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Replete with espoused discourses of equality, diversity and inclusion within public bodies, is the UK, wherein lauded initiatives reward its universities’ commitments to increasing the access and positioning of ‘women’ in higher education. This paper contributes a critical quantitative analysis of the state of representation and participation of academic staff within these universities generally, and the majority‐female discipline of education particularly. Education is important because it has a direct relation to social change and ethicality. It may maintain or reproduce the status quo; however, exercising its transformative potential is essential for the success of various international frameworks aiming to address global inequality, including most recently the Sustainable Development Goals. Sensitised by QuantCrit principles, a descriptive statistical exploration was undertaken of the staff composition and employment conditions captured within the administrative datasets reported on academic staff by all the public universities in the devolved nations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales from 2015 to 2020. The findings of this study confirmed: (i) the continuation of gendered inequalities across the academic hierarchy, particularly as the pyramid narrows to the assigned intellectual leadership position of ‘professor’; (ii) racialised, gendered inequalities in access to employment, and in positioning once employed; and (iii) more adverse conditions where gendered, racialised and geopolitical inequalities intersect, most extremely for Black African female academics. The study demonstrates that the centring of ‘race’ and consideration of nationality are required to challenge coloniality, and to bring to the fore the differential impacts of systems of discrimination within this globally influential sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Equal, diverse, and inclusive teams lead to higher productivity, creativity, and greater problem-solving ability resulting in more impactful research. However, there is a gap between equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) research and practices to create an inclusive research culture. Research networks are vital to the research ecosystem, creating valuable opportunities for researchers to develop their partnerships with both academics and industrialists, progress their careers, and enable new areas of scientific discovery. A feature of a network is the provision of funding to support feasibility studies – an opportunity to develop new concepts or ideas, as well as to 'fail fast' in a supportive environment. The work of networks can address inequalities through equitable allocation of funding and proactive consideration of inclusion in all of their activities. Methods: This study proposes a strategy to embed EDI within research network activities and funding review processes. This paper evaluates 21 planned mitigations introduced to address known inequalities within research events and how funding is awarded. EDI data were collected from researchers engaging in a digital manufacturing network activities and funding calls to measure the impact of the proposed method. Results: Quantitative analysis indicates that the network's approach was successful in creating a more ethnically diverse network, engaging with early career researchers, and supporting researchers with care responsibilities. However, more work is required to create a gender balance across the network activities and ensure the representation of academics who declare a disability. Preliminary findings suggest the network's anonymous funding review process has helped address inequalities in funding award rates for women and those with care responsibilities, more data are required to validate these observations and understand the impact of different interventions individually and in combination. Conclusions: In summary, this study offers compelling evidence regarding the efficacy of a research network's approach in advancing EDI within research and funding. The network hopes that these findings will inform broader efforts to promote EDI in research and funding and that researchers, funders, and other stakeholders will be encouraged to adopt evidence-based strategies for advancing this important goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The socialist German Democratic Republic (GDR) in the east part of former divided Germany, which existed between 1949 and 1990, saw the emancipation of women as a national objective. In this paper we examine the gender ideologies of young people in the GDR in relation to state socialist ideas of gender equality. First, we outline the GDR's socialist state policy in favour of maternal full-time employment, even with young children, between the 1950s and the 1980s. We then present the results of our analysis of gender ideologies using survey data collected by the GDR's Central Institute of Youth Research in 1984. By applying latent class analysis, we identify two patterns of egalitarianism in the analytic sample, which we term 'all-inclusive-egalitarians' and 'not-in-my-backyard-egalitarians' ('nimby-egalitarians'). The former supported gender equality in both the public and familial spheres. The nimby-egalitarians, by contrast, had ambivalent attitudes, as they supported gender equality in the public sphere and at the same time held more traditional attitudes towards the private sphere. Our study demonstrates that after almost 40 years of propagating gender equality, state socialism in the GDR had some success in shaping societal gender ideologies. However, we reveal ambivalences which researchers have previously often overseen, especially in contrast to the Western part of Germany. The top-down shaped GDR patterns of egalitarianism also bear similarities to the stalled gender revolution in contemporary Western democratic societies. Beyond the results, the paper proves the richness and principle usability of hitherto rarely used data sets preserved from the GDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits Tocqueville's famous portrait of the American female, which begins with assertions of her equality to males but ends with her self-cloistering in the domestic sphere. Taking a cue from Tocqueville's extended sketch of the "faded" pioneer wife in "A Fortnight in the Wilderness" and drawing connections to Tocqueville's criticisms of the division of industrial labor, I argue that the American girl's ostensibly free choice to remove herself from public life is not an act of freedom. Rather, it is a manifestation of a particular type of unfreedom that reveals underappreciated connections between the two great dangers about which Democracy in America warns: tyrannical majoritarianism and soft despotism. My argument that the girl's choice to withdraw from public life is coerced rather than free thus highlights the nonpolitical sources of oppression that exist within democratic societies. The paper concludes by raising questions about the need for coercion within Tocquevillian democracy and the implications of this for Tocqueville's "new" political science—indeed, for his liberalism more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops the argument that post-COVID-19 recovery strategies need to focus on building back fairer cities and communities, and that this requires a strong embedding of ' age-friendly ' principles to support marginalised groups of older people, especially those living in deprived urban neighbourhoods, trapped in poor quality housing. It shows that older people living in such areas are likely