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This article aims to generate novel insights by examining gender dynamics within aquaculture and small-scale fisheries, employing a gendered agrifood systems conceptual framework to comprehensively analyze gender equality and women's empowerment in aquatic food systems. To do this, it evaluates 202 articles using a scoping review methodology. Though additional literature from 19 articles was pulled in to provide the context. The findings are that aquatic foods value chains and food environment are negatively impacted by gender disparities in terms of women's agency, access to and control over resources, gendered social norms, and policies and governance. This hampers the ability of women to engage in and benefit from aquatic food systems. This results in gendered disparities in dietary outcomes, low achievements in relation to gender equality and women's empowerment, and less adaptive capacity in relation to developing resilient livelihoods. The article acknowledges the importance of developing and leveraging women's agency and bargaining power, strengthening their access to and control over key aquatic food systems resources, tackling harmful gender norms, developing gender-sensitive data collection and analysis to inform evidence-based policymaking, and implementing gender-responsive and gender-transformative policies and strategies to create an enabling environment for these interventions to succeed. Investment in multi-level, and multi-layered, gender-responsive and gender-transformative approaches are needed to co-develop - with women and their organizations - positive, gender-equitable norms to strengthen women's agency and decision-making at a variety of levels, ranging from individual to policy level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This article examines the prevailing assumption by donors that connecting smallholder women to value chains will close the gender gap and empower women. Based on a case study of a programme that seeks to empower women through their integration into value chains in Vietnam, the article assesses women's empowerment across four dimensions: economic, psychological, social and political. The authors argue that women's engagement in value chains does not always financially benefit and empower women because patriarchal power structures within families, communities and businesses make it challenging for women to gain authority over production decisions in higher‐value crops. Women in the study gained more autonomy over ‘women's crops’ which yielded small incomes, while men had control over production that was seen as ‘men's work’, and in large‐scale and more lucrative production. Gendered power relations affect women's access to economic opportunities: in this context, development agencies should reconsider their approaches to women's economic empowerment by focusing on relational rather than individual empowerment. This means that women's economic empowerment programmes should involve both men and women, with targeted interventions ensuring women are empowered within the household and in their connections with the community, local authorities and businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child stunting is a serious challenge in Indonesia, one of the largest middle-income countries in the world. Beyond the influence of bio-behavioral determinants, mothers’ bargaining power in the household is expected to have an overarching contribution to stunting, particularly as the primary caregivers of their children. Using a dataset from the fifth wave of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS-5), this study examines whether and to what extent a mother’s bargaining power influences children’s nutritional status. The study uses the instrumental variables method to correct the potential endogeneity of the mother’s bargaining power. Results suggest that children of mothers with higher intrahousehold bargaining power have a lower prevalence of stunting and better anthropometric outcomes. However, other members of the household matter, in the sense that improved outcomes are evidenced when the mother exercises her choice in decision making in a more consensual manner, by consultation with other household members.HIGHLIGHTSIn Indonesia, higher women’s bargaining power enhances child nutritional long-term outcomes.Child nutrition improves when women make decisions jointly with other family members.Boys appear to be the main beneficiaries of mothers’ higher bargaining power.Policies to increase women’s agency need to consider family support and social norms.In Indonesia, higher women’s bargaining power enhances child nutritional long-term outcomes.Child nutrition improves when women make decisions jointly with other family members.Boys appear to be the main beneficiaries of mothers’ higher bargaining power.Policies to increase women’s agency need to consider family support and social norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to identify key determinants of women empowerment in Nepal using a rich set of socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics as well as behavioral factors and regional indicators. Results showed that older age is generally associated with higher empowerment across all these domains, while partner controlling behavior tended to decrease empowerment in beliefs about violence and control over sexuality. Education level and wealth were correlated with increased empowerment in control over sexuality and safe sex, though not in the other two domains. Access to media showed mixed effects, reducing empowerment in decision-making but enhancing it in control over sexuality and safe sex. The results suggest that women's empowerment has morphed from the purview of gender equality programs to its current state, where it is considered a broader goal for development. Introduction: Nepal is characterized by low empowerment of women which may have negative effects on their health status as well as sexual and reproductive rights. We seek to identify key determinants of women empowerment in Nepal using a rich set of socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics as well as behavioral factors and regional indicators. Methods: This study utilizes 4,211 women aged between 15 and 49 years from the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) for Nepal. Following the previous study for Mozambique, we use Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify components of women's empowerment along three domains: beliefs about violence, decision-making and control over sexuality and safe sex. We use logistic regressions to identify significant predictors of empowerment in each domain and provide crude and adjusted odds ratios along with their 95% confidence intervals. Results: We found that older age is generally associated with higher empowerment across all these domains. Interestingly, while partner controlling behavior tended to decrease empowerment in beliefs about violence and control over sexuality, it was linked to increased decision-making empowerment. Notable regional differences emerged, with higher levels of empowerment observed in the Madhesh and Sudurpashchim regions. Further, education level and wealth were correlated with increased empowerment in control over sexuality and safe sex, though not in the other two domains. Access to media showed mixed effects, reducing empowerment in decision-making but enhancing it in control over sexuality and safe sex. Conclusion: Our results have many similarities but also notable differences with previous literature which emphasizes the importance of regular and region-specific studies of women's empowerment, acknowledging the potential for its change over time and also the prevailing differences across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permacrisis implies a permanent state of crisis, contrasting with polycrisis and intracrisis, which refer to crises in several fields that can be investigated and resolved. Women's equality has been a longstanding issue, analyzed theoretically and through research exploring persistent and pervasive inequality in all areas of life. This study discusses the concept of permacrisis from a gender perspective and presents research highlighting the effects of interconnected