Cross-Sectional Gender Audit in Three Selected Universities in Malawi

Malawi is one of the countries that has doubled its efforts to narrow the gender gap since the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action. The country ratified both international and regional gender protocols as well as enacting the national gender policy to safeguard gender equality at all levels to empower women. The participation of women in decision-making positions is therefore critical at this point. Many researchers globally have claimed that having more women in strategic leadership roles would help to reduce workplace restrictions and influence policies. This paper therefore discusses the gender representation of women in decision-making in higher education at University of Malawi, the Malawi University of Science and Technology, and Mzuzu University. The findings reveal a stagnated culture of colonial regime sustained by with patriarchal structure which continue to favour men in decision-making positions at the expense of women. In addition, all three institutions suffer gender-blind promotion criteria and systematic institutional resistance which makes it difficult for women to ascend to decision-making positions hence the hierarchy is highly dominated by males. The paper provides recommendations as follows: (i) promoting women in research in order to allow more women in positions of decision-making, (ii) repurposing the institution gender policies, (iii) women agency change of mindset and make concerted efforts to emancipate themselves from negative stereotypes and barriers in institutions.

Exploring the Role of Political Parties in the Enhancement of Women Representation in Parliament, Zambia: A phenomenological perspective

This study aimed at exploring the role of political parties in the enhancement of women representation in Parliament of Zambia. The continued underrepresentation of women in the Zambian National Assembly prompted undertaking this study. The Patriotic Front (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) and the 2016 general elections were the main focus of the study. 
 This study was qualitative and a case study research design based on two major political parties, studied in depth using twenty six party officials, at different levels of party hierarchies who were purposefully selected. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, narratives and unstructured questionnaires from the two political parties and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) documents. 
 The study used an interpretive phenomenological theoretical framework based on discussions and reflections of direct sense perception and experiences of the role of political parties in enhancing women representation in the national assembly of Zambia. The starting point for using an interpretive phenomenology for this study was our ability to approach this study oblivious of a priori assumptions. Phenomenological theoretical framing was used as a broad and loose name for various types of analysis, which lay emphasis on experiences, interpretations, semiotics, narrative and discourse based on the phenomenological orientation of the Philosophy of social sciences.
 Data was analysed and presented by the thematic approach as well as through frequency tables. The study found that both political parties had put in place strategies and mechanisms to enhance the representation of women in parliament and these included; having at least 30 percent women in decision-making positions, the adoption of the women’s wing concept, training and sensitisation, adoption of women in political party strongholds and relaxing of adoption requirements for women. Following the 2016 General elections, the PF made a pronouncement that the party would adopt 40 per cent women as parliamentary candidates. Nevertheless, the study found that the two political parties failed to meet their own regional and international targets on the number of women adopted to contest parliamentary seats. Thus, the study concluded that the lack of affirmative action, Nolle prosequi, Corruption and ignoring women voices taking place in political parties perpetuates women under representation in parliament in Zambia. This shows that political parties have a role to play to strengthen women representation in parliament through affirmative action in all party structures. The study urges political parties to seriously consider employing practical deliberate strategies and mechanism to increase the number of women in parliament since Zambia does not have a legislated quota. 
 Keywords: Phenomenology, Affirmative action, gender mainstreaming, Corruption, Nolle prosequi.