to experience a 'double lockdown' as a result of restrictions imposed by social distancing combined with the intensification of social and spatial inequalities. This argument is presented as follows: first, the paper examines the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on older people, highlighting how the pandemic is both creating new and reinforcing existing inequalities in ageing along the lines of gender, class, ethnicity, race, ability and sexuality. Second, the paper explores the role of spatial inequalities in the context of COVID-19, highlighting how the pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on deprived urban areas already affected by cuts to public services, the loss of social infrastructure and pressures on the voluntary sector. Finally, the paper examines how interrelated social inequalities at both the individual and spatial level are affecting the lives of older people living in deprived urban neighbourhoods during the pandemic. The paper concludes by developing six principles for 'age-friendly' community recovery planning aimed at maintaining and improving the quality of life and wellbeing of older residents in the post-pandemic city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender differences have been recognized in most cultures, but the challenge arises when such differences are misinterpreted as gender inequality, especially to the gross disadvantage of women. One dimension of culture where gender inequality is generally manifested is through language and more specifically the use of proverbs, which are generally believed to host the wisdom of societies. Among some societies, people's actions or inactions are often reflected in the meanings and interpretations of proverbs. This paper examines how proverbs may perpetuate gender inequality and potentially lead males to pronounced risks among the Akan in Ghana. Using a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study revealed that while some proverbs portray masculine superiority, such construction of masculinity, ironically, tends to subject males to pronounced risks in trying to live up to the expectations of society. Implicitly, these proverbs restrict the socio-cultural space for men to express their socially constructed ordeals. We conclude that the traditional representation of men in proverbs needs to be critically re-examined to holistically deal with gender inequality in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of Law 17/2015, of July 21, on the effective equality of men and women, as the law that governs gender policies in Catalonia. These policies are analysed within the framework of the mandates of the Statutes of 1979 and 2006 and their competence limits. This paper places them in the context of state and regional legislation on equality. It explains the long gestation and approval of Law 17/2015, and the analysis focuses on its purpose, objectives, and structural principles. In particular, it reflects on the implementation of the principle of gender mainstreaming, on how the law responds to the allocation of household and childcare responsibilities, and on its effectiveness, and it assesses if the measures provided for in the law are adequate to fulfil its purpose. The conclusions highlight the importance of this law, but also the difficulties of its challenges. Finally, it is stated that in order to consolidate the ambitious objectives of the law, a clear political will and the allocation of resources are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This ethnographic paper explores gender inequality in tribal societies vis-à-vis customary practices and challenges the notion of egalitarianism of tribal society by taking Chuktia Bhunjia tribe of Odisha, India as an analytical category. In the light of a discussion on women specific taboos and restrictions, captured through formal interview, narrative and lived experience approach, the paper explicates the deeply embedded nature of the taboos in Chuktia Bhunjia society and unravels how prohibiting women from socio-economic and religious space, backed by purity-pollution philosophy, perpetuate the gender inequality among them. It was found that although economic division of labour is indistinct; women are perceived being portrayal of misfortunes during perceived pollution periods and are prohibited to enter into sacred places – kitchen room, cowshed, sacred groves and forest – and take part in community festivals and other auspicious occasions. The existing material culture, especially kitchen room, alongside economic structure, self-notion of 'outsiders' and apparently fixed customary laws have direct influence on the position of women in this society. It is found that the customary laws are not mere symbolic expressions in perpetuating the gender asymmetry, but have become a powerful tool to patriarchal controls not only over women's education, health, properties and knowledge, but also over individual's choice, freedom, decision-making and sexuality. However, internal challenges are reported against customary laws and taboos, the fear of social ostracism, the obligation to restore the purity of cultural entity and anxiety reinforce people to be always submissive to those practices. Therefore, unless there is transformation alongside their culture, it is fruitless to think of gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We respond to El-Hout et al.'s commentary on our paper 'Men, Women and STEM: Why the Differences and What Should Be Done?'. El-Hout et al. challenge several aspects of the position we present in the paper and outline their recent work on the concept of 'masculine defaults': a plausible contributor to the gender gaps found in some STEM fields. For the most part, El-Hout et al. present our views fairly and accurately. In a number of places, however, they misdescribe them, especially when it comes to policy options. In this response, we clarify and expand on our earlier arguments and explore various interesting issues raised by El-Hout et al.'s commentary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its wide-ranging reservations and lack of effective enforcement mechanisms the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has failed to dismantle widespread and systemic discrimination. The present paper proposes a broad, theoretical, preventive and relational approach to creating and enhancing the effectiveness of novel interventions to accelerate gender equality. We describe the main elements of affective empathy (i.e. intersubjectivity, multisensory engagement and empathic embodiment) and identify potential interventions that build on those elements to advance gender equality. We ultimately argue that increased empathy towards women, transwomen and girls is required to disrupt the beliefs and behaviours that lead to discrimination, and that these changes must be enacted alongside legislative reforms and community education that construct equality environments. Our affective empathy framework could have the capacity to operationalise the normative fight against gender stereotypes and inequality in line with article 5(a) of CEDAW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper assesses the development of disability equality outcome indicators in 35 European countries in a context of the global governance of human rights and development. Outcome indicators are well-known in other fields, notably in the field of gender equality, but have been much less evident in the disability field. This is, in part, due to difficulties of disability definition and measurement but also reflects the relatively recent formalisation of disability