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OBJECTIVE: Parental leave and breastfeeding breaks influence the ability to initiate and continue breastfeeding. We investigated how eligibility criteria in the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Affordable Care Act (ACA) affect access to unpaid parental leave and breastfeeding breaks and assessed affordability and alternative policy models. METHODS: We used family income data to assess the affordability of unpaid leave by race and ethnicity. We used 2017-2018 US Current Population Survey data to determine the percentage of private sector workers aged 18-44 years who met the minimum hour (1250 hours of work during a 12-month period), tenure (12 months), and firm size (≥50 employees) requirements of FMLA and ACA. We analyzed eligibility by gender, race and ethnicity, and age. We also examined parental leave and breastfeeding break policies in 193 countries. RESULTS: Most Latinx (66.9%), Black (60.2%), and White (55.3%) workers were ineligible and/or unlikely to be able to afford to take unpaid FMLA leave. Of 69 534 workers, more women (16.9%) than men (10.3%) did not meet the minimum hour requirement. Minimum tenure excluded 23.7% of all workers and 42.2% of women aged 18-24 years. Minimum firm size excluded 30.3% of all workers and 37.7% of Latinx workers. Of 27 520 women, 28.8% (including 32.9% of Latina women) were excluded from ACA breastfeeding breaks because of firm size. Nearly all other countries guaranteed mothers paid leave regardless of firm size or minimum hours and guaranteed ≥6 months of paid leave or breastfeeding breaks. CONCLUSIONS: Adopting a comprehensive, inclusive paid parental leave policy and closing gaps in breastfeeding break legislation would remove work-related barriers to breastfeeding; reduce racial, ethnic, and gender inequities; and align US national policies with global norms.

This study focuses on biographies nominated for deletion in the German-language Wikipedia and the encyclopedia's core principle of notability. Results are presented from quantitative content analyses of deletion nominations, discussions, and decisions from the year 2020. It shows that women's biographies are more often called into question but not deleted more often than men's biographies. Additionally, women's biographies are discussed more controversially. Neither a lack of notability criteria, a lack of external sources, nor individual misogynistic users seem to cause this increased questioning. Instead, the results suggest that the notability of women is collectively surveilled and contested with higher intensity due to biased perceptions. This can be explained by the fact that the concept of notability is not value-free or gender-neutral in the first place—even though it is based on rational discourse. The gender gap in biographies is contentiously discussed by users themselves, too, while overt sexism and gender-based devaluations are effectively countered by engaged users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to present the concept of the feminization of unpaid work. We offer a conceptualization of this phenomenon based on the literature review and analysis of the experiences of Polish parents during COVID-19 pandemic. The feminization of unpaid work has cultural, economic, social, and institutional sources and manifests in women's domestic multitasking, which means constant and routine responsibility for domestic and family duties. Its consequences are mainly visible in the precarious position of women in the public sphere but also in women's poor psycho-physical conditions. The feminization of unpaid work should be seen as a set of interdependent processes that reinforces gender inequalities in the domestic and public spheres, especially in times of crisis. The analysis is based on qualitative material gathered through two nationwide diary writing contests in Poland during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. The experiences of Polish parents who wrote diaries during the COVID-19 pandemic help to understand the differences between men's and women's situations in times of crisis by extracting from their diary narratives the key processes that form the field of the feminization process of unpaid domestic work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As compared to men, older women´s higher rates of depression diagnosis and antidepressant use are widely reported. We aimed to: a) explore whether there is a potential gender bias in the clinical diagnosis of depression and antidepressant prescription in an older population from Stockholm; and 2) analyze if such gender bias differs by patients’ age and socioeconomic status. Methods: We used data from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, SNAC-K (N = 2,941). We compared gender differences in: (a) clinical diagnosis of depression according to the Swedish National Patient Register (ICD-10 codes F32-F34; F412) (“register-based diagnosis”); (b) SNAC-K-based diagnosis of depression, partially gender-blind, using the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS) and the DSM-IV-TR (“SNAC-K based diagnosis); and (c) antidepressant use (ATC code N06A). To analyze the magnitude of the gender bias in the register-based diagnosis of depression and in antidepressant use, and the role of potential moderating factors, prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated using Poisson regression models. Models were run separately by age and social class. Results: Women had a 63% higher probability of having a register-based diagnosis of depression (PR = 1.63[1.23–2.15]) and a 79% higher probability of using antidepressants (PR = 1.79[1.34–2.40]). No gender differences were observed in the SNAC-K-based diagnosis of depression. The gender differences in the register-based diagnosis were narrowed, although remained significant, after considering age, depressive symptoms, and health services use (PR = 1.44[1.10–1.88]), as well as the register-based diagnosis in the case of antidepressant use (PR = 1.31[1.04–1.64]). This gender bias was larger among the younger-old and the most advantaged social class. Conclusion: A gender-bias was identified in the diagnosis and treatment of depression in older adults within the Swedish healthcare setting, which could imply that health services may be contributing to the medicalization of women’s mental health. Gender-sensitive clinical and public health interventions are essential to reduce gender disparities in mental healthcare, also in old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prenatal care provides pregnant women with repeated opportunities for prevention, screening and diagnosis that have no current extension to future fathers. It also contributes to women's general better access to