A Comparative Study of Gender Disparities in Geoscience and Mining in Mongolia

Mongolian women enjoy equal rights and actively participate in various sectors of the national economy, including the mineral and mining industry. The Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST), the largest university in Mongolia, plays a crucial role in preparing engineers for the Mongolian industry. Within MUST, the School of Geology and Mining Engineering (SGME) stands out as one of the largest schools, boasting a dedicated team of 136 staff members. Impressively, 92 of these staff members are female, constituting a remarkable 67.65% of the total staff. The directorial board of SGME, consisting of 12 members, also demonstrates a noteworthy level of gender diversity, with 5 of its members being female. This represents a proportion of 41.67% and highlights the inclusion of women in decision-making positions. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Geology and Hydrogeology department, one of the five departments within the School, is led by a capable female leader. However, despite the encouraging representation of women among staff and in leadership roles, there is a noticeable disparity in the enrollment and graduation rates of students at SGME. Currently, these rates stand at only about 20–24 percent, indicating the need for further efforts to encourage and support female students in pursuing geology and mining engineering studies. Outside of academia, within the mining industry, the Oyu Tolgoi large-scale mine, which in 2022 employed 20,328 workers, faces a significant gender imbalance. Out of this workforce, only 3577 are women, comprising a mere 18% of the total employees, while the remaining 82% are men. Among the 2997 total employees in the open pit mine, 737 women are employed in various roles, including 66 engineers and technicians, with the remaining 671 in other positions. In the newly opened underground mine, the total number of women employees stands at 2840, including 248 engineers and technicians and 2592 in other roles. Furthermore, on the Board of Directors, there are only 2 women out of a total of 23 managers, and a mere 104 women hold positions as senior staff and superintendents. A comparative analysis between Asia and other global regions reveals that female employment in Mongolia’s mining sector in general, at 18%, closely aligns with Oceania’s rates (17%) and surpasses those of both the broader Asian region (13%) and South America (11%). Addressing these statistical imbalances is crucial to improving gender equality in geoscience and mining. Historically, the mining industry has been male-dominated, but women-led professional geoscience and mining organizations in Mongolia play a vital role in promoting the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in these industries. Recognizing the significance of gender diversity, these organizations strive to increase the representation of women in leadership positions. Women in leadership bring unique perspectives that contribute to well-rounded decision-making processes within organizations. By acknowledging the importance of gender dynamics, promoting inclusivity, and supporting the professional growth of Mongolian women in geoscience and mining, the overall development and sustainability of these sectors in the country will be greatly enhanced.

What is the ‘problem’ of gender inequality represented to be in the Swedish forest sector?

Gender equality in natural resource management is a matter of sustainability and democracy for Sweden’s government, however the country’s forest remains a highly gender-segregated sector. We examine how gender inequality is problematized within Swedish forest and rural policy documents using the What’s the problem represented to be? (WPR) approach. We build on previous efforts to investigate gender inequality in the forest sector by expanding the critical analysis to rural development policy. We conduct interviews with forest experts, owners, and practitioners to shed light on where there are gaps within the policy representations and uncover alternative policy options that are presented. Our findings corroborate that gender inequality is represented to be a technical problem, with policy measures aiming to increase the number of women within a forest sector that continues to maintain rigid conceptions about forestry production values. While there are claims of success in the increase of women within the sector in aggregate, there is little change in the numbers of women in decision-making positions. Forest policy relies upon women to bring growth and sustainability to the forest industry, while rural policy expects women to halt rural population decline. Our findings suggest that merely trying to fit more women into a mold that has been shaped for and by inflexible forestry and masculine values is an impediment not only to gender equality but also to the inclusion of other social groups and ideas in the changing rural landscapes of Sweden.

Kenyan Female Lecturers' Ambitions for Leadership and Perceived Challenges

Purpose: This study sought to determine whether there was a relationship between learned helplessness and the low involvement of women in leadership positions in higher education. 
 Methodology: All of the female lecturers at KU were the study's target audience. It used a descriptive survey design. 50 female lecturers representing all the university's academic departments were chosen using stratified random sampling. A questionnaire was used to gather the information. The data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methodologies. 
 Results: The survey found that female instructors have high aspirations for leadership. They have shaky opinions about their possibilities of rising to positions of leadership, nevertheless. 
 Conclusion: Only two female professors, or 4.3 percent, have sought for leadership roles in higher education, despite the fact that they are competent for these positions. 
 Recommendations: The study also advised the university to conduct a survey to learn why women are underrepresented in leadership positions and to encourage leadership training programs for female academicians. The study recommended the government appoint more women in decision-making positions, such as parliament, and ensure compliance with gender equality as required by the constitution.

