Unboxing and unravelling in the archive of gender equity policy

This article utilises autoethnographical methodology to dissect the history of gender insensitivity in the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA). According to Carolyn Ellis (2010), autoethnography is an approach to research and writing that seeks to “describe and systematically analyze (graphy) personal experience (auto) in order to understand cultural experience (ethno).” Ellis (2004) states that autoethnography refers to writing about the personal and its relationship to culture. This paper utilises self-reflection to explore anecdotal personal experience and to connect this autobiographical story to wider understanding of gender in URCSA. Sandars (2009) defines reflection as a “metacognitive process that occurs before, during and after situations with the purpose of developing greater understanding of both the self and the situation …” This article concentrates on research grounded in personal experience. It aims to sensitise readers to issues of identity politics in URCSA. It will highlight experiences shrouded in silence within URCSA, and deepen knowledge about the struggles that women in ordained positions within URCSA have had to endure. Foucault (1982) describes three types of struggles: either against forms of domination; against forms of exploitation; or against that which ties the individual to himself and submits him to others. The article deconstructs the relationship between text and theory, praxis and context, and presents an alternative interpretation. It highlights central themes regarding women in ordained positions within URCSA, but focuses more on the sub themes: from ordination to academia; ordained women in leadership positions, the gender equity policy of URCSA; a milestone never embraced 1994–2005; inclusive language and the draft worship book of URCSA; women as delegates to ecumenical gatherings.

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Tenth Scientific Biennial Meeting of the Australasian Virology Society—AVS10 2019

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v12060621 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 621

Author(s):

Karla J. Helbig ◽

Rowena A. Bull ◽

Rebecca Ambrose ◽

Michael R. Beard ◽

Helen Blanchard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Career Development ◽

Gender Equity ◽

Scientific Meeting ◽

Cutting Edge ◽

20Th Anniversary ◽

Equity Policy ◽

Australasian Region

The Australasian Virology Society (AVS) aims to promote, support and advocate for the discipline of virology in the Australasian region. The society was incorporated in 2011 after 10 years operating as the Australian Virology Group (AVG) founded in 2001, coinciding with the inaugural biennial scientific meeting. AVS conferences aim to provide a forum for the dissemination of all aspects of virology, foster collaboration, and encourage participation by students and post-doctoral researchers. The tenth Australasian Virology Society (AVS10) scientific meeting was held on 2–5 December 2019 in Queenstown, New Zealand. This report highlights the latest research presented at the meeting, which included cutting-edge virology presented by our international plenary speakers Ana Fernandez-Sesma and Benjamin tenOever, and keynote Richard Kuhn. AVS10 honoured female pioneers in Australian virology, Lorena Brown and Barbara Coulson. We report outcomes from the AVS10 career development session on “Successfully transitioning from post-doc to lab head”, winners of best presentation awards, and the AVS gender equity policy, initiated in 2013. Plans for the 2021 meeting are underway which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of AVS where it all began, in Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia.

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Social Movements, Collective Identity, and Workplace Allies: The Labeling of Gender Equity Policy Changes

Organization Science ◽

10.1287/orsc.2021.1492 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cynthia S. Wang ◽

Jennifer A. Whitson ◽

Brayden G King ◽

Rachel L. Ramirez

Keyword(s):

Social Movements ◽

Gender Equity ◽

Collective Identity ◽

Organizational Identification ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Organizational Policies ◽

Equity Policy ◽

Feminist Identification ◽

New Policies

Social movements seek allies as they campaign for social, political, and organizational changes. How do activists gain allies in the targeted institutions they hope to change? Despite recognition of the importance of ally support in theories about institutional change and social movements, these theories are largely silent on the microdynamics of ally mobilization. We examine how the labeling of organizational policies that benefit women influences potential workplace allies’ support for these policies. We theorize that one barrier to mobilizing workplace allies is a misalignment of the labels that activists use to promote new policies and employees’ affiliation with collective identities. We conducted five experiments to test our hypotheses and 26 qualitative interviews to provide illustration of our core concepts. We demonstrate that employees high in feminist identification are more likely to support feminist-labeled (feminist and #MeToo) than unlabeled policies, whereas those low in feminist identification are less likely to support feminist-labeled than unlabeled policies (Studies 1–3). However, we find that participants for whom organizational identification was high (whether measured or manipulated) and feminist identification was low supported organizationally labeled policies more than feminist-labeled polices (Studies 4 and 5). This illustrates that policies whose aims may not align with one collective identity can still garner support by activating another relevant collective identity. Within our studies, we provide evidence that these effects are mediated via feelings of pride in the organization (and not fear or anger), suggesting that positive emotions are a central mechanism in mobilizing workplace allies.

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The struggle for higher education gender equity policy in Afghanistan: Obstacles, challenges and achievements

Education Policy Analysis Archives ◽

10.14507/epaa.27.3036 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. 139 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fred M. Hayward ◽

Razia Karim

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Women Students ◽

Gender Equity ◽

Gender Discrimination ◽

National Level ◽

Women Faculty ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Gender Policy ◽

Equity Policy ◽

Free Environment

The struggle for gender equity in Afghanistan has been a long and difficult one under war conditions. Nonetheless, amazing progress has been made both in transforming higher education and in improving the situation for women students and women faculty members over the last few years. What is particularly striking about this effort is the level of success in a very challenging environment. Part of the success, as we suggest, is a consequence of the focus on gender policy in higher education, which operates in an amazingly free environment. That has allowed the kind of analysis and discussion of traditional views about women to be examined and new policies put in place moving toward the MoHE goal of gender equity. Higher education has moved from a situation of virtually no women students, faculty, or staff in 2001 to 28% women students and 14% women faculty members in 2017. The atmosphere for women has changed remarkably with a Higher Education Gender Strategy to continue the process of change and a range of other policies and actions designed to create an open, comfortable, and equal environment for women. What is striking about these changes is that we think their success is due in large part to the narrow focus of change on higher education – a process that probably would not have succeeded if tried at the national level. Nonetheless, it is a first step in expanding improved conditions for women broadly in Afghanistan and is suggestive of a successful approach for other countries with serious problems of gender discrimination.