health. The goal of PARTAGE study was to evaluate the level and determinants of adherence to a prenatal prevention consultation dedicated to men. Methods: Between January 2021 and April 2022, we conducted a monocentric interventional study in Montreuil hospital. We assessed the acceptance of a prenatal prevention consultation newly offered to every future father, through their pregnant partner's prior consent to provide their contact details. Results: Three thousand thirty-eight women provided contact information used to reach the fathers; effective contact was established with 2,516 men, of whom 1,333 (53%) came for prenatal prevention consultation. Immigrant men were more likely to come than French-born men (56% versus 49%, p < 0·001), and the more they faced social hardship, the more likely they were to accept the offer. In multivariate analysis, men born in Subsaharan Africa and Asia were twice as likely to attend the consultation as those born in Europe or North America. Conclusion: Acceptance of this new offer was high. Moreover, this consultation was perceived by vulnerable immigrant men as an opportunity to integrate a healthcare system they would have otherwise remained deprived of. Trial registration: Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov, US National Library of Medicine https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05085717 Clinical Trial number: NCT05085717. Date of registration: 20/10/2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women researchers in postdoc career stages still do not participate to the same extent in international academic mobility as men do. As a novel approach to better understand gender inequalities in international academic mobility, we investigate the structure of research collaborations and bring into focus the host researchers. Our central theoretical tool is the distinction between compositional and behavioral homophily. Using quantitative data from two German Humboldt Foundation programs sponsoring collaborations between international researchers and academic hosts in Germany, we ask (a) to what extent are gender-homophilous research collaborations caused by compositional or behavioral homophily; (b) what factors influence gender-based homophily; and (c) whether men or women tend more towards gender-homophilous collaborations. We detected behavioral homophily in research collaborations mainly when taking the potential pool of eligible women researchers as the reference group. The results on influencing factors are ambiguous and need further investigation. Furthermore, our results show that men tended more towards gender-homophilous collaborations than women. Our results suggest that gender inequalities in international academic mobility are linked to behavioral homophily and that exploring the role of host researchers is crucial to understanding—and overcoming—the under-representation of women in international academic mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper attempts to contextualize the significance of the work of unpaid female family helpers' (UPFFH) for women empowerment. Additionally, it brings into light the subjective feelings and perceptions of unpaid family helpers. The current research is based on primary data collected through a self-structured questionnaire from 200 females aged 15+ years who were helping in the household income generation without getting paid. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among UPFFHs residing in district Lahore, Pakistan. The participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The analysis of UPFFHs empowerment was performed by employing a percentage distribution approach based on four levels of participation in decision making. The research puts emphasis on the impact of excessive, unequal, and unpaid work on women and further argues for social rational of recognizing the work through empowering women in decision-making process at their personal, household, and community level. The findings of the study indicates that the young UPFFHs are less empowered as they face the greatest familial and community pressure when it comes to making their life decisions. However, the paper further documents their aspiration to attain economic independence which would then bring change in gender perceptions and their overall social standing. The paper concludes by highlighting the problems associated with "unpaid work" and why it must be addressed, especially if the country has to fully realize the valued goal of women empowerment and gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background As compared to men, older women´s higher rates of depression diagnosis and antidepressant use are widely reported. We aimed to: a) explore whether there is a potential gender bias in the clinical diagnosis of depression and antidepressant prescription in an older population from Stockholm; and 2) analyze if such gender bias differs by patients’ age and socioeconomic status. Methods We used data from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, SNAC-K (N = 2,941). We compared gender differences in: (a) clinical diagnosis of depression according to the Swedish National Patient Register (ICD-10 codes F32-F34; F412) (“register-based diagnosis”); (b) SNAC-K-based diagnosis of depression, partially gender-blind, using the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS) and the DSM-IV-TR (“SNAC-K based diagnosis); and (c) antidepressant use (ATC code N06A). To analyze the magnitude of the gender bias in the register-based diagnosis of depression and in antidepressant use, and the role of potential moderating factors, prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated using Poisson regression models. Models were run separately by age and social class. Results Women had a 63% higher probability of having a register-based diagnosis of depression (PR = 1.63[1.23–2.15]) and a 79% higher probability of using antidepressants (PR = 1.79[1.34–2.40]). No gender differences were observed in the SNAC-K-based diagnosis of depression. The gender differences in the register-based diagnosis were narrowed, although remained significant, after considering age, depressive symptoms, and health services use (PR = 1.44[1.10–1.88]), as well as the register-based diagnosis in the case of antidepressant use (PR = 1.31[1.04–1.64]). This gender bias was larger among the younger-old and the most advantaged social class. Conclusion A gender-bias was identified in the diagnosis and treatment of depression in older adults within the Swedish healthcare setting, which could imply that health services may be contributing to the medicalization of women’s mental health. Gender-sensitive clinical and public health interventions are essential to reduce gender disparities in mental healthcare, also in old age.