crises on women's rights and societal presence. Ongoing crises-economic, environmental, political, and educational-have been exacerbated by temporary wars, climate change, pandemics, and disputes over international institutions for the protection of human rights and the vulnerable populations. These issues, combined with ineffective political leadership, have made women's equality an increasingly distant goal. This situation calls for new analytical frameworks that go beyond the pessimismof permacrisis and lead to what can be termed ameta-crisis, a transcendence of current obstacles. Thus, themain aims of this study are two-fold: First, to discuss permacrisis from a gender perspective, and second, to propose research evidence showing that gender inequality as an inherent aspect of permacrisis requires new theoretical insights for effective analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study undertakes a comprehensive examination of female academic success in Azerbaijan, with a particular emphasis on general education and higher education, against the backdrop of global efforts to enhance girls’ education and empower women. Since gaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has exhibited a commitment to gender equality through the adoption of international laws, implementation of gender-based projects and formulation of women’s empowerment policies. By scrutinizing the latest national and international documents, including reports, this research evaluates female educational achievements and compares them with historical data, male educational attainment levels and benchmarks from comparable post-Soviet and neighbouring countries. The study reveals a notable upward trajectory in female academic success, surpassing male counterparts in various fields. Despite these achievements, gender disparities persist, positioning Azerbaijan behind similar nations. The research concludes that while female success is strongly linked to education, further efforts are required to address gender imbalances in domains such as politics and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with a high mortality rate in developing countries, including sub-Saharan Africa. Screening is one way to ensure early detection and management of breast cancer, and it is influenced by several factors. Education and socio-economic status may also affect the utilization of breast cancer screening services as these impact decision-making. This study aimed to investigate women's empowerment and its influence on the uptake of breast cancer screening among women in Tanzania. Methods: This study utilized the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey data, and included 4216 women aged 20 to 49 years. Women empowerment variables used include social independence, decision-making, ownership of assets, and attitude towards violence. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used for data cleaning and analysis. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were done, including a multivariate logistic regression to assess the level of association between independent variables with breast cancer screening. Results: Findings indicate that the prevalence of breast cancer screening is 5.2%. Age, education level, literacy, ownership of assets, attitude towards violence, and decision making are associated with ever going for breast cancer screening. Women aged 45 to 49 years (AOR = 6.28, 95% CI = 6.27–6.28), those with secondary or higher education (AOR 1.1, 95% CI = 1.05–1.06), literate women (AOR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.13–1.13), those who own a house (AOR = 3.08, 95% CI = 3.08–3.09), who jointly decide on their healthcare with partners on healthcare (AOR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.18–1.19) had significantly higher odds of going for breast cancer screening. Conclusion: Women's empowerment is significantly associated with the likelihood of engaging in breast cancer screening. Empowered women are more likely to undergo screening. Focus should be on empowering women through education, businesses, and community involvement. Country-specific interventions and breast cancer screening awareness campaigns should include empowerment initiatives to promote screening uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The continuum of care (CoC) in maternal health refers to the continuity of individual reproductive health care across the antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal periods. The CoC is an indicator of the quality of maternal and newborn health outcomes and women's empowerment is crucial to improving maternal and neonatal health service access and utilisation. Objective: To examine the spatial patterns of continuum of care use for maternal and neonatal health services and its correlation with women's empowerment. Methods: We analysed data from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS) of 2011 and 2016. All women aged 15–49 who had live births in the preceding five years of the DHS surveys were included in the analysis. We measured the continuum of care using the modified co-coverage index (CoCI), which consisted of six indicators. Women's empowerment was assessed using a validated survey-based Women's Empowerment (SWPER) index. We used the Getis-Ord-Gi* spatial analysis tool to portray locations with clusters of CoC service use and spatial correlations between CoC use and women empowerment. Results: None of the newborn-mother pairs in the 2011 survey received the entire continuum of care and only 2.5% of newborn-mother pairs received the full range of continuum of care services in the 2016 survey. In 2016, 6.9% of mother-newborn pairs received the basic CoC services (four or more antenatal care [ANC] visits, skilled birth attendance [SBA], and postnatal care [PNC]), and no mother-newborn pair received all three services at the same time in 2011. The Amhara, Afar, and Somali regional states had the least CoC service use in both surveys. There was a positive spatial correlation between CoC use and women's empowerment domains. Conclusion: Our analysis showed that the use of four or more ANC visits, SBS, newborn PNC, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine uptake, and tetanus toxoid protection at birth were low in Ethiopia. Women empowerment domains were found to have a positive spatial correlation with CoC services use. To improve and preserve continuity of care, it is critical to leverage every maternal health facility encounter to encourage sustained service usage at each step of the continuum. Government policies should prioritise women's empowerment and raise public awareness of maternity services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critiques the debate over the extent to which labor shortages caused by the Black Death and subsequent epidemics empowered women economically, and whether this had significant implications for overall demographic behavior and long‐term economic performance. Some historians have argued that after ca. 1350 women in the North Sea region were drawn into the land and labor markets to a far greater extent than women in other parts of Europe, and in particular into employment as single live‐in servants, which led to a rise in the average age of women at first marriage and the proportion of women never marrying. This in turn led to the formation of the European Marriage Pattern (EMP), which is associated with fertility restriction and higher levels of household income. The evidence and arguments underpinning this viewpoint are critically evaluated for England, where by 1600 the EMP was certainly established. The extant sources do not enable us to measure the extent of women's financial gains after the Black Death, or to assess changes in their marital choices. There is no convincing evidence for any rise in the proportion of single female servants in the century after the Black Death or for the existence of the EMP before 1550. Young women did not increase their participation in the land market in order to construct a marriage fund. The article concludes by assessing the possible chronologies of England's transition to the EMP, and by suggesting new lines of enquiry about structural changes in women's work during the sixteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Ghana has embraced