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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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Women in low and middle-income countries are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. The non-profit humanitarian organisation CARE has implemented village savings and loan associations (VSLAs), funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, in many Sub-Saharan African countries to enhance women's access to savings and credit and empower them to tackle the challenges of food insecurity. Despite the importance of this innovative programme, its effects on food security outcomes have not been thoroughly examined. This study examined whether women's participation in VSLAs was associated with food security of women and their children. Using data collected by CARE involving 1,077 women and their children in Ethiopia, our findings showed that VSLA participation was significantly associated with a higher dietary diversity score among women. The findings also suggest that under certain conditions, VSLAs targeting women may positively influence food security of women and their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2011 onward, jewelry advertisements in India have witnessed a surge in multimedia campaigns of branded work wear gold and diamond jewelry. These commercials target the urban Indian working woman with an affinity for fine, workwear jewelry marketed as versatile, cool and chic. This study takes up discourse analysis of 23 select commercials released on television channels and over the top (OTT) platforms between 2017 and 2022 to unravel the many contesting and contradictory displays of women’s apparently empowered personas. In doing so, it also seeks to unravel the rather complicated connections between the jewelry business and the gendered cultural habitus of working women in contemporary urban India. Most women depicted in the advertisements possess high economic and cultural capital and are seen as ‘doing urbanity’ in choosing workwear jewelry. Ironically though these possessors of refined habitus are perfectly adjusted in performing traditional gendered roles and relegating their own self-hoods, a much saleable business trope for advertisers. Such portrayals of urban Indian working women subtly and paradoxically dovetail in valorizing ideals of traditional femininity. This paper further argues that jewelry advertisements become sites where the projection of the ‘urban Indian working woman’ becomes a conduit for legitimizing a more mutated and reflexive patriarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of female silence in Alifa Rifaat's short fiction, challenging the traditional interpretation of Arab women's subservience. It argues that silence can be seen as a normative practice of linguistic expression and resistance, rather than a marker of social exclusion. The article suggests that women's silence in Rifaat's stories opens up multiple possibilities of interpretation and can be a means of correspondence that defies ideological gender roles. It also questions the prevailing conventions of silence in Middle Eastern culture and calls for a non-ideological view of silence as a non-cultural signifier. The text discusses the use of literature by Arab women to address sociopolitical changes, gender inequality, and sexual rights. It emphasizes that these women are not simply adopting Western feminist ideas, but rather incorporating them into a global political landscape. The text also explores the concept of female silence in Arab literature, arguing that it should be seen as a normative form of communication rather than a sign of inferiority. It analyzes the work of Alifa Rifaat, an Egyptian writer who challenges traditional gender roles and explores female desire and agency. The text concludes by examining the portrayal of female silence in Rifaat's story "Another Evening at the Club," suggesting that it can be seen as a form of resistance and self-expression. The text discusses the role of class and gender divisions in colonized societies, specifically focusing on the experiences of women in Egypt. It argues that the creation and maintenance of these divisions are [Extracted from the article]

The health systems fail to provide quality antenatal health services to vulnerable and marginalised pregnant women regardless of their effectiveness in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Despite the importance of antenatal care quality during pregnancy, less is known regarding its inequality in developing countries. This paper aims to determine the inequality in antenatal care quality in Zimbabwe and the contribution of women’s empowerment. The paper used the 2010/11 and the 2015 Demographic Health Survey data and concentration index and Shapley decomposition. We found that antenatal care quality was pro-rich for blood sample tests, urine sample tests, blood pressure tests, and iron tablets except for tetanus injections, thus the affluent benefit more from better antenatal care quality than the poor. Women’s empowerment had a major contribution to inequality in antenatal care quality. Given the paramount importance of antenatal care in improving maternal, birth, and child outcomes, policymakers should consider policies that enhance the women’s empowerment and