SDG 05: Gender Equalityy

SDG 05: Gender Equality Dynamic Briefing Generated 04 October 2020 for Marco Antonio Gonzalez

SDG 05: Gender Equality Last review on Tue 03 September 2019

About This dynamic briefing draws on the collective intelligence of the Forum network to explore the key trends, interconnections and interdependencies between industry, regional and global issues. In the briefing, you will find a visual representation of this topic (Transformation Map – interactive version available online via intelligence.weforum.org ), an overview and the key trends affecting it, along with summaries and links to the latest research and analysis on each of the trends. Briefings for countries also include the relevant data from the Forum’s benchmarking indices. The content is continuously updated with the latest thinking of leaders and experts from across the Forum network, and with insights from Forum meetings, projects communities and activities.

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Executive summary This Transformation Map provides a contextual briefing for one of the Sustainable Development Goals the United Nations’ framework for making real progress towards a more sustainable future by the year 2030 - by mapping related strategic issues and interdependencies. The content, including attached key issue headings and texts, is drawn from expert- and machine-curated knowledge on the World Economic Forum’s Strategic Intelligence platform; it is not a reproduction of the official text of the SDG. The UN introduces this Goal as follows: 'While the world has achieved progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment under the Millennium Development Goals (including equal access to primary education between girls and boys), women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence in every part of the world. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Unfortunately, at the current time, 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15-49 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period and 49 countries currently have no laws protecting women from domestic violence. Progress is occurring regarding harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), which has declined by 30% in the past decade, but there is still much work to be done to complete eliminate such practices. Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large. Implementing new legal frameworks regarding female equality in the workplace and the eradication of harmful practices targeted at women is crucial to ending the gender-based discrimination prevalent in many countries around the world.'

1. Gender Dynamics of Future Jobs Industries could benefit from a better gender balance among employees, including among senior leaders.

2. Inclusive Work Practices Stamping out inequality can help economies make the best use of their talent.

3. Education Gender Gaps Women continue to be under-represented among science, technology, engineering, and math graduates.

4. The Case for Gender Parity Improving gender parity can reduce infant mortality and boost labour participation rates.

5. Balance of Care and Careers Innovative care-related policies are bringing more women into the workforce.

6. Gender Norms and Roles Religion, and misperceptions about religion, can complicate efforts to promote women’s empowerment.

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Gender Dynamics of Future Jobs Industries could benefit from a better gender balance among employees, including among senior leaders As the Fourth Industrial Revolution takes hold, it will affect female and male workers in distinct ways. Adequately preparing to adapt to related, disruptive changes will include tackling gender gaps - which could in turn unlock new growth opportunities for companies. Household work, for example, could be further automated, and relieve some of the current dual burden for working women. Changes to what have traditionally been men’s roles are also likely to reshape the division of labour at home, and a more holistic approach could be taken to workforce planning. Harnessed in the right way, new, more flexible work patterns and other trends could in theory result in a more gender-balanced workplace. However, there is a real risk that disruptive change impacting business models, and generating a labour market where jobs are being displaced, could actually worsen existing gender inequalities.

The World Economic Forum’s 2018 edition of its report The Future of Jobs found that gender parity is one of the top trends driving growth in industries including mining and metals, and oil and gas. The oil and gas industry in particular has suffered from a serious gender imbalance in both its junior and senior ranks. According to a report published by the consultancy BCG in collaboration with the World Petroleum Council in 2017, women represent roughly one fifth of the industry’s workforce, which is a significantly smaller share than any other sector, and women have a very limited presence in both technical roles (often considered prerequisites for career advancement) and in senior management. In 2018, Bloomberg Businessweek published data showing that among 157 publicly-traded oil and gas companies in North America and western Europe, three had female CEOs, and 12 had female CFOs. Other sectors with high gender imbalances include architecture and engineering, and manufacturing and production. The technology industry, which has enjoyed tremendous growth and is often perceived as forward-looking, is also home to significant gender imbalances. According to data published by the World Economic Forum in 2017, both Microsoft and Google had total workforces that were less than one third female, while women held 24% of the leadership roles at Google, and 18% of the leadership roles at Microsoft.