the concept of women's empowerment as a vital tool for sustainable development, it has become crucial to evaluate the role that women's empowerment plays in the fertility preferences of married and cohabiting women in the country. The study's objective was to examine the association between women's empowerment, the ideal number of children and women's ability to have their desired number of children. This cross-sectional study used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Both Poisson and binary logistic regression analyses were carried out. Women who had justification for wife-beating (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.98 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.96 to 0.99]) and those who were autonomous (IRR 0.94 [95% CI 0.93 to 0.95]) had lower rates of having the ideal number of children. Moreover, women who had justification for wife-beating (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.25 [95% CI 1.13 to 1.39]) and those who were involved in decision-making (aOR 1.31 [95% CI 1.19 to 1.44]) had higher odds of having the ability to have the desired number of children. However, autonomous women (aOR 0.78 [95% CI 0.71 to 0.86]) had lower odds of having the ability to have the desired number of children. Significant associations were found between women's empowerment (women's attitude towards justification for wife-beating, autonomy), an ideal number of children and the ability to have the desired number of children. These findings present target areas for policies and interventions aimed at determining Ghanaian women's fertility preferences and empowering them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of farming communities worldwide to provide balanced diets for the growing world population is enunciated clearly in the second of the United Nation's sustainable development goals, namely 'End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture'. Success will be dependent on our ability to preserve the economic sustainability of livestock production in small-holder farming systems which will require regenerative approaches to reverse land degradation and retain biodiversity. Animal products are important components of world food baskets because their nutrient profile most closely resembles the dietary requirements of mankind. Key micronutrients, including iron, vitamin A, vitamin B12, zinc and iodine, are more readily available from animal-sourced foods, which are critical for a balanced diet for those with higher nutrient requirements such as growing children and pregnant and lactating women. The developing Asian economy of Laos, together with that of the Pacific Island nations of Vanuatu and Samoa provide some interesting contrasts in servicing the nutritional needs of their predominantly rural populations as their respective governments address the issues of undernutrition and hidden hunger. The paper explores some of the challenges that governments face in sustaining resilient animal production to supply essential nutrients for food baskets across our region. These include the broader contexts of resource availability, education, cultural traditions, socioeconomic status, gender equality and women's empowerment. The role of animal products in providing balanced diets to minimise nutrient deficiencies in the peoples of Laos, Vanuatu and Samoa is reviewed in this perspective. This article belongs to the Collection Sustainable Animal Agriculture for Developing Countries 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research about the commercial sex industry rarely examines the women who are the clients purchasing sexual services. Examining how this challenges gender stereotypes through the undoing gender framework reveals how gender norms can be reshaped through contextual changes. Based on 3 years of ethnographic data from a high‐end bar in Tianjin, interviews with 27 female clients and 47 MSWs paint a complex picture of how some women adopted ungendered strategies regarding sexuality. As women take control of their own sexual behavior, they free themselves of some traditional societal expectations about their identity. Primarily motivated by pleasure and control, purchasing sex becomes a means for women to experience empowerment and self‐confidence by breaking with traditional gender norms and expectations. Undoing gender involves expanding gendered repertoires, with women finding empowerment in adopting a masculine model of sexuality. However, social stigma and personal efficacy indicate that gender deconstruction is a gradual process. The research contributes to understanding complex gender dynamics and sexual behaviors within commercial sex transactions, shedding light on societal norms and individual agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into the intersection of women's empowerment and water management throughout Africa, examining the diverse roles women undertake in water governance through the lens of case studies and initiatives showcasing their contributions to sustainable development. Utilising interdisciplinary perspectives, the paper scrutinises policy frameworks, institutional mechanisms, and challenges confronting women in water management, emphasising the necessity of gender-responsive approaches and collaborative efforts to foster equitable and resilient water systems. Through empowerment, innovation, and partnership, women emerge as pivotal catalysts for change in navigating the intricate landscape of water governance across the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Girl crush" is a relatively new genre in South Korean pop music (hereafter "K-pop"). Unlike the stereotypes of female idols being cute and submissive, idols of the "girl crush" genre usually show provocative "girl power," challenging the patriarchy by incorporating feminist messages in their works. In March 2022, a girl group (G)I-DLE released a song entitled Tomboy, which went viral for its outrageous music video delivering a bold statement about women being independent, fearless, and abandoning toxic heterosexual relationships. This study conducts a social semiotic analysis of Tomboy with a postfeminist lens and comes up with three findings: first, the music video of Tomboy has shown a postfeminist sensibility by exhibiting an entanglement of feminism and antifeminism; second, Tomboy has tackled a queered theme by focusing on women's collective empowerment and sisterhood against patriarchy; third, "girl crush" has revealed the limitations of celebrity feminism, making the relationship between "girl crush's" success and feminism questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses three books that examine the experiences of women in religious contexts. The books challenge the notion that women's experiences within a religion can be easily defined, emphasizing the diversity of these experiences. They explore topics such as the Protestant deaconess movement in the United States, the role of Catholic women in response to Vatican II, and the experiences of Black Catholic nuns. The books highlight the complexities of women's roles in faith communities and address issues of race and the intersection of religion and feminism. The article also discusses changing attitudes towards traditional gender roles among Catholic women in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the activism and resistance of Black Catholic sisters throughout history. The authors express hope for the future, noting the potential for change within Catholic institutions. [Extracted from the article]