quality of antenatal care services in Zimbabwe, which in turn enhance the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveIntroductionInclusion criteriaMethodsResultsConclusionsThis scoping review aimed to map the extent of evidence on parental advocacy programmes supporting participation in child welfare decision-making.Though parental advocacy programmes aim to empower parents navigating complex child welfare systems, the breadth of evidence has not yet been synthesised.Literature from 2002–2022 on parental advocacy programmes related to child welfare decision-making, encompassing various models.Academic databases, grey literature, and reference lists were searched in September 2022. Screening and data extraction utilised standardised forms. Analysis incorporated summary and thematic methods.57 studies were included, exhibiting a predominance of qualitative methods. Peer advocacy was the most common model. The review reveals a proliferation of peer support initiatives aiming to enhance parental empowerment through shared experiences.Parental advocacy programmes demonstrate promise for improving family experiences and participation in child welfare systems. However, more rigorous evaluation is needed to elucidate the connections between specific programmes elements and outcomes. The review maps the current evidence landscape, while underscoring the need for implementation research and inclusive participation paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous works of Kartini as Indonesia’s most famous feminist icon, hardly any deep study investigated how Kartini was remembered in the first years of Indonesia’s independence. This study aims to examine how Indonesians celebrated Kartini Day during the Indonesian Revolution (1946–1949), by using print media in Indonesian, Dutch and English from that period. This study argues that for Indonesian nationalists at that time, commemorating Kartini Day was of paramount importance to encourage women empowerment based on the Indonesian nation-state concept. The commemorations were held in many places in Indonesia and were attended by numerous people from different walks of life. During the commemorations, Indonesian women were persuaded to adopt new roles in that era, namely as devoted Indonesian citizens who should contribute to the new country, especially in the field of women empowerment, community service, political participation and war effort. However, Indonesian women were criticised for still being Dutch-oriented and interpreting their freedom way too far. These findings indicate that during the Revolution, the commemorations of Kartini Day was urgently needed by the Indonesian nation-state as a momentum to promote Indonesian nationalism among women and encourage women’s participation in the nation-state building process and in the Dutch-Indonesian conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

French law 2004-228 and Quebec's Bill 21 has prohibited wearing conspicuous religious symbols while discharging public duty, especially as teachers in public school. This has aroused robust public debate because it disproportionately affects Muslim women wearing hijabs. This paper investigates the philosophical/ethical argument on both sides of the debate. The key research question is whether liberal feminists have the justification to support the hijab ban. The paper outlines different types of liberal feminism and their views on just social arrangements. The paper uses Gheaus's concept of gender justice and Kabeer's definition of gender empowerment to structure the debate, stating that feminists will support the ban if it enhances empowerment and makes society more gender-just or internal working of social arrangements, at least procedurally just. The paper draws on the utilitarian argument, Nussbaum's and Sen's articulation of the Capability Approach and the importance of identity, and Bourdieu's concept of Habitus, Doxa, and Symbolic Violence. The paper argues that there are strong arguments on both sides. Still, liberal feminists concerned about structural inequalities, economic empowerment, and individual freedom may not be convinced that the Hijab ban makes society more gender-just or improves individual empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an introduction to a special issue on teaching gender and development. It provides background information on the field, including its theoretical shifts and the significance of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. The document emphasizes the need to critically assess the development of gender and development as a field of study, decolonize the curriculum, and address the racialized gaze of development. It explores the challenges and opportunities of teaching in this field, examines the impact of COVID-19 on teaching gender and development, and discusses the legacies of European colonialism and the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The special issue includes research articles and practice notes that reflect on pedagogical theory and practice in gender and development, addressing existing frameworks, teaching during the pandemic, and confronting coloniality. The collection aims to challenge the dominance of Anglo-Eurocentric knowledge in development discourses and promote a more critical and inclusive understanding of gender and development. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the complexities of teaching a "gender and development" module at a UK university. It discusses the limitations of gendered development efforts and the importance of going beyond a narrow focus on women and girls. The module covers various topics, including the representation of gender throughout history, mainstreaming gender in present-day themes, and questioning heteronormativity and gender normativity in development. The author emphasizes the need to address intersecting identities and inequalities within the context of gender and development. The article also examines the clash between feminist beliefs in women's rights and the broader focus on a "gender and development" approach. It concludes with recommendations for teaching gender in development and suggests further areas for exploration. [Extracted from the article]

This paper explores how culture, religion, gender, and the politics of knowledge production were entangled in the mission, policies, and practices of the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Bangladesh. The article contributes to documenting how decolonisation efforts in women's education and empowerment play out in an institution located in the periphery and established with an explicit mission for women's empowerment. The article critically looks at the (sometimes) contradictory discourses, desires, and agencies at the student, community, staff, and institutional levels, along with the power dynamics and reproduction of colonial and postcolonial practices and legacies in the context of operationalising gender and development (GAD), highlighting the paradoxes and challenges that arise from such endeavours. Finally, this case study highlights how pedagogies of community building at the institutional level become integral in responding to such tensions and conflicts and in countering the alienation from culture and religion that global practices of GAD often create. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of "melancholy feminism" in the film Barbie, highlighting its limited view of feminism and its failure to address the struggles of marginalized women. The author also discusses the concept of "melancholy gender" and its role in shaping gender identities. The article critiques Barbie for perpetuating a narrow definition of womanhood and failing to acknowledge the lives of marginalized individuals. It analyzes a montage sequence in the film, arguing that it flattens the experiences of diverse women and overlooks structural issues. The text concludes by advocating for resistance and mourning as important endeavors for marginalized communities. [Extracted from the article]

Between 2009 and 2011, the Kurdish sculptor Hadî Ziaoddînî created a statue of poet Mestûre Erdalan (1805–1847), in the city of Sine (Sanandaj, Iranian Kurdistan or Rojhelat). A woman standing, carrying a book in her hand, the figure of Mestûre is unique in the Islamic Republic of Iran. She is not wearing the obligatory hijab but a Kurdish kofî. This paper presents the evolving representation and reception of Mestûre, the first Kurdish female poet and chronicler. The existing research on heritage in Iran focuses mainly on the policies of Pahlavi and Islamic regimes, tourism and conservation. This paper reveals the dissonant heritage-making that inspires Kurdish ethnic and national identity and the empowerment of women in Iran. The latter gained momentum, especially after the killing of the Kurdish woman, Jîna (Mahsa) Amînî, by the morality police in 2022. The multi-layered heritage performance engages identity politics, artistic creation and the new practice of visiting the statue of Mestûre. Starting from Ziaoddînî’s work as the focal point of discussion, the study identifies various links between the statue and other artistic products, as well as investigates the contemporary relationship between Mestûre and the inhabitants of Sine. The relationship is mediated by the sculpture and the moral imagination it stirs in empowering Kurdish women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractUnsafe abortions contribute significantly to maternal mortality and morbidity in Ghana. To reduce this, in 1982 abortion laws in Ghana underwent reform to broaden the conditions under which abortion is accessed. Although, evidence in other contexts highlights the contribution of violence to women’s experience of unwanted pregnancy and abortion, such evidence is limited within the Ghanaian abortion literature. This study aims to fill that gap. Informed by phenomenology, interviews were conducted with 10 women who had experienced various forms of violence leading to unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortions. Participants were recruited between June 2017 and March 2018 in the Ashanti region of Ghana where they sought hospital care for unsafe abortion related complications. Participants mentioned intimate partners as the main perpetrators of violence. Financial challenges were also identified as important in increasing women’s vulnerability to violence. Verbal abuse from health workers contributed to denying women access to safe abortion. This paper advances dialogue about the ways in which women’s experience of violence from intimate/non-intimate partners and healthcare workers