Facebook and Twitter, which were founded more recently, also had imbalances; 30% of the leadership roles at Twitter were held by women, and the figure was 27% for Facebook.

Related insight areas: Digital Economy and New Value Creation, Corporate Governance, Mining and Metals, Future of Computing, Oil and Gas, Fourth Industrial Revolution, Workforce and Employment, Artificial Intelligence

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MIT Sloan Management Review

Book Review: Data Feminism by Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein

Diversity in AI: The Invisible Men and Women | Ayanna Howard and Charles Isbell

04 October 2020

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This review originally appeared on LSE Review of Books. If you would like to contribute to the series, please contact the managing editor of LSE Review of Books, Dr Rosemary Deller, at lsereviewofbooks@lse.ac.uk In Data Feminism, Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein use an intersectional feminist lens to examine unequal power structures in the realm of data, and … Continued.

In June, a crisis erupted in the artificial intelligence world.

Conversation on Twitter exploded after a new tool for creating realistic, high-resolution images of people from pixelated photos showed its racial bias , turning a pixelated yet recognizable photo of former President Barack Obama into a high-resolution photo of a white man . Researchers soon posted images of other famous Black, Asian, and Indian people, and other people of color, being turned white.

London School of Economics and Political Science

For academic publishing to be transinclusive, authors must be allowed to retroactively change their names

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Governors' Seminar: Developing Asia beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

30 September 2020

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Many trans researchers change their name to match their gender identity. However, there is currently no clear, simple or standardised way for publications to be updated to reflect this. As a result, many trans authors are caught between losing their publication record and involuntarily being outed. Lilian Hunt explains the existing name change policies and outlines experiences … Continued.

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COVID-19 and its economic toll on women: The story behind the numbers 16 September 2020 While everyone is facing unprecedented challenges, women are bearing the brunt of the economic and social fallout of COVID-19. Here’s how COVID-19 is rolling back on women’s economic gains of past decades, unless we act now, and act deliberately.

Rocky Mountain Institute

Four Lessons from RBG for the Climate Fight 24 September 2020

Center for Global Development Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a hero. The obituaries have focused on her legacy as a feminist icon, her singular determination, her deep humanity, and her profound common sense. These traits were exemplified by her famous dissents—equal parts restrained and biting— against... Read More The post Four Lessons from RBG for the Climate Fight appeared first on Rocky Mountain Institute .

We Need All Hands On Deck to Close Gender Pay Gaps 16 September 2020 September 18 marks the world’s first International Equal Pay Day . To that end, CGD and colleagues have prepared a joint policy memo that identifies roles for government and the private sector in closing gender pay gaps. Explore the recs >>.

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Inclusive Work Practices Stamping out inequality can help economies make the best use of their talent Women have made great strides in terms of their professional lives. But they are still underrepresented in leadership positions, the gender pay gap persists, and too often they are marginalized within industries and across labour markets. Gender equality will only be achieved when both sexes are able to access and enjoy the same rewards, resources, and opportunities. Many studies have highlighted the statistically significant relationship between companies that have women in their upper ranks, and companies with positive financial performance. In addition, women’s active political leadership and women’s broader economic participation are correlated. In general, women’s greater engagement fosters greater credibility for institutions, and more active participation in public life, as noted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in a 2014 analysis. Gender-related power imbalances and safety issues in the workplace have gained increased visibility recently, with revelations of sexual harassment and abuse in several areas of public and professional life, and with the related #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.

Increasingly, there are calls to convert this momentum into tangible change in the workplace.

Related insight areas: Human Rights, Innovation, Systemic Racism, Workforce and Employment, Arts and Culture, Education and Skills, Future of Economic Progress, Fourth Industrial Revolution, Values, Ageing, Entrepreneurship

Companies can commit to related action, embed best practices, and scale up strong initiatives in a number of ways. As described in the World Economic Forum’s 2017 report Accelerating Gender Parity: A Toolkit, they can obtain high-level buy in by clearly communicating the rationale for gender parity, understanding their specific gender gaps, acknowledging bias, and setting targets to monitor change. Best practices to address the pay gap can include establishing an evolution of performance reviews, women’s sponsoring of other women, eliminating sexual harassment, and training managers to lead diverse teams.