Applying qualitative methods and evidence from the field, this paper explores the situation of women with disabilities within Bangladesh’s overall sociocultural, political, and economic contexts. The research found that participating women with disabilities were living in poverty and were disenfranchised. They reported being treated with disregard, and at times with contempt, both within their families and the wider society. In Bangladesh, disability is often regarded as a divine curse. In a patriarchal society where women are often seen as a liability, women with disabilities are particularly resented, and are often abandoned by their family members or are victims of domestic violence and abuse. In a society where sensitivity to the needs of people with disability is yet to take root, provisions for accessing basic services, such as education, are limited or non-existent for women with disabilities. Direct and representational participation of women with disabilities in the policy process is rare and changes relevant to their needs and empowerment are few. This research indicates that the situation of women with disabilities in Bangladesh is different from that of men with disabilities. More focused and gender-sensitive interventions are required at multiple levels – social, cultural and institutional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a capability approach to investigate Saudi women's empowerment experiences and their capabilities in decision-making regarding choosing their university majors. Further, the study explored what capabilities women required to make decisions regarding their majors at university. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with 26 women, comprising graduates, students, and faculty members. Results revealed that new legislation and regulations in Saudi Arabia have positively influenced sociocultural transformation. However, in small cities and nonurban settings, women may struggle to reject traditional social norms despite their empowerment. The findings indicate that encouraging students' voluntary work and their membership in groups and organisations, as well as ensuring diverse hiring practices are in place in rural areas and small cities, could support a more general acceptance of women's empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the gender equality in Kosovo. The data shows that there is a very high gender inequality in Kosovo in all aspects of the life. The main reasons for gender inequality in Kosovo are linked to gender stereotypes and patriarchal culture in society and the economy, unequal distribution of family responsibilities, lack of available and affordable childcare responsibilities and also low education levels among women. Although many measures have been taken to reduce gender inequality and empower women in Kosovo, however women empowerment in Kosovo is by far the lowest among the Western Balkan 6 and EU economies with a score of 25.4 out of 100, placing it last in the Women Empowerment Index (ranking in the last 33 th place). The study also contains proposed measures to reduce gender inequality in Kosovo and promote economic empowerment of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microenterprise development has been lauded for its capacity to empower socially marginalised women and alleviate poverty. However, the high cost of microcredit due to the relatively high-interest rate charged by institutions poses a debt trap to microenterprises. The study presents a successful case of a private sector-non-governmental organisation partnership to provide interest-free microcredit embedded in a flexible training and mentoring program by Women of Will. The study uses quantitative and qualitative methods to measure the impact of such microcredit and mentoring models on women's empowerment and entrepreneurial growth, analysing what works and why. The growing importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) suggests that corporate support for these initiatives has become increasingly sustainable, challenging neoliberal assumptions concerning the inevitable cost of microcredit. The case study draws on a realist approach to inform evidence-based policy by shedding light on the interactions and processes that influence the outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to assess the impact of participation in self-help group (SHG) on the psychological empowerment of rural tribal women. Design/methodology/approach: Primary data was collected using multistage random sampling from the rural women of Jharkhand, India. The propensity score matching method was adopted using the psmatch2 command in STATA. Findings: The results show a significant positive change in women's self-esteem, self-confidence, self-efficacy, autonomy, knowledge and skills, reduction in agony and quality of life after participation in SHG. This reveals that participation in SHG has a significant positive impact on the psychological empowerment of rural tribal women. Originality/value: Despite the numerous studies on rural women's empowerment, there is little evidence of literature focusing on the impact of participation in SHG on psychological empowerment, specifically in the tribal context. This study primarily focuses on women belonging to the scheduled tribe category of Jharkhand, one of the poorest states of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the relationship between privacy concerns and women's empowerment in the context of India's growing Smart Cities Movement and prevalent smartphone use. Using feminist ideas and legal frameworks to address cyberbullying, online harassment, cyberfraud and misogyny, it addresses cybersecurity and data privacy issues. The study emphasises the value of gendered implications of urban security and participatory design principles in smart city efforts. It suggests examining cyberfeminism and highlights the need for women to take an active role in developing safe online environments. Findings point to weaknesses in the legal systems that exist today as well as the possibility that technological improvements will exacerbate gender disparity. Legislative mandates should be strengthened, gender gaps in digital literacy should be closed, gender-sensitive design should be incorporated into smart city initiatives and women working in activism and digital technology should be encouraged to collaborate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the work of 'Fundación Entre Mujeres' (FEM), a feminist peasant collective organized in cooperatives and working on food sovereignty, agro-ecology, and the economic, ideological and organizational empowerment of peasant women in the dry corridor of Nicaragua. I argue that by centring an ethics of care and the sustainability of human and more-than-human life in their thinking and responses to the food and climate crises, FEM has opened a space of radical contestations to a dominant capitalist and patriarchal rationale and worldview that is at the core of these crises and mainstream approaches towards agricultural transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender equality and women's empowerment are important issues that still need to be addressed, despite some progress in recent years. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to tackle various global challenges, including the 4th (Quality Education) and 5th (Gender Equality) goals that were used to frame an activity in a science education subject in a primary education teaching degree. Previous research has found a decrease in girls' interest in STEM and STEM-related jobs in primary and secondary education. To encourage girls in primary education towards STEM-related professions, an activity was organized in a science subject at a university in Navarre, Spain. The goal of this activity was to identify inspiring women scientists who could serve as role models for university and primary school students. A knowledge model, which is a concise and graphical representation of knowledge through concept maps, was created using the methodology of knowledge model design (Cañas et al. Revista De Informática Educativa 13:145–158, 2000) to showcase all the women scientists selected by the students. This final model is publicly accessible and can be shared with any educational center interested in promoting gender diversity in STEM fields. The results showed that the students learned meaningfully as they inquired about women scientists in professions that are typically considered more suitable for men. As these students are trainee primary school teachers, they can become part of an educational network that empowers girls by developing STEM-related activities that promote gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary goal is to examine the association between women's decision-making autonomy and utilization of antenatal care services among ever-married women in India. The entire study has been accomplished with the help of secondary data composed from the latest round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted during 2019–21. A total of 34,618 ever-married women aged 15–49 with at least one live birth preceding five years of the survey have been taken into consideration in this study. