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Journals
Societies
Special Issues
The Mobilization of Social Justice and Gender Equality
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The Mobilization of Social Justice and Gender Equality

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 2055

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ada L. Sinacore

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
Interests: counselling psychology; educational and organizational consultation; qualitative research methods; LGBTQ+; sexual violence; bullying (school and workplace); human rights psychology; career psychology; social justice theory and pedagogy; feminist/multicultural counselling psychology; international psychology; equity diversity and inclusion; school-based consultation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The intersections of social justice and gender equity are at the forefront of many political, academic, and social discussions. Oftentimes, social justice is portrayed as a single idea without considering numerous social justice theories (e.g., distributive, interactional, restorative, procedural, and transitional) and acknowledging that gender transcends the man/woman binary.

Thus, this Special Issue will apply an intersectional lens to explore how social justice theories can be used to understand the realities of women, girls, and gender diverse individuals. It aims to unpack the social norms that result in gender inequities by analyzing the intersections of gender with societal and social factors such as class, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, cultural heritage, religion, and more.

Specifically, using social justice and intersectionality as a lens, the articles in this Special Issue will explore how political, societal, economic, and institutional injustices give rise to gender-based in inequities, often resulting in harm. The articles will highlight how power imbalances limit the wellbeing of women, girls, and gender diverse individuals and how these imbalances result in negative social, physical, and psychological outcomes such as poverty, food insecurity, trauma, and other issues. The goal of this Special Issue is to address the multitude of factors that result in gender inequities.

Contributions should fall into one of the journal’s three categories of papers (article, conceptual paper, or review) and address the theme of the Special Issue.

Dr. Ada L. Sinacore
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gender equity
  • social justice
  • sexual violence
  • lesbian
  • trans and gender diversity
  • distributive justice
  • economic disparities
  • aging and ageism
  • women and girls

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 4193 KB  
Article
Operationalizing Symbolic Violence to Advance Gender Equality: Women’s Mobility and Everyday Injustices in Public Transport in Mexico
by Lorena Suárez Alvarez, José M. Álvarez-Alvarado, Avatar Flores Gutiérrez and Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz
Societies 2026, 16(4), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16040105 - 25 Mar 2026
Viewed by 740
Abstract
Gender-based violence in public transportation is a global phenomenon that restricts women’s rights and autonomy. Most of the documentation relies on harassment and physical aggression, but the subtle internalized mechanisms that reproduce gender inequities remain insufficiently analyzed. This study involves the concept of [...] Read more.
Gender-based violence in public transportation is a global phenomenon that restricts women’s rights and autonomy. Most of the documentation relies on harassment and physical aggression, but the subtle internalized mechanisms that reproduce gender inequities remain insufficiently analyzed. This study involves the concept of symbolic violence as an analytical category to unveil how resignation and normalization of violence perpetuate gender power relations and limit women’s mobility. A cross-sectional survey of 263 women aged 15–60 was conducted in Querétaro, Mexico, a rapidly growing city with significant mobility challenges. The questionnaire included items on perceptions of safety, violent experiences, responses to acts of violence, and prevention strategies. An inductive–abductive analysis was implemented to construct empirical indicators derived from Bordieu’s concept of symbolic violence and habitus. Findings reveal that fear, avoidance, and self-regulation are normalized responses to violence in public transport. Women implement strategies such as changing routes, limiting night travel, or increasing their expenses to access safer options. Six empirical indicators were identified: perceived insecurity as normality, resignation to harassment, bodily and emotional self-regulation, preventive reorganization of mobility, personal costs of safety, and collective inaction. In conclusion, the study demonstrates how symbolic violence operates through behaviors, actions, perceptions, and thoughts that reproduce inequities. Operationalizing symbolic violence provides a methodological and conceptual tool to advance gender equality and inform gender-sensitive mobility policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Mobilization of Social Justice and Gender Equality)
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19 pages, 3168 KB  
Article
Ghanaian Girls’ Lives Beyond the Frame: Using Photovoice to Disrupt the Single Story of African Girlhood
by Erica B. Edwards and Manasseh Cudjoe
Societies 2026, 16(3), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16030095 - 17 Mar 2026
Viewed by 720
Abstract
Academic literature often frames African girls through a lens of sexual and reproductive vulnerability, with limited attention to their self-defined experiences. This study used photovoice methodology to explore how Ghanaian girls living in Nima, a neighborhood in Accra, represent their lives. Drawing on [...] Read more.
Academic literature often frames African girls through a lens of sexual and reproductive vulnerability, with limited attention to their self-defined experiences. This study used photovoice methodology to explore how Ghanaian girls living in Nima, a neighborhood in Accra, represent their lives. Drawing on Afro-feminism and Black Girlhood Studies, the study engaged six girls in a participatory process of documenting perceptions of their lives through photographs, artists’ statements, and interviews. Thematic analysis of their visual and narrative data produced a counternarrative of girls’ lives in Nima, offering a multifaceted vision emphasizing intergenerational bonds between women and girls, and national, cultural, and spiritual pride. By centering Ghanaian girls’ voices, this study calls for a reimagining of how African girlhood is represented in social research. It affirms youth-voice knowledge production as vital to more just and accurate scholarship. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Mobilization of Social Justice and Gender Equality)
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