equality as a global human rights concern. Over the past decade there has been a rising expectation on states to structure and quantify their monitoring of disability equality and rights. Despite this there is only patchy evidence that transnational governance frameworks have had any great effect on states' compliance with this. The first part of the paper reviews the meaning of disability equality and the duty on states to monitor it. The second part assesses the progress made in European countries, including examples of variations in approach and coverage. Acts of equality measurement make injustices more visible and more governable. In this sense public investment in disability equality indicators is still much needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The educational system plays a key role in the reproduction of gender inequality, as it transmits sexist norms and stereotypes on a daily basis. Gender-sensitive education seeks to transform educational contents and practices in order to create school environments where the principles of respect, equity and social justice prevail. The objective of this paper is to examine the agroecology curriculum taught at the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Mexico. Data was obtained through a survey, content analysis of course syllabi, and in-depth interviews. Results identified an androcentric bias in teaching contents, and gender discrimination in classroom interaction. It is concluded that gender mainstreaming in higher education is essential to counteract sexism and other forms of social inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While existing research offers an understanding of the antecedents, forms, and consequences of resistance to gender equality work in organizations, studies primarily regard resistance as a challenge to be overcome or as something that can at times be beneficial for change. In this paper, we argue that resistance shapes gender equality work. We focus on covert forms of resistance and give voice to experts in Finland and Sweden who work for gender equality in organizations. Analyzing the discursive politics involved in (de)legitimizing and (de)politicizing equality work, we elucidate how experts deal with resistance by shaping the meaning of equality and working for it. Our findings suggest that covert resistance undermines the quest for gender equality by molding the conditions for how equality work can be done, thus influencing what it can achieve in organizations and in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the main results of an exploratory research conducted in 2022 within an Erasmus+ international project, entitled “Military Gender Studies”. The aim of the investigation was to identify military students’ perceptions, thoughts, behaviors, and expectations concerning several peculiarities of gender issues in the daily life of the military organization: gender balance, gender differences, equality, equity, and discrimination. The respondents – Land Forces Academy students – were also asked about the opportunity/necessity to insert aspects related to gender perspectives into the academic curriculum. The structured interview method was used for data collection, which subsequently informed the qualitative data analysis. The findings presented synthetically could guide a future gender education approach, addressed to both male and female cadets and aimed at providing important tools for promoting the gender perspective in the military. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to understandings of how Athena SWAN (AS) is shaping contemporary equality work in the context of the neoliberal university, and whether it is contributing to performative ways of doing equality work. We center our research on the exploration of the question of how the gender‐agenda is being captured by the neoliberal agenda, drawing on 35 in‐depth qualitative interviews with AS champions across the UK and Republic of Ireland. The core aim of the study is to explore how AS has been co‐opted and mobilized as a vehicle for contemporary (neoliberal) equality work. We argue that rather than contributing to transformational change, AS serves as an effective tool for institutional reputation gains and (extended) virtue signaling, conceptualized and coined here as "institutional peacocking." This in turn, functions and is implemented in diverse institutional settings, with primarily institutional benefit, at the cost of AS champions who carry out gender equality work. We contribute empirically and conceptually to theorizations and current understandings of gender equality work in higher education, especially through AS champions' experience and the institutional benefits that present opportunity costs for some individuals, potentially serving to further entrench stereotyped perceptions of who should be doing equality work in universities, and critically, how institutions benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the gender gap in poverty remains a priority for South African policymakers. Using the 2018 General Households Survey (GHS), this paper examines gendered multidimensional poverty in post-apartheid South Africa. The analyses draw on Alkire-Foster multidimensional poverty methodology to present multidimensional poverty measures for men and women. The dimensions and indicators used in this paper are slightly adapted to reflect the socioeconomic realities and circumstances that are unique to South African households and individuals. The results show a persistence in multidimensional poverty among women, as the magnitudes of multidimensional poverty measures remain higher for women than for men. Further findings show that the economic activity and health dimensions contribute substantially to poverty among men and women. Notably, contributions of unemployment and the presence of chronic disease(s) indicators for gendered multidimensional poverty are more considerable for women than for men. In order to further reduce gendered poverty, this paper recommends strengthening a social policy review that strongly promotes more job creation, health-enhancing interventions and potent 'gender sensitive' ideologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how gendered perceptions of risk drive gender inequality. It does so by applying an Intersectional Risk Theory (IRT) framework to new empirical data on gender equality initiatives in the Canadian screen industries. The paper shows (1) that gendered risk perceptions constrain women directors' work opportunities; (2) that the construction of gendered risk perceptions ("doing risk") is shaped by the screen industry context and social inequalities generally; and (3) that practices of constructing risk perceptions can be disrupted and changed, which creates opportunities for a "re‐doing" or "un‐doing" of gendered perceptions of risk and offers new analytical perspectives onto the efficacy of gender equality initiatives. By interrogating how perceptions of risk inform decision‐making, the paper contributes new understandings of the drivers of systemic and intersectional inequality as a defining characteristic of work and labor markets in the screen industries and in the creative industries more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the processes contributing to equality of opportunity and outcomes in contemporary societies is at the core of the discipline of sociology. This paper illustrates the value of administrative data to underpin research aimed at identifying, monitoring, and addressing socio-economic disparities between population groups. To accomplish this, I draw on three case