Search Results (10)

This article examines the impact of everyday life infrastructure on well-being through the lens of feminist economics, with a specific focus on gender disparities within the European context. Combining the capability approach (CA) and subjective well-being (SWB) theory, this study introduces a gender-sensitive well-being budget indicator, the Well-being and Infrastructure by Gender Index, or just WIGI, to assess the differential impacts of public expenditures on women and men. Drawing on feminist critiques of infrastructure planning, it highlights how gendered patterns of access and use shape experiences of well-being. The literature review synthesizes recent contributions on well-being measurement, gendered capabilities, and the role of public infrastructure in supporting everyday life. The research utilizes the Benefits of Gender Equality through infrastructure Provision (BGGEIP) survey from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) from 28 EU member states in 2015 to evaluate the contribution of key public services—such as transport, childcare, and healthcare—to individual capabilities and subjective well-being outcomes. The findings underscore the importance of integrating gender-sensitive methodologies into infrastructure planning and public policy to promote social inclusion and equitable well-being outcomes. This article concludes by advocating for feminist economics-informed policies to enhance the responsiveness of public investments to the lived experiences of women and men across Europe. Full article

This paper investigates how board gender diversity (BGD) impacts information asymmetry (IA) and investment efficiency (IE), in addition to the moderating role of board gender diversity on the nexus between information asymmetry and investment efficiency in Egypt, motivated by the unclear lens and mixed evidence in the previous literature within this area, especially in developing countries. Thus, the paper followed a deductive research approach for 84 listed firms on the Egyptian Exchange from 2014 to 2023. The findings present new evidence that differs from the common findings in the literature, such as a U-shaped non-linear impact that was found regarding the impact of BGD on both IA (20.71% turning point) and IE (20.38% turning point). However, the IA shows a U-shaped non-linear effect on IE, and the incorporation of BGD as a moderator cause shifting from a (U) shape curve to an inverted (U) shape curve. Our findings from Egypt can motivate future academic research to re-examine the role of BGD from other perspectives in other countries and circumstances. In addition, this paper gives professional authorities and regulators insights into the optimal level of BGD and its critical role in corporate governance and performance, not just the benefits of increasing the diversity ratio, and can also help promote gender equality in corporate management, which can have social and economic benefits. Full article

With an avalanche of market manipulations and unethical tactics in the Australian financial industry, the empowerment levels of female Australian consumers when making financial investment decisions are highly questionable. Through the theoretical lens of a utilitarian perspective, financial investment decisions are often built on the pillars of trust, security, and assurance, which allow consumers to make decisions rationally and gain empowerment when making these decisions. However, due to the widespread manipulations prevailing in Australian financial markets, the role of rationality and its influence on consumer empowerment remain understudied. Based on this context, this paper uncovers the association between how each stage of rational decision-making (RDM) (i.e., demand identification, information search, and the evaluation of alternatives) influences the consumer power (i.e., consumer resistance and consumer influence) of female Australian consumers when making financial investment decisions. In doing so, this study employs a quantitative approach, whereby the proposed conceptual framework is tested among 357 female Australian consumers to understand their decision-making power in the presence of heightened situations of market manipulation in the financial industry. The results show that information search has a significant positive relationship with consumer influence and consumer resistance when making financial investment decisions. Additionally, the findings suggest that female Australian consumers should not only rely on individual-based sources of power but also have exposure to network-based sources of power to gain empowerment when making financial investment decisions. Lastly, it is suggested that government bodies, financial institutions, and regulatory authorities should not only implement financial literacy programs but also promote gender diversity across organisations to encourage women’s empowerment (i.e., Goal 5 (SDGs)—Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls). Full article

This scoping review explores the dynamic field of Gender Lens Investing (GLI), examining its evolution from a niche approach to its current status as a widely recognized investment strategy with the potential to contribute to sustainable development and yield social, financial, and economic benefits. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical foundations of GLI and its practical applications across public equity markets. By conducting research across four major databases, we performed a thematic analysis that identified four principal themes: Benefits and Impacts, GLI Strategies, GLI Instruments and Innovations, and Challenges and Barriers to Implementation. Key findings reveal an increased implementation of GLI in various forms and a gradual increase in publications, reflecting growing interest within academia and industry. Despite these advancements, critical gaps remain in understanding the financial and social impacts of GLI strategies and instruments. While GLI has been broadly defined and implemented, further empirical research is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of GLI in public equities and its long-term impacts. The limitations of this review include a focus on English-language publications, which might limit the comprehensiveness of the analysis. Full article

Autoimmune diseases are identified by the chronic inflammation and tissue damage resulting from unregulated immune responses throughout the body. Systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are among the 80+ characterized conditions, 80% of which are diagnosed in women. The compounded effects of biological sex and hormones; social identities, such as age, race, and gender; and other determinants on health highlight a pressing need for an inclusive approach to address disparities for women living with autoimmune diseases. Such an approach must recognize and incorporate intersectional experiences of diverse populations of women into biomedical research, clinical practice, and policy solutions. Research must prioritize inclusive designs, data collection, and representation of women in clinical studies. Clinical care must focus on developing guidelines and promoting patient–provider interactions that meet a range of demographic needs. Health care policies must support financial investments in research and equitable access to care. This review provides an overview of the impacts of autoimmune diseases on women’s health through an intersectional lens, identifies persistent gaps in addressing the unique needs of women, and proposes recommendations for a comprehensive, equity-focused approach to mitigate disparities and better serve all women at risk for or living with autoimmune diseases. Full article