impacts their overall abortion experience. It advocates the empowerment of women to enable them to leave violent relationships, and the retraining of health workers to enable them to adopt respectful and empathetic care practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWomen are expected to take on multiple roles as caregivers and health care providers, but they are still often perceived as victims or beneficiaries rather than enablers. We aimed to explore women’s empowerment and gender equality in public health systems and identify proactive enablers that can be incorporated into projects. A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature as well as text analysis were conducted to examine changes in perceptions of women’s roles in public health projects. The authors conducted a quantitative analysis of the collected article titles, which revealed a shift in research from identifying risk factors to exploring women’s autonomy in health promotion. However, our qualitative review of the articles showed that previous gender-related projects used a gender-sensitive approach that perpetuated the view of women as victims or beneficiaries rather than enablers. The concept of proactive enablers in all aspects of project planning and implementation ensures that women’s roles are fully recognized and valued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractA debate existing in feminist and criminological literature is the plausible macro-level relationship between gender inequality and female-victim intimate partner homicide (FV-IPH). The amelioration hypothesis assumes the reduction of gender-based violence in more gender-egalitarian societies, while the backlash hypothesis anticipates that reducing gender inequality may actually increase males’ violence perpetration against women to maintain their dominance. A third theoretical account hypothesizes a curvilinear relationship that integrates the traditional theses and provides a possible explanation for some inconsistent findings. This study revisited and tested these three macro-level theoretical propositions using detailed incident information on 11,310 Chinese judgment documents of intentional homicides (2017-2019) and multidimensional gender inequality indices across provinces. By disentangling the incident-level effects from the aggregate-level forces, our models enable a more explicit estimation of the relationship between provincial gender inequality and FV-IPH. The results indicated that: 1) backlash processes are more likely to occur with increases in women’s empowerment; 2) the relationship between the degree of egalitarian gender ideology and men’s likelihood of committing FV-IPH conforms to an inverted U. Using an innovative Chinese big-data source and text-mining approach, this study represents a pioneering endeavor, as it furnishes robust empirical evidence to corroborate the curvilinear relationship between cultural gender inequality and FV-IPH in a non-Western context. The implications of our findings underscore the need for tailored policy interventions that take into account the nuanced dimensions of gender inequality, particularly those that are culture-related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the economic empowerment programs for women in the Solomon Islands and the obstacles they encounter due to cultural norms surrounding entrepreneurship. The programs aim to enhance skills in areas like bookkeeping and business management, but the article argues that they often overlook the social and cultural factors that influence entrepreneurship in the Solomon Islands. It examines two key themes: the challenges of refusing credit requests from family members and the intersection of cultural notions of success with business. The article stresses the importance of striking a delicate balance between commercial and cultural economic agencies and highlights the additional layers of negotiation and conditions that women entrepreneurs face. It emphasizes the need to involve men in economic empowerment programs to raise awareness and support women's leadership in business. The article also suggests the necessity of a culturally sensitive approach in designing and implementing these programs, as well as incorporating culturally based indicators in monitoring and evaluation processes. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a study which analyzed the cosmetic feminism of cosmetics company L'Oreal Paris and the representation of mature women from the perspective of femvertising. Topics include the female body as a means of motivating consumption and boosting sales, representation of female old age in the advertising industry, advertising strategy of L'Oreal Paris and its link to women empowerment and gender equality as a fundamental human right, its use of diversity and minimized sexuality.

The article examines the representation of transvestism and abject body in Jeanette Winterson's "The Passion." It discusses the androgyny of the protagonist Villanelle and her transvestism as an exploration of sex-construction and gender performativity. It explores the feminist struggle and female empowerment in the novel, as well as parental influence in Villanelle's subjectivity development, the presentation of masculinized self, and conflict of interest with the feminine-homosexual self.