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted for proper illustration of the outcome. A sizable proportion of women did not fulfill the WHO-recommended criterion of obtaining ANC services. Utilization of full ANC services is found in some regions of southern, eastern, northern, and northeastern states, and in some districts of Gujarat. After adjusting the other explanatory variables, the result of multivariate analysis indicates that women's autonomy is significantly and positively associated with the utilization of full antenatal care services. Women who participate actively in decision-making are more likely to use full ANC services (AOR: 1.316, 95% CI: 1.197–1.446, p<0.05). Additionally, likelihood of utilization of full ANC services is high among women aged 25–34 years, are educated, have access to the media, come from richest wealth quintile, and are from southern, western, and eastern regions. Therefore, appropriate measures should be adopted to eliminate gender bias and promote women's empowerment for the overall improvement of maternal health as well as societal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an examination of a corpus comprising 244 letters authored by Chinese women residing in Wangxia, a rural district within Guangdong province, to their emigrant family members settled in Arizona, the United States from the 1910s to 1920s, this article posits that the phenomenon of being left-behind constituted a pivotal catalyst for the social and economic empowerment of women within rural contexts, fostering heightened self-awareness and autonomy. These accounts of their personal experiences, emotions, and reflections on gender relations document the awakening initiative and self-empowerment of ordinary women in the first half of the twentieth century. On the one hand, the absence of male authority in the family caused by the exclusive emigration of males out of villages created space and conditions for women’s independence and autonomy; on the other hand, transnational epistolary communications with emigrants empowered these women to control remittances and enabled them to increase their families’ fortunes, which further stimulated their desire for economic independence and education. These women’s letters offer rich historical testimony to the reality that an awareness of gender equality and female empowerment were the result of the Chinese women’s own initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer influence in adolescence and early adulthood is critical to the formation of beliefs about appropriate behaviour for each gender. Complicating matters, recent studies suggest that men overestimate peer support for inequitable gender norms. Combined with social conformity, this susceptibility to ‘norm misperception’ may represent a barrier to women's empowerment. However, why men misperceive peer beliefs remains unclear. Working in an urbanizing Tanzanian community where previous research has documented overestimation of peer support for inequitable gender norms, we used focus groups and participant observation to investigate how young men (aged 18‐30) forge perceptions about their peers. Men characterized their community as undergoing a transition to more equitable gender norms owing to urbanization, globalization, and interactions with external agencies and different ethnicities. This change introduces novel diversity and reinforces uncertainty about prevailing beliefs. Confidence in the discernibility of peer beliefs hinged on whether associated behaviours were visible in the public domain or expressed within the private affairs of women and men. Furthermore, men acknowledged intentionally obscuring behaviour deemed supportive of women to portray ideals of masculine strength. These results suggest that misperception of peer gender role ideology is pronounced during periods of rapid cultural transition and illuminates the mechanisms at play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malnutrition remains a pressing public health concern for mothers and children in South Africa. Despite the government's multisectoral response, unaddressed social needs prevent some mothers getting full benefit from interventions, spanning financial planning, income stability, housing, access to government services, social support, and provision of affordable, nutritious foods. Engaging with mothers and prioritising their concerns is important if we wish to overcome obstacles to women benefiting from government nutrition interventions. This study aimed to identify the programmes that women perceived as a priority in addressing the social needs of mothers of young infants and pregnant women to enhance nutrition in a resource-constrained urban township in South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional study employed a quantitative preference elicitation survey, administered to 210 mothers and pregnant women from five primary healthcare facilities in Soweto. The survey tool was developed with the community to identify unmet social needs and potential solutions, which were synthesised with findings from the literature. The survey described 15 programmes, grouped into three delivery levels: clinics, community, and government. Participants were required to rank programme options in two stages. First, they selected their top two programmes within each delivery level. Subsequently, they allocated stickers to indicate the strength of their preference among the top programmes across the levels. Rankings were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: The highest priority was given to five programmes. Two delivered at the community level: Women's economic empowerment groups and Job search assistance, two at the clinic level: Social needs assessment and referral, and Prescription-based food, and one at the government level: Free quality childcare. The lowest-ranked programmes were two clinic-based programmes, specifically Maternal nutrition groups and Couple antenatal education. Conclusion: Women expressed strong views about which programmes should be prioritised to support mothers and pregnant women in addressing their social needs and improving nutrition. Key areas included providing support with job searching and entrepreneurship, accessing childcare and the healthy foods recommended at clinics, as well as finding information on available community and government services. Leveraging multisectoral collaboration, aligned policy objectives, efficient public financing, and strengthened implementation capacity will be pivotal in delivering these programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to examine the support needs of women who migrated to Fukushima Prefecture after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. In recent years, the presence of migrants has become an important part of the government's reconstruction policy for affected areas. However, there is insufficient research on the status of migrants in these areas, and it is unclear what kind of support the migrants, especially females, require to encourage further migration to the area. We conducted three semi-structured interviews each with four women who had migrated to Fukushima after the accident. The narratives obtained from the interviews were summarized into categories through open coding and were finally presented as support needs in the form of a four-quadrant diagram. Four needs were identified for female migrants in areas affected by the radiation disaster: "soft adaptation needs," "lifestyle constancy needs," "female empowerment needs," and "community participation needs." Female migrants in the affected areas may be marginalized in terms of receiving migrant support. Key strategies for supporting female migrants in radiation disaster areas include providing an environment in which they can relax, interact with Fukushima and its residents, and address intersectionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Background Method Result Conclusions Implications This study investigates the roles of women's empowerment through employment and decision‐making power on the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and gender traditionalism