The rising incidence of youth unemployment, especially in emerging economies, calls for prompt attention of development experts and policy makers given its effect on sustainable growth. This challenge has worsened in recent times in Nigeria, hence, making it crucial to understand the factors driving youth employment. We analyzed the differential impact of sectoral growth on youth employment across rural and urban areas through a gender lens and identified the specific conditions needed for investment in sectors with potentials for job creation in the Nigerian economy. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, revealed comparative advantage (RCA), employment elasticity, and Logit regression model. It was observed that Nigeria has demonstrated a comparative advantage in the export of 17 products. Our findings also revealed that all the economic sectors in Nigeria have potential for creating employment at different levels with financial services contributing the highest (0.734) and manufacturing the lowest (0.056). The increase in education influenced employment and a higher likelihood of male youths’ employment in the services, construction, and industry sectors as compared to more female youths in the trade sector. Some common conditions that could aid firms’ production scale-up and increase job creation across all sectors include: increased access to finance, improved infrastructure (road, water, air, power, and rail), and favorable interest rates and exchange rates. We recommend that concerted effort be targeted at mainstreaming gender in all sectoral policies and key sectors be strengthened through targeted welfare reforms aimed at enhancing the capacities of the youths for sectoral relevance. Full article

Women entrepreneurship has attracted the attention of academics and practitioners with a large body of research studies in recent years. Past literature reviews on women entrepreneurship have been criticized for their limited scope, lack of interdisciplinary perspective, and the need for more objective, technology-facilitated analytical methods. Our study provides insights into the development of women entrepreneurship research, including a new analysis through the lens of sustainable development and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bibliometric indicators and a systematic literature review approach are used to analyze literature published between 1991 and 2021 to better map the development of research and related opportunities for enhancing studies on women entrepreneurship. In addition to traditional bibliometric indicators such as publications, citations, etc., we used altmetrics, a new metric to assess the engagement and impact of publications based on social media presence. The Dimensions database has been used to assemble and arrange 3157 publications on women entrepreneurship, of which 843 publications are directly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and 80 publications related to COVID-19. Our findings indicate that the top three SDG of interest to researchers are: SDG 8, decent work and economic growth; SDG 10, reducing inequalities; and SDG 5, gender equality. Within each SDG, we find concentrated studies on themes relating to the socio-political and small-medium enterprises, including family business management and gender biases, and their implications for sustainable development. Further, studies on the impact of COVID-19 reveal a significant bias towards women’s empowerment in ICT, digitization, and e-commerce while exposing the need for gender-moderated policies and governmental interventions. We offer suggestions for future studies on enabling and measuring the contributions of women’s entrepreneurship to sustainable development, including capital investments and the long-term impacts of the pandemic on women-led enterprises. Full article

A computer science degree is seen as a good investment, given the lucrative calling of Silicon Valley and the ever-growing demand for software engineers. Yet, it is unclear whether all computer science degree holders fare equally well on the job market. This study explores how the routing of computer science (CS) students to specific educational geographies plays a major role in determining their career trajectories post-graduation. Using a new survey for recent computer science graduates of three public universities in Texas, I measure labor market outcomes for CS degree holders along three metrics: salary, job location, and job title. Results from 157 respondents show that alumni from universities near a major tech hub are more likely to earn higher wages in desirable job markets compared with graduates from a university located far from a dense tech hub. Although most previous studies have focused on gender and racial disparities within the high-tech industry, I provide a new lens to understand how inequality manifests through geographic segregation and leaves even high-skilled job seekers vulnerable to spatial mismatch between their place of residence and proximity to desirable, elite jobs. Full article

For many family farms, migration is one strategy for reducing poverty and vulnerability to both natural hazards and economic risk. While more men typically migrate to work, the implications of this on the household are inconclusive, especially for the women who remain on the farms. This study employs a gender lens to examine the effects of economically driven migration on household decision-making, farm labor and disaster risk reduction, focusing on two disaster-prone regions with high poverty rates in Vietnam: Dien Bien (Northwest) and Ha Tinh (North Central Coast) provinces. Surveys of 228 households with at least one migrant worker showed a new generation of young male and female migrants, and that men over 30 years of age migrated for longer periods and more frequently than their spouses. Intrahousehold impacts differed according to risk strategies. In areas with a lower-risk coping strategy (Dien Bien), seasonal jobs coincided with periods of less intense farming activities. During the absence of male family members, women temporarily made more domestic decisions. In areas with a higher-risk adaptation strategy (Ha Tinh), farming was planned for longer absences; thus decisions remained largely unchanged. Remittances invested into agriculture contributed to shortening the recovery period after disasters and, in some cases, diversifying farming systems. The migrant’s absence was offset by relatives and neighbors as essential labor reserves. New resilient farming systems need to be disaster proof, gender-sensitive and free up labor. Full article

Through the lens of structural violence, Black feminism and critical family history, this paper explores how societal structures informed by white supremacy shaped the lives of three generations of rural African American women in a family in Florida during the middle to the late twentieth century. Specifically, this study investigates how disparate funding, segregation, desegregation, poverty and post-desegregation policies shaped and limited the achievement trajectories among these women. Further, an oral historical examination of their lives reveals the strategies they employed despite their under-resourced and sometimes alienating schooling. The paper highlights the experiences of the Newman family, descendants of captive Africans in the United States that produced three college-educated daughters and a granddaughter despite structural barriers that threatened their progress. Using oral history interviews, archival resources and first-person accounts, this family’s story reveals a genealogy of educational achievement, barriers and agency despite racial and gendered limitations in a Southern town. The findings imply that their schooling mirrors many of the barriers that other Blacks face. However, this study shows that community investment in African American children, plus teachers that affirm students, and programs such as Upward Bound, help to advance Black students in marginalized communities. Further, these women’s lives suggest that school curriculums need to be anti-racist and public policies that affirm each person regardless of the color of their skin. A simple solution that requires the structural violence of whiteness be eliminated from the schooling spheres. Full article