Policies of Women Empowerment in Decision Making Positions: The Case of Egypt 2014- 2020

This study seeks to assess the policies of empowering Egyptian women in decision-making positions as well as identifying the challenges that limit the chances of women in taking over leadership positions. Additionally, a number of secondary goals were investigated such as; defining the concept of empowerment and leadership with a focus on their types and dimensions, identifying the characteristics and skills of women leaders, understanding the aspects of women empowerment in decision-making positions as well as monitoring and evaluating the existing stance of women in leading positions. The study showed that the leadership empowerment of women is progressing at a fast and advanced pace, which indicates that the empowerment of women is amongst the key goals of the 2030 vision and recommends additional procedures to ensure consistency of such policies to support sustainable societal development. Keywords: Women – Empowerment – Decision Making – Leadership positions - development DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/112-12 Publication date: August 31 st 2021

Debate: Gender responsive budgeting—moving toward equity for women and men

The increasing number of women in decision-making positions in government has given them greater opportunities to challenge structures that perpetuate gender inequities. Despite this, gender gaps s...

APLIKASI KAEDAH FUZZY DELPHI TERHADAP ITEM EFIKASI KENDIRI KEPIMPINAN DAN KEMAHIRAN KEPIMPINAN WANITA PEMBUAT KEPUTUSAN

The policy of 30% women representation as decision-makers in Malaysia has not been achieved even in 2021. This is due to the lack of women in decision-making positions in the public and private sectors. There are two factors for the lack of women in decision-making positions; leadership self-efficacy and leadership skills. In order to fulfil the policy of 30% women representation in decision-making positions, empirical research should be carried out to measure the level of leadership self-efficacy and leadership skills among female government officers who hold positions of Grade 48 and above. A research instrument that consists of items that measure leadership self-efficacy and leadership skills has been developed. A content validity process was carried out to ensure that the items would measure the dimensions that need to be measured. Hence, this study applied the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) in order to obtain experts’ consensus regarding the items that are relevant in measuring the dimensions of leadership self-efficacy and leadership skills of women as decision-makers. 14 expert panelists were involved in this research and all of the data collected were analysed using the FDM. Results of the analysis showed that 30 items developed for the leadership self-efficacy dimension and 25 items developed for the leadership skills dimension fulfilled the required conditions which are the threshold (d) ≤ 0.2, the value α-cut ≥ 0.5, and over 75% expert panelists’ consensus. It is hoped that the research results would lead to the innovation of applying the FDM in determining the content validity of the items developed in measuring dimensions such as measuring the dimensions of leadership self-efficacy and leadership skills among women.

Correction to: Gender pay gap and under-representation of women in decision-making positions: UWE decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights

Correction to: Gender pay gap and under-representation of women in decision-making positions: UWE decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights

Gender pay gap and under-representation of women in decision-making positions: UWE decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights

The aim of this article is to present the decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights concerning collective complaints, lodged by University Women of Europe (UWE) against 15 European states, in which the issues of the gender pay gap and gender imbalance in decision-making positions within private companies were raised. The Committee assessed compliance with the right to equal pay and the right to equal opportunities in the workplace and clarified the requirements stemming from the European Social Charter in this respect.

‘I don’t want to be known for it’: Girls, leadership role models and the problem of representation

An absence of role models in girlhood is a popularly cited cause of the shortage of women in decision-making positions in adulthood. The power of leadership exists in a close relationship with public visibility, and this relationship is regularly foregrounded in adult interventions that seek to stimulate girls’ leadership aspirations through the public pedagogy of role models. We explore the problematic nature of such popular solutions through a framework suggested by feminist critique of the ‘fetishisation’ of representation, by their media effects foundations and by their alignment with neoliberal logics. Drawing on group interview workshops conducted in five English state schools, we find that role-model solutions offer an overly simplistic view of girls’ engagements with public figures, and that they recognise neither the contemporary conditions of women’s visibility nor how such conditions regulate girls’ imaginings of power along axes of ‘race’ and class as well as gender.