in Muslim‐majority nations.Women empowerment and gender ideology perspectives argue that women's resources or egalitarian ideology decrease the IPV that women experience. Many studies, in various nations, found backlash effects where women were exposed to more IPV.Using Demographic and Health Surveys of Afghanistan 2015 (N = 19,862), Egypt 2014 (N = 6,283), Pakistan 2017–2018 (N = 3,167), and Tajikistan 2017 (N = 4,864) and negative binomial regression analyses, we examined the effects of married women's empowerment on IPV (emotional, physical, sexual, and husbands' controlling behaviors [HCB]).Overall, we found that women's gender traditionalism increased IPV in all nations. Women's empowerment, however, decreased the total IPV associated with gender traditionalism in four nations, but women's employment increased the total IPV in Egypt.We conclude that total IPV and HCB are related to gender traditionalism, but they depend on women's empowerment in some Muslim‐majority nations.Governments might consider making policies that would increase women's knowledge on gender equity and working women's rights, such as including gender quotas in workplaces to empower women. This could lead to a long‐term decrease in attitudes that tolerate IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the representation of women in corporate leadership is a key postfeminist project. Postfeminism—or the integration of women's empowerment and neoliberalism in the decades following the Women's Movement—has shaped the experience of Australian women in corporate leadership roles since the 1990s. As such, while efforts to improve the number of women in leadership have yielded admirable progress, achieving sustainable improvements in corporate diversity requires attending to collective postfeminist scripts. In order to better understand the global and local features of Australian postfeminism, this article analyses “Corporate Woman,” a mainstream newspaper column published regularly by the Australian Financial Review between 1988 and 1998. It finds that similar political and economic systems, and feminist histories, encouraged Australian postfeminism to adopt many core transnational tenets. At the same time, aspects of Australia's national history and identity, including egalitarianism, emphasis on nuclear families, and context of major economic change, contributed to localism in postfeminism's expression. This expands our understanding of postfeminism, and can help empower corporate women by uncovering the collective cognitive maps that have guided policy interventions, and women's lived experiences in corporate leadership roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractDrawing upon Feminist Standpoint Theory and interviews with 25 rural women from Northwest China, this study explores the standpoints of marginalised rural women on the trendy notion of female empowerment in Chinese consumer culture. The finding reveals that Chinese rural women are no longer excluded from the consumer feminist joy associated primarily with their Western and urban counterparts. While commodified feminist concepts tend to imply liberal ideals, its rural manifestation does not appear to evoke feminist sentiments or knowingness of feminist consciousness among rural women, but rather to collude with local patriarchy. Due to structural inequalities at both global and local levels, the prevalence of ‘female empowerment’ subtly exacerbates bodily distinctions and social stratification among various groups of women through consumer markets and digital media, reflecting the marginalisation of working-class rural women in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Girls’ experiences in Physical Education (PE) is an established area of research in the Western world. Yet, a lack of research on girls’ unique challenges and experiences in various parts of the world creates a gap in understanding how cultural, educational, social and economic factors affect girls’ experiences. The present study was designed to examine girls’ views and experiences of the implementation of PE in female-only state schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The national context of KSA is unique, with PE only recently being incorporated in girls’ curriculum, as part of a national reform effort to improve the quality of education and to empower girls (Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030). Between September-December 2022, 30 girls (aged 12–15) from three secondary schools were recruited to be study participants. A total of seven focus groups (with an average of 4–5 girls per group) were carried out utilizing interactive, participatory research activities. Two main themes are reported. Firstly, most girls persistently talked about the development of movement competency as a catalyst for personal growth and the accruement of health benefits. PE was also seen as a gateway for female empowerment, equitable access to sports, including competition in traditional non-female sports. Yet, girls expressed concerns about the lack of practical opportunities in PE, limited resources and teachers’ lack of expertise, which all appeared to affect their confidence in participating in PE and physical activity. The strength of the girls’ voice in the present study reinforces the need for careful (re)consideration of the PE curriculum to better align provision with girls’ interests in a genuine attempt to treat them fairly. To drive change in PE and advance future research, directing further investment towards appropriate professional development would better support teachers to review and improve the quality of provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of women empowerment has not been extensively examined within P2P accommodation. This study investigates female Airbnb hosts’ empowerment gained through hosting on the platform. Additionally, the study examines the impact of their empowerment on their quality of life. The study applied Structural Equation Modelling to a sample of 343 female Airbnb hosts established in Greece. Findings reveal that female hosts are empowered differently in terms of the dimensions of empowerment (economic, political, social, psychological and educational) according to their hosting motives and proactive attitudes. Findings indicate that empowerment through hosting positively affects female hosts’ quality of life, whereas former experience in tourism moderates their empowerment. Important theoretical and practical implications are elicited regarding gender equality in hospitality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along the aquaculture value chain, what is the status of gender equality and women's empowerment with a particular emphasis on aquaculture? What can be done to bring about gender equality and women's empowerment in the aquaculture sector? This article explores these questions through a systematic review of the extant literature on gender and aquaculture using Nigeria as a case study. A total of 78 articles are analyzed based on the reach-benefitempower-transform framework. The findings show that there is gender inequality within the aquaculture value chain. In most cases, women are mainly concentrated at the nodes of the value chain, which require fewer resources to operate; furthermore, in most cases, women earn less profits compared with their male counterparts. Women's empowerment is still at the nascent stages, while gender related transformation has yet to take root. We recommend that pro-equality gender policies in aquaculture be created and implemented. This calls for the collection and use of sex-disaggregated data and for work at the grassroots level to ensure that the manner in which women, men, boys and girls are treated and allowed to live and function in the communities they reside engenders development, harmony, gender equality and prosperity. Finally, we recommend that the reach-benefit-empowertransform framework be expanded to facilitate the evaluation of program/project-based studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's empowerment has been promoted by researchers and development practitioners as one of the most promising strategies to address widespread hunger and malnutrition. However, the relationship between women's empowerment and dietary diversity and child nutrition