studies of recent empirical research leveraging administrative data to examine processes contributing to the (re)production of inequalities by sexual orientation. Collectively, the three case studies exemplify how data sources that fall within the broad category of 'administrative data' can help social researchers generate new, policy-relevant knowledge on socio-economic inequalities, as well as robust information to contextualize public and legislative debate. The paper concludes with a discussion of the promises and challenges of using administrative data to understand inequalities by sexual orientation, as well as inequalities between other minority and majority groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colombia is one of the most inequal countries in Latin America, which at the same time, is the most inequal region of the world. Even though this situation is discouraging it is not new, the difference lays on the importance that this situation has been taken in the political agenda in the nation, awakening multiple expectative between the citizens who has been the eternal losers: the poor. This paper focuses on the challenges that the new government of Gustavo Petro faces in matter of the inequality and poverty that affects over the half of the population in Colombia, at the same time provides a context of the Colombian case in the conjuncture of global and regional socioeconomic changes that incident on the chances of fulfill structural transformations at the social policy. Although this research acknowledges a large spectrum of inequalities existing in the territory (gender, generational, ethnic, racial) it focusses on the income inequality. This analysis takes place based on the data of specialized sources on the subject and the monitoring fluctuations of inequality in Colombia in the last decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the evolution of urban China's gender earnings gap from 1988 to 2016. We first document that an upward trend in gender inequality started to reverse after 2007 at the median and in the upper part of the earnings distribution but only for workers in the state–owned enterprises (SOEs). Women in the private sector at the top of the earnings distribution did not start to catch up with their male counterparts until 2012. The gender earnings gap at the low end of the distribution, meanwhile, was stuck at a high level after the mid–1990s. Polarization emerges both within the earnings distribution and across ownership types. Following Bayer and Charles (2018), we decompose the change in the gender earnings gap across the whole earnings' distribution and find that a change in the wage structure dominantly drives the trend in gender inequality. Gender–specific factors, such as discrimination, play a minor role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aims to study the reception of the Metatheory of Fraternal Law by female sorority in Brazil from the series "Coisa Mais Linda", a Brazilian production of Netflix. The Metatheory of Fraternal Law is based on the visualization of new perspectives for cosmopolitan society from the transdisciplinary analysis of society and its moving phenomena. Allied to sorority, which intrinsic role is in bringing women into an ethical circle of empathy, it is faced, in the struggle for gender equity, a promise of recognition of the other and the social responsibility that it has. In this sense, it is questioned: considering the struggle for the realization of women's rights from what the series "Coisa Mais Linda" illustrates, the object of analysis of this research, what are the contributions of the Metatheory of Fraternal Law to the women's sorority of women in Brazil? To carry out the research, it is adopted the hypothetical-deductive method of approach and bibliographic method of procedure. It concludes, from the study, the contributions of the Metatheory of Fraternal Law in its own inclusive and transdisciplinary character, in the sense of being a sensitive right that reaches the closed confines of citizenship, designed for a new form of cosmopolitanism and sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents, firstly, all the gender mainstreaming and subject-specific obligations that the Catalan Equality Act (Law 17/2015) establishes for the municipal sphere. Secondly, it goes on to explain what the city councils are actually implementing and what they are not. Thirdly, the causes of compliance and non-compliance are analysed. Finally, the paper proposes strategies for the implementation of gender policies at the municipal level. This article considers that the approval of the Catalan Equality Act has had a positive impact on the implementation of local gender policies, although there are aspects that still need to be worked on to make it easier for councils to truly comply with the provisions of the law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the post-Green Revolution era, numerous improved wheat varieties were released and disseminated to enhance tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and increase productivity. Still, in the wheat-based farming systems of the Global South, gender-based and other social inequalities continue to undermine equitable access to improved varieties, especially for women, poor, and marginalized farmers. Here, we present a case for gender-sensitive technology development, dissemination, and evaluation as part of wheat varietal improvement programs. We take stock of the various challenges that persist in the uptake of modern wheat varieties by male and female smallholders. We focus on Ethiopia and India, two geographies with substantive wheat economies, widespread poverty, and gender inequalities. The socio-economic literature on wheat is relatively thin with limited and dated gender-sensitive evaluation studies on varietal technologies in these countries. Varietal technology evaluations could ideally cover gender differences in relation to wheat varietal trait preferences, technology adoption, and associated decision-making and labor-use changes related to new varieties and complementary technologies, as well as nutritional and economic benefits. The paper calls for a need to change the institutional arrangements in wheat research-and-development (R&D) programs to understand and pursue better paths for wheat improvement to proactively contribute toward gender equity and inclusivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the historical development of the concept of equality and its incorporation into the different legal systems of Latin America with the aim of understanding gender affirmative actions as we know them today. Specific attention is paid to the contrast between the experiences of Latin America and the United States, given that in the United States the discussion on quotas has been oriented -and continues today- only with respect to racial discrimination. Additionally, the paper addresses the consequences of the implementation of the first affirmative action in Argentina more than thirty years ago and the consequences of the absence of affirmative actions in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the decisions of 2500 girls and boys in three mini dictator games, this paper investigates how the social preferences of five cohorts of students (aged 12 to 16) evolve throughout adolescence. We find that at early ages (12 years old, 7th grade), girls tend to be egalitarian, boys are more generous, and <10 % exhibit spiteful behavior - with equal representation of girls and boys. The gender gap in both strong egalitarianism (with girls showing more egalitarianism) and weak generosity (with boys being more generous) doesn't seem to fade as they grow older. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines nascent alternative approaches to "commoning" and "common goods" that have been developed over the last decade by a unique coalition of lawyers, grassroots initiatives, and local governments in Italian cities, notably Bologna and Naples. The aim is to flesh out and to critically appraise two variants of a strategy for advancing urban commons in the direction of Integrative Governance, civic equality, power-with, solidarity, plurality, openness, and care for the city: the "Bologna Model" and the "Neapolitan Way." The argument is that the two strategies diverge in crucial respects, the former being more top-down and potentially compromising than the latter. Both, however, bear promise and potential for commons-oriented change, opening up processes of new social invention, deeper democratization, political contestation, and counter-hegemonic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pervasiveness of preventive rationality, which is especially evident in populations caught in the prison-neighbourhood circuit, constitutes a challenging field for anthropological theory because it allows us to rethink the problem of hegemony in the context of the crises of capitalism. Drawing on research conducted in Chile amongst practitioners of crime prevention programmes and prisoners' families targeted by such initiatives, in this paper, we explore crime prevention as a political concept whose effects are inseparable from the maintenance of class and gender disparities. In conceptualising how petty crime prevention has become a predominant technology of classifying, policing and managing low-income populations, we take Foucault's notion of illegalism – as distinct from illegality – and extend it to dispossessed groups affected by dramatic levels of economic inequality and structural violence. We discuss preventive rationality in relation to the contradictions engendered by an authoritarian form of capitalism protected by constitutional constraints inherited from the Pinochet dictatorship. By connecting the conceptualisation of petty crime prevention to the ongoing contradictions of the society in which we live, we seek to sharpen attention to the ways in which the neoliberal hegemony attempts to contain its decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to bring to light the radical and subversive ideas of the British Enlightenment philosopher Mary Astell. It will be argued that Astell, despite her strict Anglicanism and affiliation with the rather conservative Tories, articulates radical thoughts on questions of gender equality. As will be shown, she is highly critical of contemporary sexual hierarchies, which is evident from her fierce criticisms of customary, natural, and scriptural defenses of patriarchalism. Part of her review of such hierarchies entails her ruthless assessment of the contemporary condition of marriage and the subordination of women therein. Besides reviewing and systematizing her critical positions, it is a further aim of this paper to compare these with her otherwise conservative ideas, such as denying a right to resistance or disobedience; a tension other commentators have tried to solve as well. I argue that, what we find in Astell, is a thinker who holds views many radicals would have concurred with, concerning both the spiritual and political equality of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a well-known and widely lamented fact that men outnumber women in a number of fields in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). The most commonly discussed explanations for the gender gaps are discrimination and socialization, and the most common policy prescriptions target those ostensible causes. However, a great deal of evidence in the behavioural sciences suggests that discrimination and socialization are only part of the story. The purpose of this paper is to highlight other aspects of the story: aspects that are commonly overlooked or downplayed. More precisely, the paper has two main aims. The first is to examine the evidence that factors other than workplace discrimination contribute to the gender gaps in STEM. These include relatively large average sex differences in career and lifestyle preferences, and relatively small average differences in cognitive aptitudes – some favouring males, others favouring females – which are associated with progressively larger differences the further above the average one looks. The second aim is to examine the evidence suggesting that these sex differences are not purely a product of social factors but also have a substantial biological (i.e. inherited) component. A more complete picture of the causes of the unequal sex ratios in STEM may productively inform policy discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on the first five years of the Changing University Cultures (CHUCL) collective, which conducted equality and diversity projects in four English universities between 2015 and 2020. We explore how CHUCL has been used in the service of institutional polishing (Ahmed, S. 2012. On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life. Duke University Press, 143) and airbrushing (Phipps, A. 2020b. "Reckoning Up: Sexual Harassment and Violence in the Neoliberal University." Gender & Education 32 (2), 230–233), how our reports have become non-performatives (Ahmed, S. 2012. On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life. Duke University Press, 90), and how our findings have been weaponised in the service of institutional interests. We are two of three white middle-class women who constitute the CHUCL collective; we situate this retrospective within critical reflections on our positionality and an abolitionist theorisation of the institution. We conclude that we have often been the master's tools, and while we join the work of imagining alternatives, we must build capacity for survival within the master's house. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies the concept "blind spots" to describe partial approaches to "race" and gender equality agendas in sport organizations in the UK, drawing on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Equality and Coach Development Leaders. Using the specific context of sport coaching, our qualitative approach is underpinned by critical race theory and the work of black feminism and intersectionality scholarship. Three key themes are identified: The marginality of "race" in the equalities agenda; Patterns of (in)visibility; and Whitening Equality. We argue that there is an urgent need for "race" conscious intersectional critiques of sport coaching. This is to examine the multiplicity and complexities of inclusion and exclusion for coaches and the different levels at which social divisions are constructed and interconnected. The paper provides a theoretical contribution to develop "race" equality research and outlines implications for policy-makers and practitioners to help challenge notions of meritocracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we identify and discuss several important themes surrounding gender among millennials in the context of growing inequality covering various topics from college classrooms to cross-national settings. Findings of our paper suggest that we need to understand social contexts and challenges faced by millennials. For example, millennials, both men and women alike, are affected by a rise in socioeconomic inequality and show pessimistic attitudes about the future. In addition, millennials hold more progressive gender beliefs than