The Share of Women in Decision-making Positions Across Different Levels of Government

ABSTRACT This paper investigates formal and informal patterns of the recruitment process and the features of types of elections to shed light on what affects the share of women across levels of government (European, national, and local). A single country and party – the Portuguese Socialist Party – was analysed to rule out intervening factors, and 19 in-depth interviews were conducted. Our findings highlight the specificities of each type of election, their interactions with the recruitment process, and the relevance of informal factors.

Gender inequalities on editorial boards of indexed pediatrics journals.

The presence of women in decision-making positions, such as on editorial committees of biomedical journals, is not the same as that of men. This paper analyzes the gender composition of editorial committees (EBMs) and editors-in-chief (ECs) positions of pediatric journals. The gender of EBMs and ECs of 125 journals classified in the pediatrics area of the Journal Citation Report (JCR) was analyzed. The following indicators were calculated: gender distribution of ECs and EBMs by journal, publisher, subject speciality, country, quartile of the journal in JCR and country of affiliation of the members. The total number of EBMs was 4242. The distribution by sex of the ECs was 19.44% women and 80.56% men, while that of the EBMs were 33.05% women and 66.95% men. Twenty journals exhibited a greater representation of women than of men, and in four there was parity. Journals with greater participation of women specialized in nursing and physical therapy and were related to nutrition (lactation and breastfeeding). Only one-fifth of ECs and one-third of EBMs are females. Women's participation is higher in journals related to nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and nutrition. The United States has the highest number of EBMs, followed by the European Union. Only one-fifth of Editors-in-chief in pediatrics journals are female. Only one-third of Editorial Board Members in pediatrics journals are female. Women's participation is higher in editorials committees in pediatrics journals related to nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and nutrition. Medical and pediatric associations and societies must work together to eliminate the disparities that exist between women and men. Achieving gender equity and empowering all women is one of the World Health Organization's Sustainable Development Goals.

The Politics of Women’s Empowerment in Yemen

Despite the existence of women’s empowerment strategies since the late nineties and qualified women in decision-making positions in charge of implementing them, these strategies failed to significantly improve women’s conditions and the situation of Yemeni women in the Republic of Yemen remains dismal. This article attempts to explain this failure through a mixed-method approach, surveying and interviewing Yemeni women leaders who were involved as authority figures or people of influence between 2006 and 2014 in said strategies. Findings from this research have strong policy implications on future development and gender equality policies in the country placing the experiences of women as policy makers, activists, advocates at the center of the analysis.

Transitional Justice in Colombia – Insights from Postcolonial Feminist Theory

In 2016, Colombia’s biggest Guerrilla group, the FARC, and the government under president Santos reached a breakthrough in the lasting peace negotiations after the decades-long armed conflict and established a comprehensive transitional justice system. Although the accord is described as relatively progressive, the peace process is currently fraying. This paper aims to address some of the deficits of the Colombian peacebuilding, focusing on insights from postcolonial feminist theory. Building on experiences of past transitional justice processes, the essay examines the Colombian example with regard to women in decision-making positions and the lack of an intersectional approach. Moreover, the paper challenges the capacity of TJ as a tool to address the root causes of conflicts and to achieve a transformation of the society which is necessary in order to accomplish sustainable peace.

Women directors and firm performance: Malaysian evidence post policy announcement