has rarely been studied among vulnerable populations or individuals at greater risk of poor physical and social health status. Moreover, the effects of different domains of women's empowerment on nutritional outcomes, including dietary diversity and child anthropometry, have rarely been examined, especially with panel data. Using two rounds of panel data from 1900 households and fixed effects regression models, we analyze the effect of women's empowerment on household dietary diversity score (HDDS) and child anthropometry among the particularly vulnerable tribal groups in Odisha, India. We also estimate the effects of various decision-making domains of women's empowerment on HDDS and child anthropometry to understand which empowerment domains matter for nutrition. Results show that women's empowerment is positively associated with HDDS (coef. 0.41 food groups; p < 0.1) and reduces the prevalence of underweight (coef. 39%; p < 0.05) and wasting (coef. 56%; p < 0.1) in children but has no effect on the prevalence of child stunting. Women's empowerment in agricultural input use; output sales; income; food purchases; and credit, group membership, and employment contribute to improved dietary diversity and child nutrition. We conclude that women's empowerment contributes to improved dietary diversity and child nutrition and is a promising strategy to improve farm household diets and child nutrition among vulnerable populations. Strengthening women's empowerment through the promotion of women's access to land and other agricultural inputs, market participation, access to information, capital, and credit is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When are women appointed to the board of central banks? While progressive societal gender norms may facilitate women's ascension to leadership positions, recent research indicates that women are more likely to assume leadership positions during crisis periods. Because of the widely documented 'male dominance' in the policy domain of central banking, analyzing changes in women's descriptive representation on central bank boards provides a unique laboratory to study the role of women in economic policymaking. Building on previous literature on women's political leadership, we argue that sovereign debt crises are powerful catalysts for lifting women into leadership positions. We hypothesize that appointing women to central bank leadership positions during sovereign financial distress signals a policy change to bolster monetary policy credibility. Using data covering 90 countries from 2000 to 2017, we show that women are more likely to be appointed to central bank leadership positions during a sovereign debt crisis. A sovereign debt crisis increases the likelihood of women’s appointments to a central bank board by 21.1 percent. To mitigate concerns that our results are spurious, we implement a battery of robustness checks. Our study suggests that women's empowerment can be beneficial in restoring monetary policy credibility during sovereign financial distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the empowerment of women in leadership roles as depicted in the Book of Judges, particularly focusing on Deborah. It argues that Deborah's leadership as both prophetess and judge exemplifies Yahweh's inclusivity in choosing leaders, challenging traditional gender roles and offering insights into the role of women in contemporary Christian leadership.

This paper examines debates relating to international aid, civil society, and natural resource conflicts, through a case study of conflict sensitivity programming in Cambodia. The paper highlights the value of confrontational activism, yet the practice of conflict sensitivity can dissuade such activism. Embedded in the country's history and politics, the paper analyses the conflict sensitivity work of an international non-government organisation, revealing significant community-level success, including women's empowerment, but limitations in addressing systemic drivers of conflict. The case study also reveals how the application of conflict sensitivity contributed towards conflict and risk avoidance. In a global context of prevalent natural resource conflicts and related violence, this paper calls for critical reflection on the practice of conflict sensitivity, which continues to gain popularity globally. For development institutions and practitioners, conflict sensitivity has extensive value, but it must be implemented in ways that do not inadvertently dissuade more emancipatory civil society activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the incidence and sociodemographic and clinical risk factors associated with birth asphyxia and the immediate neonatal outcomes of birth asphyxia in Nigeria. Design: Secondary analysis of data from the Maternal and Perinatal Database for Quality, Equity and Dignity Programme. Setting: Fifty‐four consenting referral‐level hospitals (48 public and six private) across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Population: Women (and their babies) who were admitted for delivery in the facilities between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020. Methods: Data were extracted and analysed on prevalence and sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with birth asphyxia and the immediate perinatal outcomes. Multilevel logistic regression modelling was used to ascertain the factors associated with birth asphyxia. Main outcome measures: Incidence, case fatality rate and factors associated with birth asphyxia. Results: Of the available data, 65 383 (91.1%) women and 67 602 (90.9%) babies had complete data and were included in the analysis. The incidence of birth asphyxia was 3.0% (2027/67 602) and the case fatality rate was 16.8% (339/2022). The risk factors for birth asphyxia were uterine rupture, pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia, abruptio placentae/placenta praevia, birth trauma, fetal distress and congenital anomaly. The following factors were independently associated with a risk of birth asphyxia: maternal age, woman's education level, husband's occupation, parity, antenatal care, referral status, cadre of health professional present at the birth, sex of the newborn, birthweight and mode of birth. Common adverse neonatal outcomes included: admission to a special care baby unit (SCBU), 88.4%; early neonatal death, 14.2%; neonatal sepsis, 4.5%; and respiratory distress, 4.4%. Conclusions: The incidence of reported birth asphyxia in the participating facilities was low, with around one in six or seven babies with birth asphyxia dying. Factors associated with birth asphyxia included sociodemographic and clinical considerations, underscoring a need for a comprehensive approach focused on the empowerment of women and ensuring access to quality antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growth of women's periodicals in China during the early twentieth century, women started to assume an unprecedentedly conspicuous role in print culture as both readers and essay writers. Targeting well-educated young women of the new era, the leading women's periodical, The Ladies' Journal (Funü zazhi 婦女雜誌), can function as the precious prism to examine the critical reading practice of young urban women of the time. This paper investigates how women's critical reading reflections on heterosexual love and gender relations that were manifested in the journal facilitated the formation of female subjectivity through women readers' engagement with new gender norms and knowledge. It argues that the introduction and promulgation of literary works and feminist ideologies concerning women's individuality embodied male editors' concern on women's empowerment, while also serving as their normative configurations of new knowledge surrounding womanhood and social progress. But women were not deprived of subjectivity when encountering these prescriptive knowledge. The public reading of texts that inspired young educated women to reflect on love and marriage displayed female readers' feminist consciousness, conceptualizing women's agency in providing alternatives for male intellectuals' vision and contributing to the construction of public knowledge through their own discursive efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the onset of the Somali civil war