Meanwhile effective support for work-life balance can involve providing parental leave allowances that are systematically and consistently implemented, and by expanding leave policy to non-parents. The advent of new strategies, budgets, and structures always has the potential to damage hard-won parity achievements organizations. Leaders should therefore consider any new policy and program through a gender lens, in order to ensure consistent progress. While improving workplace practices may require significant effort in the short-term, the subsequent, long-term expansion of opportunities for women can transform company performance. This is particularly critical now, in light of the technology developments associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution that are impacting businesses; maintaining diversity will be essential to sufficiently foster related innovation, and manage change.

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SpringerOpen

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17 September 2020 Older women are more exposed to social isolation and economic exclusion – but this can be changed earlier in their lives.

There is rising attention in Italy and Europe to the occurrence, consequences, and factors related to sexual violence. The focus on women as the primary victims of sexual violence has, however, left data colle...

South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)

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Brookings

What types of interventions promote women’s entrepreneurship?

27 September 2020

16 September 2020

Women remain under-represented in energy value chains, and this is true also for the Africa region.

While COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way we all live and work, the pandemic has not affected all equally. It has brought to light existing disparities in both our health and economic systems. Women and people of color are more likely to be essential workers —with a higher share of employment in health care, social work, and grocery—putting them at greater risk of exposure.

Ana Revenga Nonresident Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development.

Observer Research Foundation

Harnessing the Demographic Dividend | CNED Development Dialogues 23 September 2020 The sixth episode of CNED Development Dialogues explores the development challenges behind harnessing the potential of the youth. It also reviews the impact of entrepreneurship and skill-development initiatives in the BIMSTEC region, particularly with respect to Bangladesh.

The conversation is between Aditi Ratho and Mr. Taufiq Zaman, Founder and CEO of Casper Foundation, Bangladesh.

World Resources Institute

Rural Women Must Be at the Heart of COVID-19 Response and Recovery 21 September 2020 Emerging evidence from this pandemic and experience from previous disease outbreaks show that it’s rural _women_ who will disproportionately bear the socioeconomic hardships of COVID-19.

The World Bank

Unlocking digital opportunities for women 19 September 2020 How one entrepreneur is helping women unlock digital opportunities.

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Education Gender Gaps Women continue to be under-represented among science, technology, engineering, and math graduates The development and deployment of female “human capital” (a way of describing the knowledge, creativity, and other measures of a worker’s value) is a critical element of global economic growth. As successive generations of educated women now enter the workforce, economies can only fully utilize their talent if there is a corresponding narrowing of the economic gender gap, or the nagging difference between women and men when it comes to making an economic impact. Progress made in addressing the education gender gap could set the pace for the erasing this disparity.

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report, young women and men entering the labour force around the world have nearly identical educational qualifications, with some regional variation.

There is near parity in terms of participating in primary and secondary education, for example, though there is a 7% gap when it comes to participation in tertiary (such as a university or technical training) education. According to the report, on a country-by-country basis, primary education gaps have been closed in 67 countries, secondary education gaps have been closed in 101, and tertiary education gaps have been closed in 93.

Related insight areas: Social Innovation, Behavioural Sciences, Youth Perspectives, Education and Skills, Human Rights, Fourth Industrial Revolution, Workforce and Employment, Values

However, girls comprise a marginally larger proportion of children (under the age of 15) not attending school, according to the report, and a much larger proportion of youth (older than 15) not attending school - 23% of girls, compared with 15% of boys. Among women and men who are over the age of 25 and already in the workforce, the educational gender gap is even bigger: 11% for primary education attainment, 17% for secondary education, and 14% for tertiary. However, gaps have narrowed significantly among those currently enrolled in education, which should be reflected in the composition of the future global workforce. An important point raised in the Forum’s report is that the core, post-secondary disciplines where women continue to remain under-represented are in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, fields.

