Gender And Power Dynamics

How Does Gender Socialization Impact Boys and Men Post-Conflict? 🌍 Family, religious, and customary institutions play a pivotal role in shaping gender norms in post-conflict societies. Post-conflict peace may be restored, but not for all equally. While peace may return, traditional norms still hold the reins, perpetuating male dominance. 🔍 The recent research "Reconstructing Masculinities: Gender Dynamics After Conflict," published by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation / 公益財団法人 笹川平和財団 , Integral Knowledge Asia, and Conciliation Resources, aimed to understand how social institutions socialize gender norms across generations, making them resilient to change without targeted interventions. ⚖️ This study was conducted in Aceh and Maluku in Indonesia, and Bangsamoro in the Philippines, where masculinity is linked to power and violence. These regions struggle to implement the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda because their peace processes largely exclude women, and post-conflict efforts focus more on security and infrastructure than on addressing gender inequality. 👨👩👧👦 The second finding of this study reveals the influence of family, religious, and customary institutions in socializing men and boys into protector and breadwinner roles, while women are confined to caregiving duties. Engaging these institutions is essential for challenging patriarchal norms and promoting equitable gender relations. 🎨 As artivists, we harness the power of responsible image-making to support vital social research and advocacy. Our illustrations in the report vividly portray deep-rooted gender socialization across generations. By bringing these dynamics to life, we aim to foster a better understanding of the transformative approaches needed in peacebuilding. 🖼️ The giant hand in the illustration symbolizes the powerful influence of larger institutions like family, religious, and customary institutions. These forces control men, depicted as puppets bound by strings, and restrict their ability to explore roles beyond traditional gender norms. This visual representation highlights how deeply entrenched societal expectations limit men’s freedom and perpetuate traditional masculinity. #PeaceBuilding #GenderEquality #Masculinity #PostConflict #Gender #ArtActivism #Art

Unpaid household work | Men:88 mins - Women:289 mins Unpaid caregiving | Men:75 mins - Women:137 mins Paid employment | Men:473 mins - Women:341 mins Women work as much as men, if not more, They’re just not getting paid/appreciated for even half of it. Even in urban homes, even with domestic help, the mental load, the - “Did the milk come?” - “Is the uniform ironed?” - “Did the kid eat lunch?” still mostly falls on women. And yes, I’ve been guilty of ignoring it too. Meanwhile, Ashima was running the show at home with her Clinic. So here’s what I’m learning (and unlearning): 1) Invisible work is still work If it takes energy, time, and sacrifice, it counts. 2) Help without being asked If you need instructions to help, you’re not really helping. 3) Share the load, not just praise “Thanks for doing this” is a nice gesture. “Let me take this today” is better. 4) Don’t glorify imbalance We don’t need to celebrate women for doing it all. We need to change the system that forces them to and maybe help them. This post isn’t just about numbers. It’s about acknowledging the weight women carry quietly, daily, without a job title or salary attached. If you're wondering how to fix this: - Sit down with your partner. Ask what you don’t see. - Divide tasks like you divide budgets at work. - Model this behaviour for your kids. Especially your sons. Because respect isn’t just about words. It’s about participation. And it starts at home. #WorkLifeBalance #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #LifeAtWork

What Are We Missing in Norms Work? Backlash, Boys, and the Full Picture of Change In the field of social and behavior change (SBC), we often celebrate when norms shift in the “right” direction—when communities support girls’ education, challenge child marriage, or embrace contraception. But a crucial part of the picture is still missing from the evidence base: what happens when change is resisted? One of the most pressing blind spots in current norms and behavior evidence is the lack of systematic data on backlash—and the limited attention to the roles of boys and men. As gender-transformative programs become more visible, especially those focused on adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), they are increasingly met with resistance. This resistance isn’t abstract. It comes from gatekeepers, peer groups, institutions, and even families. It manifests in everything from policy rollbacks to social stigma and interpersonal violence. Yet, our evidence systems largely overlook these dynamics. Most studies are not designed to track how backlash emerges, how it impacts participants, or how programs can anticipate and adapt to protect the progress they’ve made. Meanwhile, boys and men remain underexamined. Too often, they are seen only as obstacles to overcome or are excluded altogether. But social norms are inherently relational. Without engaging with how men and boys perceive, reinforce, or challenge these norms, our understanding—and our strategies—remain incomplete. In an era of rising political contestation, shrinking civic space, and mounting pushback against gender equity, this omission is no longer tenable. The next generation of evidence must go beyond documenting what works. It must map the full terrain of change: who supports it, who resists it, why, and at what cost. If we want to sustain and scale progress, we must build a research and practice agenda that is as nuanced and resilient as the challenges it seeks to address. #SocialNorms #BehavioralScience #Backlash #GenderEquity #BoysAndMen #AGYW #SRHR #SBC #GlobalHealth #ImplementationScience #DevelopmentPractice #FeministEvidence #NormChange