Abstract Background Prenatal care provides pregnant women with repeated opportunities for prevention, screening and diagnosis that have no current extension to future fathers. It also contributes to women’s general better access to health. The goal of PARTAGE study was to evaluate the level and determinants of adherence to a prenatal prevention consultation dedicated to men. Methods Between January 2021 and April 2022, we conducted a monocentric interventional study in Montreuil hospital. We assessed the acceptance of a prenatal prevention consultation newly offered to every future father, through their pregnant partner’s prior consent to provide their contact details. Results Three thousand thirty-eight women provided contact information used to reach the fathers; effective contact was established with 2,516 men, of whom 1,333 (53%) came for prenatal prevention consultation. Immigrant men were more likely to come than French-born men (56% versus 49%, p

While FinTech gets promoted as an innovative and progressive solution to meeting financial needs globally, it is afflicted by pervasive gender inequalities, only recently noticed in research. To explore these gender inequalities at the core of FinTech, we use a mixed-methods approach, combining data on 100 leading FinTech firms and 15 interviews with FinTech professionals, collected in the latter half of 2021. We argue that women in FinTech face the ‘triple glass ceiling’ at the intersection of financial, technological, and entrepreneurial gender inequalities. Our sample shows that women account for only 7.69% of (co-)founders, 18.2% of executive committee members, and merely 4.04% of FinTech companies are led by a woman. Gendered stereotypes and a privileging of masculine performances produce significant barriers to women entering and progressing within FinTech. Discriminatory practices are overt and implicit, everyday and exceptional, micro and acute. Shattering the ‘triple glass ceiling’ in FinTech represents an immense challenge.

Abstract Background Despite significant progress in cardiovascular disease (CVD) management, it remains a public health priority and a global challenge. Within the disease process, health care after a cardiovascular event (secondary prevention) is essential to prevent recurrences. Nonetheless, evidence has suggested the existence of gender disparities in CVD management, leaving women in a vulnerable situation. The objective of this study is to identify all available evidence on the existence of gender differences in health care attention after a major adverse cardiovascular event. Methods A scoping review following the structure of PRISMA-ScR was conducted. To define the inclusion criteria, we used Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) population, concept, context framework for scoping reviews. A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE and Cochrane. The methods of this review are registered in the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (INPLASY) (INPLASY202350084). Results The initial search retrieved 3,322 studies. 26 articles were identified manually. After the reviewing process, 93 articles were finally included. The main intervention studied was the pharmacological treatment received (n = 61, 66%), distantly followed by guideline-recommended care (n = 26, 28%) and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) referral (n = 16)”. Literature described gender differences in care and management of secondary prevention of CVD. Women were less frequently treated with guideline-recommended medications and seem more likely to be non-adherent. When analysing guideline recommendations, women were more likely to make dietary changes, however, men were more likely to increase physical activity. Studies also showed that women had lower rates of risk factor testing and cholesterol goals attainment. Female sex was associated with lower rates of cardiac rehabilitation referral and participation. Conclusions This review allowed us to compile knowledge on the existence of gender inequalities on the secondary prevention of CVD. Additional research is required to delve into various factors influencing therapeutic disparities, referral and non-participation in CR programs, among other aspects, in order to improve existing knowledge about the management and treatment of CVD in men and women. This approach is crucial to ensure the most equitable and effective attention to this issue.