previous generations, but the cultural belief about individual responsibility still remains and works as one of the reasons for persistent gender inequality. Most importantly, in spite of the diversity in topics, research methods, and study context, all research included in this paper indicates the importance of viewing the issue of gender inequality in a broad social context through a structural lens and an intersectional perspective. We conclude with suggestions for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrefutably, many countries of the developing world continue to exhibit economic investments culture primarily premised on maximizing profit and accumulating wealth for oneself. Through this phenomenon, inequality has been glaring, with rich individuals becoming richer, while the majority poor continue to languish in poverty and their human dignity being highly compromised. South Africa as a country battling with pernicious legacies of apartheid presents such a good example. The country experiences a high level of gender inequality, poverty, a culture of violence, and unemployment of women and youth. In the awake of these predicaments, we need to question the dominant exorbitant profit-making investment approaches that undermine people's dignity, freedom and self-value. This paper presents findings from social enterprises to gain insights and lessons on doing business differently. The findings are presented using a conceptual framework abbreviated as 'SISTER'; S – Service; I – Integrity; S – Sustainability; T – Teamwork; E – Excellence; R – Respect. The study emphasizes that, investing in people has to take a paradgim shift by adopting distinctive models aganist the current capitalistic philosophies. The paper emphasis on focusing on peoples' values, capabilities, talents and cultural richness to generate wealth for societal and individual development, and thus lessening the ramifications associated with self-centredness of economic investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last several years, marriage and family patterns among the Kucong Lahu of Jinping County, Yunnan, have changed significantly due to rapid economic and social changes all over China. Based on ethnographic research in Lu Village, this article explores the current "escape" migration behavior of married Lahu women. They used migration as a strategy to escape patriarchal husbands, families, and local society. This paper describes a paradox between the autonomy of women's individual actions and the inability to escape the system even when on "escapes." This sort of "escape" strategy cannot ultimately change the gender inequality and social status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The responsibility for addressing gender inequality typically falls on women. More recently, evidence has shown that solidarity-based framing is a starting point for increasing men's support of gender equality efforts. This paper moves beyond these women's issue and solidarity approaches to examine whether positioning men as being either responsible for addressing inequality (Experiment 1; N = 258) or being directly affected by inequality themselves (Experiment 2; N = 543), shapes men's (and women's) attitudes toward male and female leaders promoting gender equality and their mobilization toward this cause. In Experiment 1, men evaluated male and female leaders as more prototypical and higher in leadership identification under common cause compared to women's issue frames (and also compared to men's responsibility frames for leadership identification). In Experiment 2 all participants evaluated (male) leaders more positively under common cause and covictimization framing compared to men's victimization framing. Contrary to predictions, men's (Experiments 1-2) and women's (Experiment 2) collective action intent remained stable across message frames. Yet when it comes to mobilization, in Experiment 2 women showed solidarity more readily (i.e., were committed to gender equality across frames) while men's mobilization was dependent on men being directly victimized. We discuss practical and theoretical implications of mobilizing support for gender equality, and important caveats of increasing male allies' involvement in the movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the literature by examining gender inequalities in political participation and political engagement among young people from a comparative perspective. By analysing data on young people from nine European countries collected in 2018, we examine gender inequalities in participation in various modes of conventional and unconventional activism as well as related attitudes, broader political engagement and key determinants, cross-nationally, in order to provide a detailed picture of the current state of gender inequalities in political activism among young people in Europe. Our results allow us to speak to extant theorising about gender inequalities by showing that the extent of political inequality between young men and women is less marked than one might expect. While the gender gaps in political participation for activities such as confrontational types of protest are small or absent, we find that young women are actually more active in petitioning, boycotting, and volunteering in the community. Young men instead are more active than young women in a majority of the nine countries analysed with respect to more institutional forms of participation linked to organizations and parties, various types of online political participation, and broader political engagement measures, such as internal political efficacy and consumption of political news through various channels. However, young men also appear to be more sceptical at least of certain aspects of democratic practice relative to young women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender equality has been widely explored, but there is limited research investigating its variability at regional level. This paper aims to fill this gap by developing and validating a new, regional gender gaps index, compatible with previous indices used to compare gender equality across nations but now fit for the purpose of measuring gender equality across regions, within nations. To this end, we (i) reviewed existing indicators of gender equality; (ii) assessed the contribution of the indicators most frequently used in previous research to measure gender equality; (iii) developed an extended, regional version of the gender gaps index (eRGGI), by extending it to include new indicators able to capture female empowerment in developed countries, like Italy; and, (iv) explored the variability of gender equality across Italian regions. In developing our eRGGI, some indicators traditionally used to measure gender equality were removed and others were introduced to capture new dimensions of gender equality to suit modern conditions regarding contexts where equality is considered important, in contemporary Europe. Results showed that gender equality varies dramatically across regions, also confirming the relevance of the new indicators we proposed to add. Such results call for more caution in interpreting results based on nationally aggregated data to inform policy and practice, arguing for regional comparisons to become more prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we construct a composite social well-being index to investigate disparities between 30 African countries. We do this because previous inequality studies relied on income measures; however, when it comes to Africa, specifically, income is not an adequate measure to capture well-being. Furthermore, we