The purpose of this study is to assess the possible contribution of formalizing small-scale women entrepreneurs' food processing enterprises in northern Ethiopia to their empowerment or disempowerment. The rationale for evaluating this contribution to (dis)empowerment is to provide updated and policy-relevant knowledge on the issue, including assessing if the critiques of the formalization agenda are still valid or whether the situation may have changed. The main finding suggests that formalization offers limited opportunities for empowering small-scale, resource-poor women entrepreneurs in northern Ethiopia. The contribution of formalization to women's (dis)empowerment varies among the various categories of participants in different ways and forms. Some better-off women entrepreneurs benefitted from formalization in some dimensions; however, this is not the case for most of the women entrepreneurs included in the study. Instead, for the poorer women entrepreneurs, formalization rather led to disempowerment. In conclusion, if formalization in Ethiopia harms or disempowers poor women entrepreneurs rather than benefits them, this paper suggests a need for a major change in policies and practices related to the formalization and women empowerment agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Akshara Deepam (The Light of Letters) project, a collaborative endeavour between Choornikkara Panchayat Library, Kerala State Literacy Mission and Kudumbashree Mission, represents a pioneering model for community literacy and empowerment, with a strong focus on women's participation and empowerment. Initiated in May 2023, this innovative initiative aims to integrate literacy applications into daily life by delivering curated book kits to 720 households through 60 Kudumbashree Neighbourhood Groups, empowering women volunteers to combat poverty through literacy. Recognising its transformative potential, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (RCSS) plans to integrate academic expertise into the project through a forthcoming MOU with Choornikkara Panchayat. Post-MOU, RCSS envisions a comprehensive approach, drawing from successful experiences, to integrate academic expertise into community engagement initiatives, particularly emphasising enhancing women's empowerment through literacy. To maximise impact, the Akshara Deepam project incorporates perception-level surveys, literacy practices and contributions from various RCSS departments. It provides diverse book collections tailored to the evolving needs of digital library usage. As an opportune intervention in changing literacy paradigms, RCSS intends to assess its efficacy and feasibility for rural replication in light of its initial results. This approach blends theory, community actions and academic involvement, empowering women and enriching communities globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender experts are increasingly employed across governments, multilateral donors, companies, and NGOs where they are defining a new profession and a new field of study, driving calls for research into the relationship between expertise and feminism. At the same time, the instrumentalization of the women's empowerment approach has prompted analysis of whether it can be reharnessed to its radical roots. By interviewing 25 gender experts, this article examines their political practices in navigating their work at a time when there is unprecedented support for gender equality, and yet interventions overwhelmingly focus on women's market inclusion. The article underscores the profound contradictions generated by the privatization of development, where most gender experts support increased private sector involvement but operate in a hostile environment and devote substantial labour to gender-capacity building. Based on the limited scope for re-radicalising women's empowerment, the article proposes advocating for feminist participatory action research as an alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress towards women's empowerment (WE) and gender equality is slow and uneven across the Global South. Livestock systems support the livelihoods of one billion poor people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), most of whom are women. While livestock and gender research has focused on addressing gender inequalities to build a better livestock sector, there is growing evidence that livestock development can contribute to WE and gender equality. The latter is the main topic of this scoping review. A total of 99 papers, corresponding to 102 studies, were included in the analysis. Results indicate that the gender approach strongly influences the effect of livestock interventions on WE, as much as the type of livestock intervention. Gender accommodative approaches were associated with more advances in WE than gender blind approaches, but there was no significant difference in the reported negative effects, challenging the prevailing assumption that gender-accommodative approaches 'do no harm'. Most asset transfer projects combined with extension had positive effects while those focusing on output markets negatively impacted WE. Gender accommodative approaches had negative or unclear impacts on women's labour and workloads. Use of these findings should help guide the design of livestock projects aiming to enhance gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's empowerment is now a global development objective. However, the instrumentalization of this approach to gender equality has prompted calls for research into the financing of interventions. With donors now reporting the gender credentials of their spending, this article follows the money for one region—Southeast Asia—to investigate how donors are engaging with women's economic empowerment. Through a systematic review, it identifies and codes women's economic empowerment projects. Data is analyzed according to geographic distribution, thematic