The article studies the ways in which digital inequality reinforced the reproduction of gender inequalities under the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a national survey applied in Argentina between 2020 and 2021, it analyses how gender differences in terms of access to devices, connectivity and development of digital skills resulted in greater difficulty among women for developing care and pedagogical accompaniment tasks and for teleworking. Thus, it is questioned whether the flexible nature of the latter entails an opportunity for female employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has not only highlighted preexisting inequalities in academia but has also exacerbated them while giving rise to novel forms of disparities. Drawing upon our experiences as women, parents, and early career academics (ECAs) in Switzerland and enriched by feminist theory on reproductive labor and carework, we examine the unequal impacts of the pandemic. First, our analysis reveals how the pandemic disproportionately impacted ECAs, a group already in a position of precarity within academia. Second, we identify the broad range of tasks brought about by the pandemic as "COVID labor". This essential labor—undervalued, invisible, and often unpaid—had a particularly negative impact on ECAs. Third, looking at various intersections of difference, we emphasize that the experience of COVID labor was far from uniform among ECAs with institutional responses disregarding its extent and unequal distribution. In conclusion, we underscore the importance of acknowledging the long‐term consequences of COVID labor on ECAs, particularly those belonging to underrepresented groups. Neglecting these issues may lead to the loss of a wide range of talented scholars for reasons that are not related to the quality of their academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides the first comprehensive examination of gender quota legislation for executive management positions, executive gender quotas (EGQs), in Icelandic listed companies, alongside the general public's attitudes toward such measures. Iceland has been a global leader in gender equality, according to the World Economic Forum, for 15 years, yet progress in achieving gender balance in executive positions remains limited. This research aims to explore how board members in all listed companies in Iceland view EGQ legislation and assess the level of public support for such legislation. Despite the implementation of gender quota legislation for corporate boards, board gender quotas (BGQs), in 2010 aimed at promoting gender balance, significant gender disparities persist at the executive management level. This study reveals distinct attitudes toward EGQs, with men predominantly opposing such legislation and women showing more support, particularly when progress toward gender balance is seen as inadequate. The findings underscore the importance of ongoing dialogue and potential legislative actions to address persistent gender inequalities in leadership positions. This research marks a novel contribution to the discourse on gender quotas in corporate governance, highlighting the need for systemic changes to achieve genuine gender parity in executive management teams. This study presents the first findings on the views of board members and the public on gender quota legislation in executive management positions to close the gender gap in economic participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite significant progress in cardiovascular disease (CVD) management, it remains a public health priority and a global challenge. Within the disease process, health care after a cardiovascular event (secondary prevention) is essential to prevent recurrences. Nonetheless, evidence has suggested the existence of gender disparities in CVD management, leaving women in a vulnerable situation. The objective of this study is to identify all available evidence on the existence of gender differences in health care attention after a major adverse cardiovascular event. Methods: A scoping review following the structure of PRISMA-ScR was conducted. To define the inclusion criteria, we used Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) population, concept, context framework for scoping reviews. A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE and Cochrane. The methods of this review are registered in the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (INPLASY) (INPLASY202350084). Results: The initial search retrieved 3,322 studies. 26 articles were identified manually. After the reviewing process, 93 articles were finally included. The main intervention studied was the pharmacological treatment received (n = 61, 66%), distantly followed by guideline-recommended care (n = 26, 28%) and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) referral (n = 16)". Literature described gender differences in care and management of secondary prevention of CVD. Women were less frequently treated with guideline-recommended medications and seem more likely to be non-adherent. When analysing guideline recommendations, women were more likely to make dietary changes, however, men were more likely to increase physical activity. Studies also showed that women had lower rates of risk factor testing and cholesterol goals attainment. Female sex was associated with lower rates of cardiac rehabilitation referral and participation. Conclusions: This review allowed us to compile knowledge on the existence of gender inequalities on the secondary prevention of CVD. Additional research is required to delve into various factors influencing therapeutic disparities, referral and non-participation in CR programs, among other aspects, in order to improve existing knowledge about the management and treatment of CVD in men and women. This approach is crucial to ensure the most equitable and effective attention to this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While FinTech gets promoted as an innovative and progressive solution to meeting financial needs globally, it is afflicted by pervasive gender inequalities, only recently noticed in research. To explore these gender inequalities at the core of FinTech, we use a mixed-methods approach, combining data on 100 leading FinTech firms and 15 interviews with FinTech professionals, collected in the latter half of 2021. We argue that women in FinTech face the 'triple glass ceiling' at the intersection of financial, technological, and entrepreneurial gender inequalities. Our sample shows that women account for only 7.69% of (co-)founders, 18.2% of executive committee members, and merely 4.04% of FinTech companies are led by a woman. Gendered stereotypes and a privileging of masculine performances produce significant barriers to women entering and progressing within FinTech. Discriminatory practices are overt and implicit, everyday and exceptional, micro and acute. Shattering the 'triple glass ceiling' in FinTech represents an immense challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite significant progress in cardiovascular disease (CVD) management, it remains a public health priority and a global challenge. Within the disease process, health care after a cardiovascular event (secondary prevention) is essential to prevent recurrences. Nonetheless, evidence has suggested the existence of gender disparities in CVD management, leaving women in a vulnerable situation. The objective of this study is to identify all available evidence on the existence of gender differences in health care attention after a major adverse cardiovascular event. Methods: A scoping review following the structure of PRISMA-ScR was conducted. To define the inclusion criteria, we used Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) population, concept, context framework for scoping reviews. A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE and Cochrane. The methods of this review are registered in the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (INPLASY) (INPLASY202350084). Results: The initial search retrieved 3,322 studies. 