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Gender-responsive public procurement: strategies to support women-owned enterprises

Journal of Public Procurement ◽

10.1108/jopp-11-2019-0078 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Barbara Orser ◽

Xiaolu (Diane) Liao ◽

Allan L. Riding ◽

Quang Duong ◽

Jerome Catimel

Keyword(s):

Gender Equity ◽

Small Businesses ◽

Public Procurement ◽

Government Procurement ◽

Future Research ◽

Content Type ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Equity Policy ◽

Statistics Canada ◽

Procurement Strategies

Purpose This paper aims to inform strategies to enhance public procurement opportunities for women-owned small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To do so, the study examines two research questions: To what extent are women-owned enterprises under-represented among SME suppliers to government; and Do barriers to public procurement – as perceived by SME owners – differ across gender? Design/methodology/approach The study draws on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and on theories of role congruity and social feminism to develop the study’s hypotheses. Empirical analyses rely on comparisons of a sample of 1,021 SMEs that had been suppliers to government and 9,376 employer firms that had not been suppliers to government. Data were collected by Statistics Canada and are nationally representative. Logistic regression analysis was used to control for systemic firm and owner differences. Findings Controlling firm and owner attributes, majority women-owned businesses were underrepresented as SME suppliers to government in some, but not all sectors. Women-owned SMEs in Wholesale and Retail and in Other Services were, ceteris paribus, half as likely as to be government suppliers as counterpart SMEs owned by men. Among Goods Producers and for Professional, Scientific and Technical Services SMEs, there were no significant gender differences in the propensity to supply the federal government. “Complexity of the contracting process” and “difficulty finding contract opportunities” were the obstacles to contracting cited most frequently. Research limitations/implications The limitations of using secondary analyses of data are well documented and apply here. The findings reflect only the perspectives of “successful bidders” and do not capture SMEs that submitted bids but were not successful. Furthermore, the survey did not include questions about sub-contractor enterprises, data that would likely provide even more insights about SMEs in government supply chains. Accordingly, the study could not address sub-contracting strategies to increase the number of women-owned businesses on government contracts. Statistics Canada’s privacy protocols also limited the extent to which the research team could examine sub-groups of small business owners, such as visible minorities and Indigenous/Aboriginal persons. It is also notable that much of the SME literature, as well as this study, define gender as a dichotomous (women/female, men/male) attribute. Comparing women/female and men/males implicitly assumes within group homogeneity. Future research should use a more inclusive definition of gender. Research is also required to inform about the obstacles to government procurement among the population of SMEs that were unsuccessful in their bids. Practical implications The study provides benchmarks on, and directions to, enhance the participation of women-owned SMEs or enterprises in public procurement. Strategies to support women-owned small businesses that comply with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are advanced. Social implications The study offers insights to reconcile economic efficiency and social (gender equity) policy goals in the context of public procurement. The “policy-practice divides” in public procurement and women’s enterprise policies are discussed. Originality/value The study is among the first to use a feminist lens to examine the associations between gender of SME ownership and public procurement, while controlling for other salient owner and firm attributes.

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Deconstructing the glass ceiling: gender equality in the Australian property profession

Property Management ◽

10.1108/pm-09-2015-0049 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 29-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Clive M J Warren ◽

Hera Antoniades

Keyword(s):

Gender Equality ◽

Gender Equity ◽

State Level ◽

Professional Associations ◽

Governance Structure ◽

Annual Reports ◽

Female Representation ◽

Content Type ◽

Policy Objectives ◽

Equity Policy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to export the role of professional bodies within the property industry in Australia in bringing about gender equality. In particular the policy objectives of the various professional bodies is analysed and contrasted with the level of genres equality demonstrated within the governance structures of the organisations at national and regional level. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses the annual reports of the leading property professional bodies in Australia to identify any gender equity policy objectives and to identify the balance between male and female representation in the governing boards of the associations. Findings – The research shows that while a few organisations have made some statements regarding the need for change to a more inclusive property industry these objectives are not reflected within the governance structure of the organisations. It is therefore evident that significant attitudinal and structural change will be required to bring about equality within the property industry. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited to the Australian property and construction industry and the relevant boards at national and state level. Practical implications – The paper highlights the need to address gender inequality at the senior management level within the professional associations that govern the property profession. The professional associations are uniquely placed to show leadership in promoting gender equality and should be adopting policy within the organisations charter to being about a shift in attitudes to women within management roles in the property industry. Social implications – The issue of gender equity is highly topical and this paper adds to the research in this area. It highlights the important role that professional associations could take in bringing about change, but reveals that many professional bodies have a worse gender balance at the governance level than many of their member firms. Originality/value – The paper is the first to analyse the gender mix within the professional bodies in Australia which govern and advise the property and construction industries. As such it reveals that little progress has been made in bringing about gender equality in the profession.

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