in the late 1980s, more than 2 million Somalis have been internally displaced or crossed international borders to seek haven. Yet, research on diasporic Somali women's intergenerational communication about marriage, sex, and female genital cutting (FGC) remains scant. This paper draws from data we collected from 15 women over the age of 45 who were part of a much larger project on refugee women and sexual health and well-being. The analysis centers on how Somali women across the generations recalibrate definitions of family. We analyze the new roles that sisters, aunts, and grandmothers occupy in the lives of younger women, as family dispersal often results in the absence of biological mothers. In the new settlement, the findings showcase both continuity and change in how sex, marriage, and female genital cutting (FGC) are discussed among female family members. Our findings support not only the dynamic nature of family roles that women occupy across generations but also the malleability of cultural practices as families navigate changing cultural, legal, and social norms in their new settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing number of studies on women empowerment in tourism, the topic has received scant attention in the expanding sector of peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation. This paper sets out to explore the perceptions of female Airbnb hosts regarding the ways in which hosting on the platform contributes to their empowerment. Semi-structured interviews with 30 female hosts located in Greece were undertaken, using purposive sampling. Study findings reveal that women empowerment through hosting is achieved varyingly by female hosts, with several factors influencing the process. A framework of women empowerment through hosting is provided to illustrate the conditions, process and outcomes of women empowerment through hosting. Study findings provide significant theoretical insights which may serve as a point of departure for further research into this under-researched topic. Findings also make a practical contribution as they enable policymakers and industry practitioners to improve gender equality, which is essential for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empowerment projects and research have focused on marginalised women, but often with less attention to the intersectional and relational conditions affecting their marginalisation. Ethnic minority women in Vietnam have multiple marginalising conditions, and they are targeted by government programmes to increase their participation in labour markets, their income, and their empowerment. Yet what the empowerment process looks like and achieves for these women is an important area for further study. This paper draws on a mixed-methods longitudinal study of an economic empowerment and livelihoods project that involved Hmong and Dao households in Vietnam. The quantitative data showed differences in women's and men's empowerment as measured on the A-WEAI, and among the different ethnic groups. Given these differences, we explored how power relations in the household and in the community affected Hmong and Dao women's empowerment differently. We used a relational capabilitiarian approach to analyse the relations between men and women as well as the community structures that affected empowerment and wellbeing. The analysis shows that women's and men's sharing of information, resources and workload are critical for improving women's livelihoods and wellbeing, but these processes look different for Hmong and Dao women, and they are affected by different social structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is a complex problem that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite the various measures taken, there is still a long way to go in eradicating poverty and improving the standard of living for all. This study evaluates the impact of an integrated approach, designed to address specific constraints faced by poor households, on poverty reduction and socio-economic development. The study employed a Randomized Controlled Trials design to evaluate the impact of the intervention. For the analysis, 100 households in the treatment group received the program, while the control group had an equal number of households that did not receive any assistance during the entire research period. Additionally, the study investigated 400 individuals to assess the individual-level outcomes. The findings suggested that the intervention had a positive impact on all economic and financial outcome variables of the treatment group. The study also reported an improvement in the personal lives of the participants by improving physical and mental health. Moreover, the results suggested that the intervention has contributed to increased political involvement and women's empowerment. In light of these findings, the study recommends an integrated approach that combines various poverty reduction measures to enhance the well-being of impoverished households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature on women's economic empowerment argues that women's income builds resilience and leads to reduction in intimate partner violence (IPV). We challenge this by showing a positive (statistically) insignificant link between women's economic status and IPV, but significant positive links between women's economic contribution and IPV, and men's intergenerational violent behaviour and IPV. Based on a sample of 553 married women drawn from Nepal, we find that paid or precarious work is positively but insignificantly associated with IPV. Findings however reveal that after controlling for other factors, women contributing equally or more to household income are significantly at higher risks of IPV. Similarly, if a man has witnessed domestic violence while growing up, he is more likely to commit violence within his own marriage. We therefore argue for the need to transform men's attitude and behaviours through targeted programmes to break the cycle of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research on domestic violence in India recurrently highlight women's economic empowerment as a major deterrent to domestic violence. That said, this paper tries to understand what is the nature of relationship between women's empowerment and their experience of spousal violence? In doing so, it specifically explores how this relationship is interceded by regional specificities. Based on an analysis of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 data in India, this paper observes that the relationship between women's empowerment and domestic violence is contentious. However, women having some education and using mobile phones are less vulnerable. Hence, this study concludes that mobile phones and Internet-based applications as well as community-based interventions could be the effective measures to end domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's invisibility in political spaces is a glaring reality, particularly in patriarchal polities characterized by misogynistic attitudes towards feminine leadership. This article unpacks the socio-cultural variables that hinder women's participation in politics and other masculinized spheres of influence. The article focuses on the advocacy efforts of Women's Institute for Leadership Development in Gwanda, Zimbabwe. The article also details the successes and challenges scored by the lobbying effort. The article uses a qualitative research approach. It discusses the extent and effectiveness of women's involvement in local governance and how their participation relates to Sustainable Development Goal 5. It was established that the project has greatly improved ordinary women's participation in local governance in Gwanda Central. Capacity-building strategies implemented improved participation, competence, confidence, and effectiveness of women's local governance processes. Women are increasingly participating in leadership at various levels. The training and mentorship programmes inspired some women to contest in the 2018 elections. We recommend the government of Zimbabwe and civil society organizations facilitate the implementation of structural reforms that address systemic and institutionalized gender-based discrimination.00263 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]