26 articles were identified manually. After the reviewing process, 93 articles were finally included. The main intervention studied was the pharmacological treatment received (n = 61, 66%), distantly followed by guideline-recommended care (n = 26, 28%) and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) referral (n = 16)". Literature described gender differences in care and management of secondary prevention of CVD. Women were less frequently treated with guideline-recommended medications and seem more likely to be non-adherent. When analysing guideline recommendations, women were more likely to make dietary changes, however, men were more likely to increase physical activity. Studies also showed that women had lower rates of risk factor testing and cholesterol goals attainment. Female sex was associated with lower rates of cardiac rehabilitation referral and participation. Conclusions: This review allowed us to compile knowledge on the existence of gender inequalities on the secondary prevention of CVD. Additional research is required to delve into various factors influencing therapeutic disparities, referral and non-participation in CR programs, among other aspects, in order to improve existing knowledge about the management and treatment of CVD in men and women. This approach is crucial to ensure the most equitable and effective attention to this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender inequalities of women working in the popular economy (PE) are often marked by unpaid care tasks, the modality of their economic income and by their educational credentials. This paper studies the case of living and working conditions of women fairground workers belonging to the Movement of Excluded Workers (MTE) of Santiago de Estero (Argentina), with special attention to the impact of covid 19. The methodology applied is qualitative, conducting indepth interviews in July 2022 with 5 women between the ages of 27 and 54 with family and community care burdens, and with a career of more than 5 years in their stalls as fair vendors in Barrio Villa de Carmen and Reconquista of the capital city of Santiago de Estero (Argentina) and linked to the "Potenciar Trabajo" Program. The results confirm the unequal overload of care work borne by women in the popular economy, and that one of their strategies is to form networks of collaborative solidarity in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract Introduction Climate change has a disproportionate impact on women in comparison to men, and women have a key role to play in climate adaptation. However, evidence is lacking on how gender inequalities may be associated with climate vulnerability and ability to respond at country level. Methods This ecological study investigated the association between climate adaptation, measured by the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Country Index (ND-GAIN), and gender equality, measured by the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) developed by the World Economic Forum and the Gender Inequality Index (GII) developed by the United Nations. Simple linear regression was used to estimate the associations between the indices and their subdomains for 146 countries. Results There was an approximately linear association between the GGGI and climate adaptation. Each 1% increase in gender equality was associated with a 0.6% increase in the ND-GAIN score (the slope was 0.59, with a 95% confidence interval [0.33 to 0.84]). This was driven by a negative association between gender equality and vulnerability (-0.41 [-0.62 to -0.20]), and a positive association between gender equality and readiness (0.77 [0.44 to 1.10]). The strongest associations between gender equality and climate adaptation were observed for the education domain of the GGGI. There was a strong negative linear association between the GII and climate adaptation, which explained most (86%) of the between-country variation in climate adaptation. Each 1% increase in gender inequality was associated with a 0.5% decrease in the ND-GAIN score (-0.54 [-0.57 to -0.50]). The association between gender inequality and readiness was stronger than the association with vulnerability (0.41 [0.37 to 0.44] for vulnerability versus − 0.67 [-0.72 to -0.61] for readiness). Conclusions Gender inequality, measured broadly across different domains of life, is associated with climate adaptation at country level, both in terms of vulnerability to impact and readiness to respond.

In addition to the negative effects generated by the pandemic period, nowadays, the digital and ecological transition exerts additional pressure on the economy and society, especially on the labor market. Digital transformation is changing people\’s live, offering new opportunities to increase productivity and to improve the well-being of the citizens. To get the desired results, the EU\’s policies and measures must put people at the center of the actions by ensuring an equitable transition. Gender equality is a key factor in promoting an inclusive and sustainable growth. The digital transformation provides new tools to increase the participation of women in the labor market and to close the gender gap. In this context, the main objective of this paper is to examine the evolution of gender disparities between Member States and to show how Europe\’s digital decade can contribute to remarkable progress towards gender convergence by improving the labor market conditions.

Abstract Background In health crisis, inequalities in access to and use of health care services become more evident. The objective of this study is to analyse the existence and evolution of gender inequalities in access to and use of healthcare services in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis. Methods Retrospective cohort study using data from all individuals with a confirmed COVID-19 infection from March 2020 to March 2022 in Aragón (Spain) (390,099 cases). Health care access and use was analysed by gender for the different pandemic waves. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect of sex in health care. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition methods were performed to explain gender gaps observed. Results The health care received throughout the COVID-19 pandemic differed between men and women. Women were admitted to hospital and intensive care units less frequently than men and their stays were shorter. Differences observed between men and women narrowed throughout the pandemic, but persisted even after adjusting for age, socioeconomic status, morbidity burden or the patient's place of residence. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics and morbidity burden could explain partially the gender inequalities found, mainly in the later phases of the pandemic, but not in the earlier waves. Conclusions There were gender inequalities in access to and use of health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequalities were greater in the first waves of the pandemic, but did not disappear. Analysis of health crises must take into account an intersectional gender perspective to ensure equitable health care.

