Gender Inequality, Female Leadership and Aid Allocation

Social influence is distributed unequally between males and females in many mammalian societies. In human societies, gender inequality is particularly evident in access to leadership positions. Understanding why women historically and cross-culturally have tended to be under-represented as leaders within human groups and organizations represents a paradox because we lack evidence that women leaders consistently perform worse than men. We also know that women exercise overt influence in collective group-decisions within small-scale human societies, and that female leadership is pervasive in particular contexts across non-human mammalian societies. Here, we offer a transdisciplinary perspective on this female leadership paradox. Synthesis of social science and biological literatures suggests that females and males, on average, differ in why and how they compete for access to political leadership in mixed-gender groups. These differences are influenced by sexual selection and are moderated by socioecological variation across development and, particularly in human societies, by culturally transmitted norms and institutions. The interplay of these forces contributes to the emergence of female leaders within and across species. Furthermore, females may regularly exercise influence on group decisions in less conspicuous ways and different domains than males, and these underappreciated forms of leadership require more study. We offer a comprehensive framework for studying inequality between females and males in access to leadership positions, and we discuss the implications of this approach for understanding the female leadership paradox and for redressing gender inequality in leadership in humans.

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Stressing the Advantages of Female Leadership Can Place Women at a Disadvantage

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335/a000292 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 28-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joris Lammers ◽

Anne Gast

Keyword(s):

Affirmative Action ◽

Gender Inequality ◽

Leadership Skills ◽

Female Leadership ◽

Popular Media ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Business World ◽

Dominant Position ◽

Related Idea ◽

The Future

Abstract. Women are still underrepresented in management and men hold the majority of higher positions. Nonetheless, one often-heard claim in popular media is that female people-centered leadership skills (empathy, communication, etc.) are a better match for the business world – especially in the future. Furthermore, a related idea is that women may use this advantage to take over men’s dominant position in leadership. Four studies show that such claims paradoxically maintain gender inequality, by undermining support for affirmative action to reduce female underrepresentation in leadership. Where earlier research shows that positive stereotypes can hurt women by suggesting that they are unqualified for leadership, the current findings show that even positive stereotypes that claim that women are particularly well qualified for leadership can hurt women in their chances for gaining leadership positions. Although it is good to highlight the advantages of female leadership, exaggerated and sensationalist claims contribute to a perpetuation of gender inequality.

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Covid-19, Conflict, and Governance Evidence Summary No.30

10.19088/k4d.2021.028 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sian Herbert

Keyword(s):

Latin American ◽

Gender Inequality ◽

Female Leadership ◽

Youth Empowerment ◽

Policy Responses ◽

Evidence Summary ◽

Long Form ◽

The Uk ◽

Latin American Countries

This fortnightly Covid-19 (C19), Conflict, and Governance Evidence Summary aims to signpost the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and other UK government departments to the latest evidence and opinions on C19, to inform and support their responses. Based on the feedback given in a recent survey, and analysis by the Xcept project, this summary is now focussing more on C19 policy responses. This summary features resources on: how youth empowerment programmes have reduced violence against girls during C19 (in Bolivia); why we need to embrace incertitude in disease preparedness responses; and how Latin American countries have been addressing widening gender inequality during C19. It also includes papers on other important themes: the role of female leadership during C19; and understanding policy responses in Africa to C19 The summary uses two main sections – (1) literature: – this includes policy papers, academic articles, and long-form articles that go deeper than the typical blog; and (2) blogs & news articles. It is the result of one day of work, and is thus indicative but not comprehensive of all issues or publications.

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Neurosurgeons in 2020: the impact of gender on neurosurgical training, family planning, and workplace culture

Neurosurgical FOCUS ◽

10.3171/2020.12.focus20965 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

pp. E11

Author(s):

Jasmine A. Thum ◽

Diana Chang ◽

Nalini Tata ◽

Linda M. Liau

Keyword(s):

Gender Inequality ◽

Online Survey ◽

White Paper ◽

Female Leadership ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Midlevel Providers ◽

Male Patients ◽

Female Nurses ◽

Age Range ◽

The Impact

OBJECTIVEIn 2008, a Women in Neurosurgery Committee white paper called for increased women applicants and decreased women’s attrition in neurosurgery. However, contributing factors (work-life balance, lack of female leadership, workplace gender inequality) have not been well characterized; therefore, specific actions cannot be implemented to improve these professional hurdles. This study provides an update on the experiences of neurosurgeons in 2020 with these historical challenges.METHODSAn anonymous online survey was sent to all Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–accredited US neurosurgical programs, examining demographics and experiences with mentorship, family life, fertility, and workplace conduct.RESULTSA total of 115 respondents (64 men, 51 women; age range 25–67 years) had trained at 49 different US residencies. Mentorship rates were very high among men and women in medical school and residency. However, women were significantly more likely than men to have a female mentor in residency. During residency, 33% of women versus 44% of men had children, and significantly fewer women interested in having a child were able to do so in residency, compared to men. Significantly more women than men had a child only during a nonclinical year (56.3% vs 19.0%, respectively). Thirty-nine percent of women and 25% of men reported difficulty conceiving. The major difficulty for men was stress, whereas women reported the physical challenges of pregnancy itself (workplace teratogens, morning sickness, etc.). Failed birth rates peaked during residency (0.33) versus those before (0.00) and after residency (0.25).Women (80%) experience microaggressions in the workplace significantly more than men (36%; p < 0.001). Ninety-five percent of macro-/microaggressions toward female neurosurgeons were about their gender, compared to 9% of those toward men (p < 0.001). The most common overall perpetrators were senior male residents and attendings, followed by male patients (against women) and female nurses or midlevel providers (against men).CONCLUSIONSAccurate depictions of neurosurgery experiences and open discussions of the potential impacts of gender may allow for 1) decreased attrition due to more accurate expectations and 2) improved characterization of gender differences in neurosurgery so the profession can work to address gender inequality.

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Organizational Genealogies and the Persistence of Gender Inequality: The Case of Silicon Valley Law Firms

Administrative Science Quarterly ◽

10.2189/asqu.2005.50.3.440 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

pp. 440-472 ◽

Cited By ~ 128

Author(s):

Damon J. Phillips

Keyword(s):

Gender Inequality ◽

Silicon Valley ◽

Women In Leadership ◽

Female Leadership ◽

Future Research ◽

Law Firms ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Advancement Opportunities ◽

Gender Hierarchy ◽

New Firm

Using a study on foundings of Silicon Valley law firms, I propose and test an organizational theory on the genealogical persistence of gender inequality that emphasizes the routines (or blueprints) and experiences that founders transfer from their parent firms to their new firms. This transfer links the parent firm's gender hierarchy to women's advancement opportunities in the new firm. Founders from parent firms that historically had women in leadership positions, such that female leadership is institutionalized, are more likely to found firms that promote women into prominent positions. Conversely, founders from firms that historically had women in subordinate positions, such that female subordination is institutionalized, are less likely to promote women into prominent positions. Findings are consistent with the theory and also show that the persistence effect is stronger for founders who were previously lower-ranked employees and for founders who institute an organization of work similar to their parent firm. The study suggests that future research should investigate routines and structures that not only generate gender inequality unintentionally but are in turn replicated across generations of organization through the mobility of employees.

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