apply the recentered influence function (RIF) method to regress the variance of social well-being on likely influencing factors. Lastly, we use the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition technique to investigate the gap between countries with higher, and those with lower levels of social well-being. The results indicate that there are high levels of inequality; however, the inequality in social well-being is less stark than in income. Factors that are significantly related to inequality are employment, gender equality, exports, CO2 emissions, population density, public protests, capital investment, and internet access. The gap that exists between higher and lower social well-being countries is mainly due to the endowment effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper draws on fostering sociological imagination (Wright Mills, 2000) and contemporary possibilities in teaching and learning sociological concepts in relation to education. The authors present a method of reading films as a didactic tool in connection to selected sociological texts in order to better understand theory and praxis in the educational field and beyond. The film Billy Elliot was chosen as a didactic tool for presenting how Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and forms of capital, as well as Bernstein's conceptualisations of language codes, can be used in the pedagogical process. Emphasis is placed on education and the ways in which it contributes to shifting or reproducing social inequalities, class inequalities and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a theoretical-reflective essay that aims to approach the way in which the role of women has been biased by social representations, inherited by generations. In these representations, men are more closely associated with work and professional development, while women are mainly associated with housework and family. One of the epicenters of this problem, in addition to the above, is education. Overall, in Latin America, and specifically in Colombia, social inequalities are very deep and reflect a gender gap, permanently reproduced, which could be traced in terms of colonization and intersectionality. This paper will address three key moments. Firstly, it places women in education; secondly, it observes, from a general point of view, the challenges in terms of gender equity for higher education (HE) from the incorporation of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and finally, it presents an intersectional methodological perspective, which manages to dialogue between the aforementioned moments. It is intended to make a first approach to this concept from the educational perspective as an opportunity that realizes the promise of social inclusion and equity for women in the academy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the result of a research carried out under the umbrella of the "UNESCO UniTWIN Network on Media, Gender, and ICTs" Project, and it tries to determine the presence of subjects with a specific focus on gender in the current Communication Degrees offered at Spanish universities. The inclusion of subjects about gender equality in relation to media follows the suggestions of the IV World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995). The main objective of this research will be to investigate the presence of these subjects in Communication Degrees, identifying the elements that define them at a thematic, methodological and relevant levels within the curriculum. A mixed methodological design is proposed based on ex-post-facto research, with a descriptive orientation and the search for improvement, a qualitative analysis of study plans using ATLAS.ti and a panel of experts. The results reveal a scarce presence of this type of subjects, with a higher percentage in public universities than in private ones, and also a minimal relevance as compulsory subjects. This research study reveals the current formal training in gender studies of future generations of media professionals and serves as an endorsement for forthcoming changes of curricula in the European Higher Education Area context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to provide a critique of Shared Parental Leave (SPL) in the UK from a gender equality perspective, namely to assess whether SPL is capable of enabling more men to take leave in order to act as the main carer for their child. Leave policies in Nordic countries, where the rate of take-up by fathers is high, are also examined. It argues that SPL is open to legal challenge by fathers who do not meet the eligibility criteria, as the SPL scheme as currently drafted breaches the terms of the EU Parental Leave Directive and is also discriminatory on grounds of sex. The paper concludes that SPL is flawed as a policy. Whilst the UK government argues for a more equal division of childcare between father and mother, it seems unwilling to challenge the expectation that mothers provide the primary care for young children. Thus SPL will only be successful if the policy is reformed to include a higher rate of pay and a period of leave reserved for fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper aims to interrogate some of the processes and tensions I faced in establishing a feminist space in a higher education institution in the UK context. The students I worked with needed to develop an understanding of social justice concepts such as anti-discrimination and anti-oppression in order to progress from their undergraduate studies to a postgraduate professional qualification in social work. It was my contention that a feminist lens could support this understanding. The feminist space we established was informed by work in the field of feminist pedagogy, which supports the development of critical thinking that goes beyond the immediate learning context. Feminist pedagogy brings many rewards but also challenges and tensions, some of which I will explore in the paper. I will focus here on my efforts to establish and maintain this space, discussing what was achieved, and exploring the tensions involved when doing this in a neoliberal context, which as a depoliticised context, is a challenge to, and is challenged by, critical perspectives such as feminism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper seeks to understand how pro-environmental food practices among women and men in the EU can be supported by considering the interlinkages between gender equality and environmental sustainability. A special aspect is that the role of gender equality is interpreted in terms of Schwartz's theory on national cultural values, which relates gender equality to cultures that emphasize intellectual autonomy and egalitarianism. The paper investigated how pro-environmental food practices (including meat reduction) among women and men correlated with their countries' national income level and its level of gender equality. It was a multilevel analysis of survey data from 27 countries (Eurobarometer 95.1, Spring 2021). Considering that studies about gender equality and the environment often find problematically high correlations between gender equality and national income, this study focused on political gender equality (i.e. women's representation in parliament), which had desirable characteristics. National income and political gender equality had complementary impacts on the adoption of pro-environmental food practices (including meat reduction). Men reported more target practices when living in richer countries; the same applied even more strongly to women when living in richer and more politically gender-balanced countries. It