Humanitarian diplomacy is a crucial tool in contemporary international politics, aimed at managing humanitarian crises and protecting human rights in conflict and disaster contexts. However, the differential impact on women and men, as well as the role of women in seeking peaceful conflict resolutions, is often overlooked. This article analyzes humanitarian diplomacy from a feminist perspective, exploring how inequalities affect crises and how a feminist approach can make foreign policies more inclusive and effective, surpassing traditional approaches. The article is based on a comprehensive review of existing literature, international and Spanish humanitarian diplomacy policies and foreign policy, from a gender and feminist perspective. It contextualizes humanitarian diplomacy and the gender dimension, demonstrating how a feminist approach can transform foreign policy. The article includes a case study of the Spanish Humanitarian Diplomacy Strategy from a feminist perspective and concludes with recommendations. Academic sources, NGO reports, and offi- cial documents have been used to provide a complete and well-founded view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Climate change has a disproportionate impact on women in comparison to men, and women have a key role to play in climate adaptation. However, evidence is lacking on how gender inequalities may be associated with climate vulnerability and ability to respond at country level. Methods: This ecological study investigated the association between climate adaptation, measured by the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Country Index (ND-GAIN), and gender equality, measured by the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) developed by the World Economic Forum and the Gender Inequality Index (GII) developed by the United Nations. Simple linear regression was used to estimate the associations between the indices and their subdomains for 146 countries. Results: There was an approximately linear association between the GGGI and climate adaptation. Each 1% increase in gender equality was associated with a 0.6% increase in the ND-GAIN score (the slope was 0.59, with a 95% confidence interval [0.33 to 0.84]). This was driven by a negative association between gender equality and vulnerability (-0.41 [-0.62 to -0.20]), and a positive association between gender equality and readiness (0.77 [0.44 to 1.10]). The strongest associations between gender equality and climate adaptation were observed for the education domain of the GGGI. There was a strong negative linear association between the GII and climate adaptation, which explained most (86%) of the between-country variation in climate adaptation. Each 1% increase in gender inequality was associated with a 0.5% decrease in the ND-GAIN score (-0.54 [-0.57 to -0.50]). The association between gender inequality and readiness was stronger than the association with vulnerability (0.41 [0.37 to 0.44] for vulnerability versus − 0.67 [-0.72 to -0.61] for readiness). Conclusions: Gender inequality, measured broadly across different domains of life, is associated with climate adaptation at country level, both in terms of vulnerability to impact and readiness to respond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I propose to reflect on the state through the daily practices of its actors, on the (dis)encounters and (mis)understandings generated, in the management of land policies to understand the way that legal and political changes affect social practices, and vice versa. Based on a multi-situated ethnography and taking as examples the situated (inter)actions between state bureaucracies and women beneficiaries of land policies in rural areas of Uruguay, I trace the daily management and lived experiences related to policies. This perspective shows the processes of subjectivation that occur in meeting spaces and gives entity to the ways in which the technical, the political and the bureaucratic interact with affective and moral issues, in processes that (re)produce gender inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study approached the issue of youths’ digital agency by analyzing the ways in which youths talk about their use of Internet technologies for recreational purposes outside of school. Using interview data from young people (n = 28) born in 2005 and 2006, this paper approaches youths’ speech as culturally embedded discourses that express their strategies for making their digital practices understandable and acceptable to adults. By doing so, the paper addresses the need for ongoing research that explores youths’ digital engagement with Internet technologies within a wider social context that positions them as ‘digital natives’. The study results were organized into 11 discourses under four themes: benefits, harms and risks, person-based networking, and Internet skills. The identified discourses reflect the ways in which young people articulate and negotiate their digital agency with social norms, assumptions and expectations of them as tech-savvy youths. By focusing on youths’ speech and discourses, this study advances current research on digital inequalities among young people. It also highlights the need for young people to be supported and empowered in developing skills that enable critical and safe engagements with Internet technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Computers and technology are still perceived as a male domain. As a result of this "digital gender gap" boys aspire careers in the information and communication technology (ICT) branches much more than girls. Guided by the situated expectancy‐value theory of motivated behavioral choices, the present study aims to shed light on the predictors of digital career aspirations. Methods: Self‐report questionnaires were completed by 1018 Austrian adolescents (52.3% girls; 72% non‐immigrants; Mage = 13.55, SDage = 0.88) attending 61 Grade 7 and 8 classes located in 17 vocational secondary schools between April and June 2019. Individual and class‐level predictors of digital career aspirations were investigated with multilevel modeling. Results: Hierarchical linear models revealed that boys, younger adolescents, and second‐generation immigrant adolescents had higher levels of digital career aspirations compared to girls, older adolescents, and non‐immigrants. Hours spend with the laptop per day, digital self‐efficacy and media appraisal positively predicted digital career aspirations on the individual level, while a higher number of immigrants in the classes and higher levels of teacher discussions about media were significant positive predictors on the class level. The model explained 17% of the individual level and 52% of the class level variance. Cross‐level interactions were nonsignificant. Conclusions: These results have major implications for educational practice. Most importantly, educational interventions