Gender Inclusive Research Ecosystem Gender inclusivity in the research ecosystem creates an environment where all genders, especially those historically marginalised, such as women and gender-diverse individuals, can participate, contribute, and thrive equally in all aspects of the research process. This includes access to opportunities, leadership roles, resources, funding, mentorship, recognition, and decision-making processes. Key Elements of a Gender-Inclusive Research Ecosystem: 1. Equal Access to Opportunities: Ensuring all genders have equitable access to research grants, scholarships, and academic positions. 2. Gender-Responsive Policies: Institutions and funding bodies adopt and implement policies that actively promote gender equality (e.g., maternity/paternity leave, anti-harassment policies). 3. Capacity Building and Mentorship: Programs designed to empower underrepresented genders through training, mentoring, and professional development. 4. Inclusive Research Design and Content: Integrating sex and gender analysis in research design, methodologies, and interpretation of results to produce more accurate, relevant, and impactful findings. 5. Diverse Leadership: Promoting gender balance in leadership and decision-making roles in research institutions and funding agencies. 6. Data Disaggregation: Collecting and analysing data by gender to identify disparities and inform targeted interventions. 7. Safe and Supportive Work Environments: Addressing gender-based violence, discrimination, and bias in research institutions. 8. Community Engagement: Including diverse gender voices in setting research agendas and applying research outcomes to real-world problems. UoN Anthropology and Gender Students Association, Institute for Faith and Gender Empowerment (IFAGE), Gender Equity Unit, Gender, Work & Organization, Gender Equity Policy Institute (GEPI), ADB Gender, CGIAR GENDER Accelerator, HBS Race, Gender & Equity Initiative, Gender and Environment Data Alliance (GEDA), Gender DEI, Gender & Health Hub, Gender Unit | Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Gender Equality Network for Small Arms Control (GENSAC), Isiolo Gender Watch (IGW) Women Educational Researchers of Kenya, Women's Empowerment Link, FEMNET - African Women's Development and Communication Network, UN Women

Gender dynamics are deeply intertwined with conflict, shaping power structures, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for peacebuilding. A nuanced understanding of these interactions is essential for designing interventions that promote inclusive, sustainable peace. Developed as a practical resource for peacebuilders, this document provides a structured framework for conducting gender and conflict analysis, ensuring that programs account for the distinct experiences, needs, and agency of individuals across gender identities. By integrating a gender-sensitive lens into conflict assessments, practitioners can enhance the effectiveness of peacebuilding efforts and contribute to transformative change. This document is structured into key sections covering: – Concepts of Gender and Conflict, exploring the intersection of gender roles, power, and violence – Methodologies for Gender-Sensitive Conflict Analysis, providing tools and frameworks for structured assessments – Key Questions for Analysis, guiding practitioners in identifying gender-specific risks and opportunities – Applying Findings to Peacebuilding Strategies, ensuring program design and implementation are gender-responsive – Ethical Considerations, addressing challenges such as bias, representation, and data sensitivity Beyond theoretical insights, this document offers practical exercises and real-world applications to support the integration of gender perspectives into conflict analysis. By applying these methodologies, peacebuilders can foster more inclusive, contextually relevant, and impactful interventions that address root causes and advance gender equality in conflict-affected settings.

Although African women grow food and run small food processing businesses, our systems haven’t caught up with their hard work. So much of the conversation around women’s participation still revolves around “capacity-building.” But we need to ask better questions: ✅ How can national food system policies embed long-term capacity-building for women farmers and processors, beyond one-off trainings or donor-funded projects? ✅ How can we ensure women are fairly represented at the decision-making table and that their voices are heard? ✅ What practical accountability systems can we put in place to track gender equity in access to funding, technologies and other resources? Without addressing structural inequality, we cannot effectively transform Africa's food systems. We’re just covering up the cracks. #foodsystems #UNFSS #FAO #AfDb  #foodsystemstransformation #equity #access  #ImpacterSolutions #systemschange  #GAIN  

🌱 New Publication Alert 🚨 “Rules, Norms, and Resistance: The Limits of Gender Equality in Tanzania’s Coffee Sector” By Pilly Silvano (University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM)) and Kristjan Jespersen (Copenhagen Business School) 📚 Published in Forum for Development Studies 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dk7hRep4 Despite women's essential contributions to coffee production in Tanzania, they continue to face deep-rooted institutional and cultural barriers. This new study investigates why gender inequality persists, even as empowerment initiatives multiply across the sector. 🚩 Key Findings: -Women perform up to 70% of labor in coffee production, yet control less than 30% of the income. -While NGOs and government actors focus on training and resource provision, few initiatives disrupt discriminatory norms around land ownership and cooperative membership. -Land rights and income control remain the biggest obstacles to full participation. -Empowerment efforts often stop short of changing the rules—they educate but don’t disrupt the institutions that keep women on the margins. 📊 Drawing on Institutional Work Theory and the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), the authors highlight the need for systemic change—not just capacity building, but a redefinition of institutional norms. 🙌 This work is a powerful call to action: if we want true gender equity in agriculture, we must move from inclusion to transformation. #Sustainability #GenderEquality #Agriculture #CoffeeSector #InstitutionalChange #ClimateSmartAgriculture #CBS #DevelopmentStudies #WomenInAg #Tanzania CBS Sustainable Finance Club Loh-Gronager Partners CBS Students