was concluded that women may have developed more autonomy by, inter alia, adopting pro-environmental food practices. At the level of individual behavior, this illustrates "mutually reinforcing dynamics" in the pursuit of gender equality and environmental sustainability goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies of dagongmei (China's rural migrant woman workers) tend to situate them in the space of industrial production and, to a lesser extent, the site of everyday life. But we still do not know how their gender and mobility impact on their capacity to achieve personal intimacy; nor is it clear what social, economic and cultural forces may impede their search for it. This paper explores these questions by drawing on longitudinal ethnographic interactions with migrant women in Shenzhen who work for Foxconn – the world's biggest multi-national electronics manufacturer. Focusing on the stories of three women, this discussion shifts the analysis of the body and labour from the public to the private sphere, thereby attempting to shed light on the link between intimacy, emotion and inequality in China's capitalist industrial regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Gender inequalities and biases are perpetuated in children's books. • Female characters, especially female animal characters, were under-represented. • Females were frequently confined to the home and a limited range of social roles. • Females were often associated with relational processes; males with material. • Male characters tend to be accorded more respect than female characters. Abstract Early readers can play a significant role in the intergenerational transmission of gender roles. The present study examines how females and males are represented in selected early readers recommended by the Education Bureau of Hong Kong for the promotion of 'Reading to Learn' and 'Reading across the Curriculum'. The study used both manual and computational methods to examine how experiential and relational values are expressed through variables such as the ratio of female-to-male character types, the roles and activities depicted, character identification and the order of mention of males and females. The findings show that although the number of female human character types was similar to that of their male counterparts, there were substantially more male than female animal character types. The study also reveals gender stereotypes including confining females to a limited range of traditional roles and activities, addressing females more informally than males, and a stronger tendency to identify females by their relationships with others. The paper ends with some recommendations for education authorities, teachers and parents on how to help children interpret gender and redress unfair practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of a number of drivers for change in the pursuit of gender equality in higher education in the UK and beyond, the gender gap in research activity is still widely recognised across most subject disciplines. Over recent years, mentoring strategies have often been seen as the Alexandrian sword capable of cutting the gender deficit 'Gordian Knot'. However, analysis of current practice and dialogue points to a lack of a consistent approach in addressing and implementing HE policy in this area with many initiatives providing standardised non-evidence-based provision aimed at addressing an alleged confidence deficit and exhausting an already fatigued group of successful senior women. This paper seeks to triangulate existing literature with an analysis of data collected from a funded UK-based research project ultimately proposing a five-step institutional mentoring approach aimed at providing some inroads into alleviating the gender deficit in research productivity in the academy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines multiple aspects that prompted the emergence and development of the women's movement in South Sudan. It intends to outline challenges and opportunities for the women's movement over the years. Indeed, there are numerous sociocultural, economic, political, and structural aspects that impinge on women's collective actions and mobilization. Nevertheless, this article focuses on how the efforts of the women's movement strived to articulate and promote critical issues related to women and gender in South Sudan that are partly constrained by three interrelated factors: its close association with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), persistent civil wars and political instability, and donor agencies' influence on its agenda and activities. The paper argues that, without any tangible changes in these dynamics, the women's movement in South Sudan will not be able to simultaneously and effectively tackle practical and strategic gender concerns and interests and achieve gender equality in South Sudan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike in many countries around the world, a great number of South African women have since the advent of democracy in 1994 attained significant political leadership positions. Despite being constrained by traditional norms and values, the political status of women in the country has risen from 2.7% at the end of apartheid to about 47% as of 2017. Today, South Africa is among the few countries in the world with more than 40% women representation in decisionmaking institutions, in both national and regional governments. This paper provides explanation for this 'exceptionalism', with the hope that they will serve as a learning curve for communities with poor women representation. It builds on political process model within the social movement theory to unpack the phenomenon. Exploratory sequential research design, supported with qualitative and quantitative research methods was used for the study. Snowball sampling technique guided the data collection process, which was analyzed using Atlas.ti 8 and SPSS 25. The results indicated support for women education (14%), the presence of women liberation movement during the apartheid (13%), quota system (12%), protests movements against patriarchy (12%), demonstrated leadership skills (11%), and sensitization on gender equality (10%) are key factors. Other factors include institutional support (7%), willingness to serve (5%) and zeal to compete (3%). These factors interact with one another to provide the window of opportunities through which women activists participate and attain leadership positions in South African politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific literature and facts have highlighted the perpetuation of gender inequality in the labour market in spite of the ongoing endeavours of political bodies and legal norms to eliminate the vertical and horizontal segregation of women. Portuguese Social Economy Act stresses “the respect for the values […] of equality and non-discrimination […], justice and equity […]”. In this paper, we offer a reflection on indicators that uncover vertical and horizontal segregation in the labour market. Based on a mixed methodological approach, we found very high rates of employment feminization in social economy organizations. Women are mainly allocated to technical and operational activities, being ultimately underrepresented in statutory boards and as such excluded from deliberation and strategic decision. The sector is moving away from the ideals of justice and social equity and may preserve women’s “non-place” in the definition of the public and strategic direction and in the most invisible/private organizational “places”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]