PurposeIn 2011, the Malaysian cabinet approved the policy that all board of directors of companies listed on the Bursa Malaysia should consist of 30 per cent women in decision-making positions by the year 2016. The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between the presence of women on the board and firms’ performance following the introduction of the diversity policy.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis uses the information of the top 200 Malaysian public listed companies for the financial year 2011–2013. The multiple regression analysis is used to estimate the relationship between the firm performance (return on assets (ROA)) as the dependent variable and the independent variables.FindingsThe results show that during the period under study, the proportion of women directors on board is negatively correlated with ROA. This indicates that the firm performance may not be dependent on the number of women directors on board. However, the results of the study also show that the academic backgrounds of the women board members add some value toward generating better firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsA small sample size of only the top 200 public listed companies was utilised. Consequently the outcome may not be generalisable to smaller public companies or private firms. Another limitation is regarding the sample period. Taking only one year before and one year after the policy’s approval may be too short of the period under study and may be too early to study the impact of the policy. Future studies could sample a longer period.Practical implicationsThe findings encourage public listed companies to appoint women with the necessary qualities as members of the board and not to simply increase the number of women on boards.Originality/valueThere is a lack of work on studying women’s effectiveness on board in developing countries, whereby previous work and literature review were predominantly based upon the experience of Western economies. This study, thus, contributes to the rising literature on women board member representation based on the firm performance of the top 200 listed companies in Malaysia.

Quota Women Are Threatening to Men

Abstract. Two studies carried out among Albanian public-sector employees examined the impact of different types of affirmative action policies (AAPs) on (counter)stereotypical perceptions of women in decision-making positions. Study 1 (N = 178) revealed that participants – especially women – perceived women in decision-making positions as more masculine (i.e., agentic) than feminine (i.e., communal). Study 2 (N = 239) showed that different types of AA had different effects on the attribution of gender stereotypes to AAP beneficiaries: Women benefiting from a quota policy were perceived as being more communal than agentic, while those benefiting from weak preferential treatment were perceived as being more agentic than communal. Furthermore, we examined how the belief that AAPs threaten men’s access to decision-making positions influenced the attribution of these traits to AAP beneficiaries. The results showed that men who reported high levels of perceived threat, as compared to men who reported low levels of perceived threat, attributed more communal than agentic traits to the beneficiaries of quotas. These findings suggest that AAPs may have created a backlash against its beneficiaries by emphasizing gender-stereotypical or counterstereotypical traits. Thus, the framing of AAPs, for instance, as a matter of enhancing organizational performance, in the process of policy making and implementation, may be a crucial tool to countering potential backlash.

Women and leadership: Gender barriers to senior management positions

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to show the representation of women in corporate leadership positions. It also aims to identify the key factors that determine the lower presence of women in senior management, as well as policies to achieve gender balance in decision-making positions. Design/methodology/approach: In order to show the representation of women in senior positions, the information contained in the European Commission database Women and men in decision-making has been analyzed. This database contains information on the presence of women in key positions in the largest publicly-listed European companies. The analysis has been completed with the Economically Active Population Survey of the Spanish National Statistics Institute and Catalyst census, including Fortune 500 companies. A literature review was also conducted to find factors explaining the current situation of women in decision-making positions and to propose strategies that promote more women in senior management. The literature review was carried out by means of searches in Google Scholar and in the databases ABI/INFORM Global , Emerald and International Bibliography of the Social Sciences , which permitted the analysis of several journals. Findings: This study highlights the gender imbalance in decision-making positions. Most barriers to senior management are related to gender stereotypes. Therefore, we propose combining short-term measures to provide the required support for women in order to access management positions with other long-term measures to boost analysis and the learning process throughout society. Originality/value: The research assesses the magnitude of the gender imbalance still present in leadership positions today. It also highlights the need for short- and long-term measures.

Women Political Leadership in India: Status and Challenges

The advancement of a nation depends on gender equality. Women's successful involvement in politics may lead to gender equality. Women's status in society is uplifted when they participate actively in politics. It is also essential to a country's growth since it is only possible for real development to occur when men and women participate equally in positions of leadership. The truth is that women still lag significantly behind men in terms of global political participation, even though they make up 50% of the global population. In India women’s participation as voters and campaigners has increased gradually but women are still under-represented in legislative bodies both at the national and state level and in political parties. Greater participation of women in decision-making positions in political parties and in government is a precondition for getting full support from women and for proper utilisation of women power. So we need to address the problem of low participation of women in leadership position in politics. In this regard, it is important to examine the actual status of women in political leadership position in India and challenges that women face in the political sphere.