Just 6% of women study engineering, construction and manufacturing, compared with 19% of men, for example, while 3% of women study information, communication, and technology, compared with 6.5% of men. This discrepancy is commonly attributed to negative stereotypes, a lack of role models, and hostile work environments. It is a key gender parity issue, as STEM-related careers will likely be among the most sought-after as the Fourth Industrial Revolution progresses.

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Latest knowledge LSE Business Review

London School of Economics and Political Science

How firms can encourage courageous conversations about racism in the workplace

Women with No Women’s Rights in Turkey 17 September 2020

01 October 2020

As Turkey plans to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the ‘Istanbul Convention’), Gursimran Bakshi details the current climate in which women are fighting for their rights, faced by a state unwillingness to protest against and prevent gender-based violence.

When black women were asked where they are most likely to experience racism the top answer was work. No company or country can say that they do not have a problem with racism. Organisations must tackle discrimination in the workplace, rooting out systemic racism, and accelerate gender and racial equity. The global outpouring since the terrible murder of George Floyd […].

Brookings

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Big Think

3 cognitive biases perpetuating racism at work — and how to overcome them

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26 September 2020

The history books will also record that 2020 marked 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment in America, intended to guarantee a vote for all women, not denied or abridged on the basis of sex.

Books about race and anti-racism have dominated bestseller lists in the past few months, bringing to prominence authors including Ibram Kendi, Ijeoma Oluo, Reni Eddo-Lodge, and Robin DiAngelo. Sales of these books increased by up to 6,800% in the aftermath of global protests against racial injustice, according to Forbes, showing the role such work plays in raising awareness and leading to a cultural reckoning.

Brookings

The power of investing in girls in Sierra Leone 15 September 2020 Since 2010, Sierra Leone has prohibited pregnant girls and teenage mothers from attending school. On March 30, 2020, following a judgment by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States, Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio and Education Minister David Moinina Sengeh announced the end of the 10-year ban. This decision is a major step forward to ensure that girls have the same educational opportunities as boys. It builds on other policies to facilitate access to education, including the Free Quality School Education Program announced by President Bio in August 2018. Yet more remains to be done.

World Economic Forum

Layoffs destroy lives and damage companies. Business leaders can change that through AI-powered outskilling 22 September 2020 All business leaders must grapple with the fact that layoffs may increase in the coming years - and it’s up to them to take care of people and prepare companies for an uncertain future.

Project Syndicate

Celebrating 75 Years of the United Nations 21 September 2020 The UN embodies the best of humanity – the belief that all people deserve basic dignity, and that working together is the only way to deliver it. Seventy-five years after its birth, the world – beginning with the United States – must revive that belief, and recommit to the multilateralism that it demands.

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The Case for Gender Parity Improving gender parity can reduce infant mortality and boost labour participation rates While the economic case for gender parity has been made again and again since the release of the first edition of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report in 2006, more attention must be paid to the issue - in order to ensure adequate, wide-scale support for addressing inequalities. There is a clear, values-based case for promoting gender parity: women make up half of the world’s population and deserve equal access to health, education, earning potential and economic participation, as well as to political decision-making. Gender parity is a fundamental part of thriving societies, and increased gender parity in education can lower infant and child mortality rates, increase labour force participation and earnings, and foster greater investment in children’s education. Meanwhile in the political sphere, women’s engagement in public life has been proven to have a broad, positive impact on social inequality. In an effort to determine the most pressing gender-related issues that need to be addressed, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development distributed questionnaires in 2016. The following year, the OECD published the results; the most commonly-selected issue was violence against women, which, the OECD noted, remains a pandemic, as an estimated 35% of all women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence, or non-partner sexual violence.