should enhance girls' digital self‐efficacy believes and media appraisal. Furthermore, teachers should increase their discussion about digital media as they foster adolescents' digital career aspirations and might prevent future gender segregation in the ICT sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender norms affect girls' educational achievements. Yet, how norms are formed and what drives their changes are still open questions. This article examines peer effects on students' gender norm perceptions and skills formation. The study uses a Uruguayan nationally representative survey of ninth grade students and exploits the quasi-random variation in the proportion of female peers across classes within schools for causal identification. Results show that a higher exposure to female peers leads to more progressive gender norms. Furthermore, these effects are driven mostly by male students. Female students are also impacted by peers' gender composition and significantly reduce the time devoted to domestic work and improve mathematics scores when exposed to more female peers. No effects on language test were found for either gender. These results suggest that short peer interactions in secondary school contexts may have substantial effects on reducing gender stereotypes and change gendered behaviors among students. HIGHLIGHTS In Uruguay, higher exposure to female peers in the class leads to more progressive gender perceptions by male students. Class sex composition also reduces time devoted to domestic work and improves mathematics performance of female students. Even one-year peer interactions in secondary school may have substantial effects on increasing gender-egalitarian attitudes and behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011, Britain and France introduced affirmative action policies aiming at improving board gender mix in listed companies. While the reforms were similar in terms of target and timing, Britain opted for a 'soft law' (comply or explain) approach, while France enacted a mandatory quota. Using difference-in-differences analyses, we examine the differential impact of these two reforms on board composition and on women empowerment within boards. We first show that the quota has been associated with a more rapid adjustment of the gender mix without significant disruptive effects on board composition. However, we report that the quota has induced a more limited access of women to monitoring committees within boards, relative to soft law. As these committees are the most influential, this evidence shows that the quota came at a cost when considering within-board women's influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In health crisis, inequalities in access to and use of health care services become more evident. The objective of this study is to analyse the existence and evolution of gender inequalities in access to and use of healthcare services in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis. Methods: Retrospective cohort study using data from all individuals with a confirmed COVID-19 infection from March 2020 to March 2022 in Aragón (Spain) (390,099 cases). Health care access and use was analysed by gender for the different pandemic waves. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect of sex in health care. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition methods were performed to explain gender gaps observed. Results: The health care received throughout the COVID-19 pandemic differed between men and women. Women were admitted to hospital and intensive care units less frequently than men and their stays were shorter. Differences observed between men and women narrowed throughout the pandemic, but persisted even after adjusting for age, socioeconomic status, morbidity burden or the patient's place of residence. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics and morbidity burden could explain partially the gender inequalities found, mainly in the later phases of the pandemic, but not in the earlier waves. Conclusions: There were gender inequalities in access to and use of health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequalities were greater in the first waves of the pandemic, but did not disappear. Analysis of health crises must take into account an intersectional gender perspective to ensure equitable health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMortality among people with dependency to perform basic activities of daily living (ADL) is higher than that of non-dependent people of the same age. Understanding the evolutionary course and factors involved in non-institutionalized ADL dependency, including the influence of the family structure that supports this population, would contribute to improved health planning.MethodsA longitudinal study carried out in the ADL-dependent population of the Orcasitas neighborhood, Madrid (Spain), between June 2020, when the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown ended, and June 2023. A total of 127 patients participated in the study, 78.7% of whom were women and 21.3% were men. Risk analysis was performed via odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios (HR). Survival analysis was performed using Cox regression.ResultsA total of 54.33% of the ADL-dependent persons did not live with their adult children and 45.67% did, being associated living independently with economic capacity and the married marital status but not with the dependency level. In women, being married increased the probability of living independently of their adult children (OR = 12.632; 95% CI = 3.312–48.178). Loss of mobility (OR = 0.398; 95% CI = 0.186–0.853), economic capacity of the dependent (HR = 0.596; 95% CI = 0.459–0.774), and living independently and having better economic capacity (HR = 0.471; 95% CI = 0.234–0.935) were associated with 3-year survival. Those who lived with their adult children had a worse autonomy profile and higher mortality (HR = 1.473; 95% CI = 1.072–2.024). Not being employed, not being married, and not owning a home were significantly associated with being an essential family caregiver. Caregivers were mostly women (OR = 1.794; 95% CI = 1.011–3.182).ConclusionAmong ADL-dependent persons, economic capacity influenced the ability to living independently and affected survival after 3 years. Loss of mobility (wheelchair use) was a predictor of mortality. Social inequalities promote that adult children end up as essential family caregivers. This generates reverse dependency and maintains a vulnerability that is transmitted from generation to generation, perpetuating social and gender inequalities. Dependent parent care in this cohort maintained an archaic pattern in which the eldest daughter cared for her parents. This study made it possible to show that ADL dependence is accompanied by complex interrelationships that must be considered in socio-health planning.