distribution, and participant types. The article offers important insights into funding patterns and deficiencies in current reporting practices. It finds, first, while there is a more thematically diverse mix of projects being funded than indicated in previous research, women's economic empowerment continues to be interpreted in Southeast Asia as women's market inclusion, continuing the trend of instrumentalization. Second, and consistent with emergent research highlighting the political uses of aid transparency, it demonstrates that donors are engaging in gender wash by inadequately and incorrectly reporting project characteristics. By upselling their gender credentials, donors are characterizing their activities as advancing gender equality despite often intensifying the challenges faced by women, underscoring the urgent need to reform reporting practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the intricate dynamics surrounding female involvement in jihadism in Bangladesh. Drawing on expert interviews and surveys, the study uncovers a multifaceted picture of this phenomenon. Three distinct categories of factors – push, pull, and facilitating – emerge as central in explaining the surge in female participation within militant groups in the region. Push factors, which encompass grievances and vulnerabilities arising from personal crises, poverty and family breakdown, create an environment ripe for radicalisation. The concept of "humiliation by proxy," where global Muslim victimisation serves as a motivating force, further deepens our understanding of this process. Pull factors reveal that ideological allure, the pursuit of glory, adventure, and the evolving gender roles offered by groups like the Islamic State play a significant role in attracting women to extremist ideologies. The article underscores that the desire for paradise is not confined to men alone but extends to women. Facilitating factors, such as influential family members and online platforms, are pivotal in shaping female radicalisation. Cultural loyalty, particularly from husbands and fathers, empowers them to influence women towards extremism. The internet acts as a powerful tool, facilitating exposure to radical ideologies and virtual group bonding, creating echo chambers that reinforce extremist beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do women in the Iranian diaspora contribute to change in their homeland? Drawing on narrative accounts from activists and advocates, this paper offers insight into whether and how change occurs in relation to diasporic initiatives. The results highlight women's perceived success in public education and awareness-raising activities that focus on procedural, discursive and legislative change. At the same time, despite enjoying freedom in the diaspora, diasporic women continue to face operational constraints like those in the homeland and must minimise risk. The findings are timely given the feminist uprisings that have engulfed Iran in 2022–2023, the coherence of which rests upon the patient and persistent work of those that have come before. This research holds significance for practitioners in diasporic communities, and researchers interested in agents and drivers of change in repressive operating environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While most of the studies have focused on how female PhDs are stereotypically depicted as a sexless third gender and an ultimate leftover in Chinese mainstream media representation, little attention has been paid to how such negative stereotypic representation and its underlying patriarchy are resisted. Drawing on feminist critical discourse analysis (Lazar, 2005, 2014) and legitimization strategies (van Leeuwen, 2007, 2017), this study sets out to investigate how the discursive legitimizing strategies for female PhDs play out on Chinese social media by employing a corpus-assisted approach. The data for the present study comprise 2,124 posts retrieved from China's most popular community question-answering (CQA) site – Zhihu. It is revealed that Zhihu users commonly employ (1) personal authority, specifically that of female PhDs, to establish legitimacy; (2) moral evaluation, involving negation, affirmation and re-evaluation to legitimize the presence of female PhDs and their marital practices; (3) rationalization, including definition, explanation, means-orientation and goal-orientation to achieve the social empowerment of female PhDs. Also, this study probes into the ideologies implicated by the use of these discursive practices in relation to the wider sociocultural contexts. The implications may hopefully shed light on the optimal ways for female PhDs' advocacy in contemporary China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video game communities, as new emerging creators of contemporary culture, have been identified as paradigmatic gendered contexts and are considered essential for understanding gendered contextual dynamics in contemporary society. This research is based on a multi-sited ethnography study of five game jams as contexts of creation and participation in video game communities, to which was added discussion from eight focus groups and an online forum with 30 female participants. It explores and discusses three analytic emerging dimensions about the perceived gendered dynamics, experiences, interactions and characteristics of these contexts through the women's perspectives, silences and meanings. In particular, it focuses on the unequal representation and uncovered power dynamics between men and women, the perceived gender stereotypes, and the internalised discourses. Considering the perceptions of devaluing women´s capacity, experience and knowledge, is discussed the impacts on women's participation. The importance of decoding the video game-gendered contexts is reinforced to create gender-integrated and gender-sensitive environments towards a more diverse and inclusive gaming culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on ten semi-structured interviews with mothers about their maternal selfie practices in order to explore how they use and navigate the form in relation to their motherhood identities and experiences. Whilst work on the form is still emerging, we examine the claim that maternal selfies offer space for a uniquely subjective expression/depiction of motherhood. As part of this, we explore how discussions of their selfie practices – and appraisals of the cultural circulation of the maternal selfie – resist and (re)produce discourses on acceptable digital and cultural paradigms of motherhood. The themes which emerged from these data were 1) the maternal selfie as empowerment, 2) authenticity as regulatory discourse and 3) the risks of negative affect. In drawing on work on neoliberal and intensive mothering frames, the article examines how the increasing emphasis (in digital cultures in particular) on displaying the complex realities of motherhood are implicated within the surveillance and self-surveillance of maternal visibility in ways which may (further) delimit the possibilities for maternal self-expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the burgeoning literature on how women construct resistance, project their agency and sculpt a positive identity for themselves. It employs feminist critical discourse analysis as a framework to examine how Nigerian blogs on gender issues constitute a discursive site for sociopolitical action, the interrogation and deconstruction of gendered social structures and the amplification of women's voices(s). The article analyzes discursive strategies used in the blogposts to resist gender inequality, women's exploitation and female subjugation while constructing a positive image for women and emphasizing their empowerment. The results reveal three main strategies: (1) denouncing patriarchy and gender discrimination, (2) countering toxic gender narratives and (3) calling out sexist attitudes and praising women who resist such behaviour. Together, these mechanisms contribute to a sociopolitical critique of systematic gendering of privilege aimed at social transformation and Nigerian/African women's emancipation. Implications of the study for research on marginalized, disenfranchised groups are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the impact of generative artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, on human development and education. It explores the paradox of how a technology that enhances our capabilities can also be destructive to our opportunities. The author raises questions about the impact of AI on learning, education, research into human flourishing, policy practice, and social justice. The article also provides an overview of the achievements of the human development and capabilities approaches, as well as their future prospects and limitations. It emphasizes the importance of nuance, specificity, and alternative perspectives when using AI and highlights the potential of the capability approach to create social impact through research and engagement with stakeholders. The article concludes by encouraging the wise and constructive use of artificial intelligence. [Extracted from the article]

The gendered displacement experiences of Syrian women and girls have been a significant focus of both the academic and development and humanitarian gaze. In response, humanitarian and development organisations have increasingly implemented women and girl safe spaces. Yet, little is known about Syrian women's experiences within them, nor the structures and practice shaping those experiences. Drawing on feminist ethnographic fieldwork in a women and girl safe space in the Beqaa valley in Lebanon, I explore Syrian women's experiences of at-homeness, disclosure, sharing, and alternative futures in relation to the various safety-making practices and structures in the women and girl safe space. My findings highlight the potential for women and girl safe spaces to counteract the everyday isolation and hardship forcibly displaced women face, as well as helping to build the emotional safety and community that they need to navigate forced displacement and strive towards transformative change. I conclude that additional research on the practices and structures that enable collective safety-making and empowerment is imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate the community-level impact of foreign aid projects on women's empowerment in the country with the most complete recent record of geo-coded aid project placement, Malawi. Our estimates can thus be interpreted as the average impact of aid from many different donors and diverse projects. We find that aid in general has a positive impact, in particular on an index of female agency and women's sexual and fertility preferences. Gender-targeted aid has a further positive impact on women's sexual and fertility preferences, and more tentatively on an index focusing on gender-based violence. However, the positive impact of gender-targeted aid disappears in patrilineal communities, and men's attitudes towards female agency in the areas of sexuality and fertility are even negatively affected. This suggests that donors need to consider that the impact of aid on female empowerment can depend on the community context when they decide on aid project design and placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2023 closing of the Rock "n" Roll Camp for Girls (founded in Portland, Oregon in 2001) was due to many factors, some of which were present in its founding. Using interviews, scholarly literature, and archival materials from the camp, this paper explores elements contributing to its end, including changing categories of gender, dynamic ideas about what constitutes women's and girls' empowerment, an altered music industry landscape, changes in technology, and rampant gentrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]