Related insight areas: Innovation, Systemic Racism, Geoeconomics, Agile Governance, Development Finance, Values, Family Businesses, Education and Skills, Civic Participation, Global Health, Future of Economic Progress

According to the OECD, the second-most-commonly selected issue in the questionnaire was women being paid less than men for the same work. As highlighted in the Forum’s 2017 edition of the Global Gender Gap Report, ensuring the full participation of half of the world’s talent pool affects the economic growth, competitiveness, and future-readiness of businesses and entire economies.

According to PwC’s Women in Work Index 2017, achieving economic gender parity could add an additional $250 billion to the United Kingdom’s GDP, $1.75 billion to that of the US, $320 billion to that of Japan, and $310 billion to the GDP of Germany. China, meanwhile, could add $2.5 trillion to its GDP by 2020 by closing its gender gap, according to a report published by McKinsey & Company in 2015. For business leaders, addressing barriers to gender equality can unlock new opportunities. In the Forum’s 2016 Future of Jobs survey, for example, business leaders reported that addressing parity issues within their workforces could better match the changing gender composition of their customer base, and therefore enhance corporate decision-making and innovation.

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Latest knowledge Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania - Knowledge@Wharton

ReliefWeb

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29 September 2020 On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was formally notified about a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, home to 11 million people and the cultural and economic hub of central China. By 5 January, there were 59 known cases and none had been fatal. Ten days later, there were 282 confirmed cases, of which four were in Japan, South Korea and Thailand and there had been six deaths in Wuhan. The virus responsible was isolated on 7 January and its genome shared on 12 January. The cause of the severe acute respiratory syndrome that became known as COVID‐19 was a novel coronavirus, SARS‐CoV‐2.

A high number of working mothers are leaving their jobs during the pandemic, which is exacerbating gender inequality. Solving the problem starts with better policies to support them, Wharton’s Janice Bellace says.

London School of Economics and Political Science

Shifting norms on gender and leadership: are ambitious women punished in politics?

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Mastectomies have been performed for over 500 years – yet we still can't talk about them 17 September 2020

London School of Economics and Political Science

In the middle of the 17th century, Mrs Townsend found a lump in her breast. Diagnosed with breast cancer by a local physician, she underwent a mastectomy without anaesthetic – an agonising procedure. Her bravery impressed the male surgeons who had gathered to watch the operation. One commented that he “had read that women would endure more than men, but did not believe it ‘til now”. They stayed in town for several days to inspect her wound and see how it was healing.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death casts a shadow on the 2020 election—but nowhere more than on the Supreme Court itself 23 September 2020 Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away last week, with the public narrative quickly shifting away from a remembrance of her legacy to how the political battle over her replacement would affect the presidential election. Lauren C. Bell reflects on the important legacy of an ‘unlikely icon’, and how Ginsburg’s death has placed the US Supreme Court at the […].

Brookings

What works for women microentrepreneurs?

16 September 2020

United Nations Environment

Around the globe, women participate less in paid economic activities than men. The gender gap in labor force participation is around 14 percent in the median OECD country, 26 percent in the median middle-income country, and 13 percent in the median low-income country. When women do participate, they are often conscribed to different, lower-paying jobs and sectors.

This is true whether we focus on wage jobs, on farming, or on entrepreneurship.

Streaming a message: Flipflopi to sail across Lake Victoria in another historic journey 22 September 2020 The Flipflopi, the world’s first sailing boat (dhow) made entirely from plastic waste collected from towns and beaches in Kenya, is headed to Lake Victoria to raise awareness of the pollution plaguing the region’s most critical freshwater ecosystem Along with the initiative is a petition calling on all East African Community Member States to reach a regional consensus on banning nonessential single-use plastics The….

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Balance of Care and Careers Innovative care-related policies are bringing more women into the workforce In many societies, even as women have entered the labour force, they have also retained primary responsibility for unpaid work such as family care-giving and household chores. In this way, gender gaps in terms of paid work are partly a reflection of gender gaps in unpaid work. In advanced economies, men do just 34% of the unpaid work that women do, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization data show that this imbalance starts early, with girls spending 30% more of their time on unpaid work than boys. On average, women work 50 minutes more per day than men, in terms of both paid and unpaid work combined, according to the data. There is growing interest in better facilitating women’s integration into the workforce. According to a report published by the OECD in 2017, a number of countries have sought to increase fathers’ care-giving workload, such as the Czech Republic and Turkey, which in recent years have introduced statutory, paid paternity leave, while ten OECD member countries have begun offering financial incentives in order to encourage fathers to take parental leave for at least two months; South Korea offers as much as 100% wage replacement for three “daddy months,” according to the report.