This paper aims to investigate the patterns of gender inequalities in the Information and Communication (ICT) sector in European Union (EU) countries. Based on secondary data from Eurostat, a cluster analysis has been conducted to identify clusters of EU countries with various patterns of dependencies among the gender pay gap, female entrepreneurship, and employment in the ICT sector. Three clusters of EU countries have been identified with different patterns of the situation as regards women in this sector. In countries belonging to the first cluster, a higher level of gender pay gap coexists with the lowest share of female participation in the ICT sector and features the choice of entrepreneurship rather than employment. In countries of the second cluster, the lowest gender pay gap is observed together with an increase in female employment in the ICT sector as compared to the countries in the first cluster, and a higher share of employed women than entrepreneurs. In the countries of the third cluster, the moderate gender pay gap found therein is associated with the highest share of female ICT entrepreneurs, and is higher than the share of employed professionals. The discovery of the various patterns of the co-existence of the gender pay gap and women’s participation in the ICT sector reveal that the pay gap is rather the factor preventing women from entering this sector, as there is limited potential to push them towards entrepreneurship instead of paid employment. The authors’ results contribute to the theory of entrepreneurship and gender studies by investigating gender gaps in entrepreneurship and wages in the ICT sector as a primary sector.

Women researchers in postdoc career stages still do not participate to the same extent in international academic mobility as men do. As a novel approach to better understand gender inequalities in international academic mobility, we investigate the structure of research collaborations and bring into focus the host researchers. Our central theoretical tool is the distinction between compositional and behavioral homophily. Using quantitative data from two German Humboldt Foundation programs sponsoring collaborations between international researchers and academic hosts in Germany, we ask (a) to what extent are gender-homophilous research collaborations caused by compositional or behavioral homophily; (b) what factors influence gender-based homophily; and (c) whether men or women tend more towards gender-homophilous collaborations. We detected behavioral homophily in research collaborations mainly when taking the potential pool of eligible women researchers as the reference group. The results on influencing factors are ambiguous and need further investigation. Furthermore, our results show that men tended more towards gender-homophilous collaborations than women. Our results suggest that gender inequalities in international academic mobility are linked to behavioral homophily and that exploring the role of host researchers is crucial to understanding—and overcoming—the under-representation of women in international academic mobility.

How do people make decisions on where, when, and how to commute? And how did the pandemic crisis affect their commuting patterns? Based on exploratory interviews in Lima and family chronicles collected in Bogotá during 2020; and a second round of interviews in six low-income areas in the peripheries of these two cities during 2021, this article offers a panoramic view of the changes experienced in low-income neighbourhoods and their families during these recent years of pandemic. These changes bring to light the role of intra-household arrangements regarding mobility and accessibility. We suggest that mobility and accessibility can better be understood on a more systemic level (influenced by intra-household arrangements), as a collective phenomenon (based on the household’s resources and the household’s needs), and even as a collective decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various pro-cycling policies emerged around the world with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. France experimented with a €50 bike repair subsidy. Our questionnaire survey (n = 7343) focuses on beneficiaries' sociological profiles. Despite its success in quantitative terms, the repair subsidy benefited more regular cyclists—who cycle daily—and people who are confident cycling in urban areas. Women were more likely to benefit than men, and people in low-income households more than those in high-income households. Because these populations are usually underrepresented among cyclists in France, the scheme may appear to have reduced inequities in cycling. However, the scheme could have reached out more to the low-income population who were largely unaware of it. This selectivity is partly explained by awareness of the subsidy, which is lower among the younger and the less educated part of the population. Our survey shows that the scheme is selective primarily because of its design. It would have been necessary to accompany it with measures specifically designed for vulnerable groups. • Bike repair subsidy has been successful in quantitative terms. • Bike repair subsidy mainly benefited regular, confident, and women cyclists. • Low-income cyclists benefited the most although they were poorly informed. • Access to information about subsidies is itself socially selective. • Although the scheme is based on equal treatment, it can hardly be considered fair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial dialectics reveal themselves in gender relations, which reproduce and maintain gender inequalities. This article analyses meaning-making processes around the home space and masculine identities that focus on spatialized gender relations. This research was conducted in the relatively modern city of İzmir, Turkey. The study explores the negotiation of masculine identities at home. The analysis draws upon critical discursive psychology and identifies interpretative repertoires and subject positions related to men's accounts of masculine identities, practices, and roles as men at home. Two interpretative repertoires were revealed that positioned men in two contradictory but complementary roles. Men were positioned as the primary responsible person for the home's public space-related needs and as helpers for domestic chores. Moreover, the 'help' discourse was used by men, referring to modernization. Also, various discursive strategies men used to legitimise their limited contributions to domestic chores were revealed. The findings discuss what these discourses accomplish regarding masculine identities, wider power relations, and gendered social practices that maintain them. Such discourses have a substantial role in reproducing and maintaining gender inequalities in the home. Revealing these discourses is important for changing the traditional understandings of gender and everyday discursive practices since discourse and ideology produce each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]