Other care-related policies have included financial arrangements to facilitate care for elderly relatives, family benefits and other subsidies, career breaks, remote work programs, and flexible and reduced hours - in addition to services like home care for the elderly, and nursery care for small children. Such practices often represent long-term public and private investments, though they have the potential to generate strong social and economic returns.

They can also produce sizeable spill-over effects. According to the International Trade Union Confederation’s 2016 report Investing in the Care Economy, if 2% of a country’s GDP were to be invested in its care industry, there would be corresponding increases in overall employment that range from 2.4% to 6.1%, depending on the location. This would equate to nearly 13 million new jobs in the US, 3.5 million new jobs in Japan, nearly 2 million in Germany, 1.5 million in the United Kingdom, and 1 million in Italy.

Related insight areas: Values, Ageing, Global Health, Behavioural Sciences, Public Finance and Social Protection, Civic Participation, Role of Religion

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Latest knowledge Brookings

Center for Global Development

Saudi Arabia’s current state of affairs

Donor Financing for Gender Equality: Spending with Confusing Receipts

28 September 2020

18 September 2020 The United States is in a fundamentally different and new relationship with Saudi Arabia today than anything it has seen in the last 75 years. Saudi Arabia as embarked on a series of foreign policies which are reckless and inimical to America's vital interests in the Middle East and the world.

Preliminary findings from the Gender Financing Project, a joint initiative by Friends of Publish What You Fund and Publish What You Fund sheds light on how donors are spending on global gender equality—and what we still don’t know based on available data.

LSE Business Review

Center for Global Development

Why male executives should not be praised for taking paternity leave

Closing Gender Pay Gaps 16 September 2020

25 September 2020 We convened a virtual roundtable to discuss how public and private sector actors can better understand and work together to narrow gender gaps in pay. To operationalize recommendations raised during the discussion, here we present 6 actions for governments that draw on principles of openness and 6 actions for businesses to champion.

Recently, I announced that my wife and I are expecting, and that I’ll be taking the full 12 weeks of paternity leave offered by my company, G2.com. I wasn’t prepared for the kinds of responses that would come rushing in.

Through social media, emails, texts, and phone calls, I’ve been getting much more than congratulations. I’ve been praised, and even […].

Brookings

Education’s role in building back better for the planet

VoxEU

The shecession (she-recession) of 2020: Causes and consequences

15 September 2020

22 September 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that we live in a socio-ecological system in which our human systems are deeply interconnected with our natural systems. Yet our education systems do not educate us to recognize, respect, or nurture this interdependency.

Unlike any other modern recession, the downturn triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic has created larger employment losses for women than for men. Based on data from all US recessions since 1949, this column shows that the 2020 recession deviates most sharply from the historical norm in its disparate gender impact. The fact that job losses are much higher for women not only matters for gender equality, but will also reduce families’ ability to offset income losses, producing a deeper and more persistent recession.

World Economic Forum

Businesses must take the lead in renewing global cooperation. Here's how 21 September 2020 A new statement from the UN, signed by over 1,000 CEOs, calls on businesses around the world to lead the way in strengthening international cooperation.

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Gender Norms and Roles Religion, and misperceptions about religion, can complicate efforts to promote women’s empowerment The intersection of gender and religion can be controversial.

While religion is often viewed as a source of traditional, “backward� attitudes related to gender, the reality is more complex. In the development sector, for example, the diverse perspectives on gender among various religious institutions run the gamut from the ultraconservative that seek the preservation of (or return to) ancient traditions and teachings on gender relations, to radical visions of new gender dynamics and relationships for the future. In many religious traditions, women often have more influence on religious practices and gender-related standards than is generally recognized. In addition, many religiously-affiliated development and humanitarian organizations are seeking to aid women's empowerment by focusing particular attention on women and girls, and by engaging in efforts to increase female access to education, employment, healthcare, and political and business decision-making. This area of work, however, poses challenges - as the role of religion in shaping gender roles is often viewed with suspicion by secular actors.

Outside of the development world, the relationship between secularism, democracy, religion, and gender equality is similarly complex and contested, especially in Western countries. In Europe, for example, support for gender equality and the rejection of religious authority have become common markers of identity for many people. Under these conditions, everyone is pressured to demonstrate a certain level of conformity to liberal values in order to become legitimate, recognized members of national communities.

Muslim women in particular are caught in the crosshairs of these European identity politics. They are assumed to be victims of patriarchy, expected to embrace Western gender roles and dress, and, perhaps most ironically, are often silenced and deprived of influence by the very feminists who purport to defend them. Narratives regarding the relationship of religion to gender and sexuality are further complicated by the fact that many women with religious identities have also become leaders in peacebuilding organizations (such as the Liberian Women in Peacebuilding Network, which brought Muslim and Christian women together to advocate for peace) and LGBTI advocacy groups - though these roles tend to be highly nuanced.

Related insight areas: Global Health, European Union, Human Rights, Gender Parity, Justice and Law, Corporate Governance, Values

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Latest knowledge International Crisis Group

London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Watch List 2020 – Autumn Update

Making Use of Moral and Social Capital: faith communities and climate finance

30 September 2020 Every year Crisis Group publishes two additional Watch List updates that complement its annual Watch List for the EU, most recently published in January and May 2020. These publications identify major crises and conflict situations where the European Union and its member states can generate stronger prospects for peace. The Autumn Update of the Watch List 2020 includes entries on Afghanistan, Colombia, Kosovo-Serbia, Lebanon and Somalia.

15 September 2020 What role might faith communities play in global system change, both in the strategic use of their capital assets and their moral and social capital? .

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The Smuggler Wore a Veil: Women in Algeria’s Illicit Border Trade

The Diplomat

14 September 2020

Seeking a Viable Alternative to Indonesia’s Blasphemy Laws

The Algerian-Tunisian border is a known hotspot for smuggling gasoline and other goods such as auto parts, electronics, copper, and livestock. In fact, smuggling has emerged as an integral part of Algeria’s economic and security development . While it is true that taking contraband across the border continues to be a “man’s business,” it is now an allure for women as well. In recent years, women in particular have carved out a niche in this illegal trade. This may come as a surprise, given the prevailing gender norms in Algeria.

22 September 2020 As a self-proclaimed model of how democracy and Islam can flourish hand-in-hand, Indonesia’s exemplary role in the protection of religious minorities remains to be seen.

When it comes to freedom of religion or belief, the enforcement of Indonesia’s 1965 Blasphemy Law has posed a number of challenges. The law has been applied in a discriminatory manner and is often weaponized against political opponents. The law has also triggered mob violence, vigilante attacks, and even death threats against persons accused of blasphemy.

Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

TEDx: Religious Freedom by the Numbers

International Crisis Group

14 September 2020

How to Defuse Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean 21 September 2020 Greece and Turkey have stepped back from the brink of military confrontation over gas exploration in disputed waters in the Mediterranean Sea. But trouble still looms.

European leaders should welcome signs of conciliation from Athens and Ankara and nudge them toward talks.

LSE Business Review

The great demographic reversal and what it means for the economy 18 September 2020 The rise of China to the status of economic superpower has been the dominant narrative of the last three decades. China’s rise as the main feature of globalisation, in conjunction with a beneficial sweet spot in demography, drove output up and inflation down in the advanced economies. But these trends are now reversing.

China’s economic success depended on many factors, […].

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References 1. Gender Dynamics of Future Jobs

4. The Case for Gender Parity

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2. Inclusive Work Practices

5. Balance of Care and Careers

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6. Gender Norms and Roles

3. Education Gender Gaps

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