Something triggered me last week. I recently came across a post with this video where little preschool boys were "helping" girls sit properly and dress appropriately. At first glance, this might seem like a sweet gesture—children showing awareness and concern for others. In their innocent minds, they believe they are helping, mimicking behaviors they’ve observed. But what disturbed me deeply was the reaction of the adults, who applauded this as "protective" behavior. Let’s pause and reflect on this. The boys, in their innocence, see no difference between picking up a pencil for someone or adjusting someone’s dress. For them, it’s just helping. The problem arises when we, as adults, start attaching deeper meanings to their actions. By praising this behavior as protective, we inadvertently begin to teach boys that it's their job to monitor and regulate how girls dress and behave. This is where the seeds of policing women on their choices, particularly around their bodies and clothes, are planted. In a society where cultural norms around gender are deeply rooted, this becomes even more problematic. Our society has long imposed expectations on how women should dress and behave, often in the name of "protection" and "modesty." By encouraging young boys to act in these ways, we are perpetuating these outdated norms and conditioning the next generation to uphold them. We’re teaching our boys to take on the role of protectors, but at what cost? The cost is the freedom and autonomy of girls and women, who are subtly told that their choices are not entirely their own. As a woman, a mother, and a teacher, this concerns me deeply. I believe it’s crucial to redirect this narrative. We need to teach our children—boys and girls alike—that everyone’s body is their own, and that respect means allowing others to make their own choices, not policing them. We need to praise children for being kind, empathetic, and helpful in ways that do not reinforce harmful gender norms. Let’s encourage our boys to help with compassion and kindness, and let’s teach them that true protection comes from standing up for others' rights to be themselves, not from controlling them. And let’s raise our girls to understand that they have every right to make their own choices, free from the judgment of others. This way, we can nurture a generation that values equality, respect, and true understanding.

🌱 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶-𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮! 📹🌽 What happens when you pour over interview data from smallholder farmers in Ethiopia, and try to ascertain just what is going on in adoption patterns and why, all from a gender perspective? In this research with fantastic co-authors Sophia Friedson-Ridenour, Rachael Pierotti, and Alemgena G, we show how 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 run up against household gender dynamics as people consider adoption and implementation. Here’s the scoop: 🔸 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: "Hidden hunger," caused by micronutrient deficiencies, affects billions globally. Many agricultural interventions focus on productivity, but what about nutrition? And how and why could we improve adoption? 🔸 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: Using localized, 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼-𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, farmers receive tailored lessons on agriculture 𝘢𝘯𝘥 nutrition. These videos highlight collaboration between men and women—breaking traditional gender roles. 🔸 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: Showing spouses the 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰𝘴 fosters consensus and collaboration. Shared knowledge leads to joint decision-making, easing gender frictions and promoting better household outcomes. 💡 Main Findings (Gender dynamics between couples matter--don't ignore them!): 1. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗮𝗽: Women often face challenges being trusted as messengers of agricultural information when they return home after watching a video solo. When both spouses watch the same content, women gain credible entry to conversations about the content, and household discussions become more collaborative. 2. 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀: Videos modeling men participating in household tasks helped shift entrenched gender norms. Women felt empowered by the shared learning (because they wouldn't raise the subject of gender norms on their own), and men were more open to adjusting roles for better outcomes (since it didn't come from their wife). Hmmm, sound familiar? Let’s embrace the power of tech to not just inform, but transform. 🌍✨ Thanks to Digital Green (CC: Jona Repishti, John Collery, and Rikin Gandhi) for creating and running these videos and working with our The World Bank Gender Innovation Lab (GIL) research team! Check out the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/gxnrVjB8

Just a few months ago on a call with four men one of them said, "Sarah - can you please take notes for this call? Thanks." I'm honestly embarrassed that my only reaction was to say, "Sure!" The thing is, it was a question but wasn't really a question, if you know what I mean. Maybe you're reading this and thinking - what's the big deal? Or maybe you get why this small thing holds greater significance. With DEI efforts under siege, the little things matter more than ever. And I know there are plenty of individuals committed to true diversity, equity, and inclusion no matter the status of formal programs. We need to keep in mind that supporting others and encouraging their success doesn't dampen ours - in fact, I believe in many ways it only augments it. For anyone interested, here are 7 Ways Men Can Support Women in the Workplace, from LeanIn.org: 1. Challenge the Likeability Penalty - if you hear a woman being referred to as "bossy" or "shrill" or "emotional" ask for a specific example of what she did and challenge if the person would use the same descriptor were a man to do the same. 2. Evaluate Performance Fairly - make sure teams are aware of gender bias. Be clear about what constitutes excellent performance and make sure goals are set in advance, understood, and measurable. 3. Give Women Credit - When you introduce women coworkers, emphasize their accomplishments. Push back when women say they're "not ready" or "not qualified" and encourage them to go for it. 4. Get the Most Out of Meetings - If a woman is interrupted during a meeting, interject and say you'd like to hear her finish. Openly ask women to contribute to the conversation. Be aware of stolen ideas and look for opportunities to acknowledge the women who first proposed them. 5. Share Office Housework - Don't fall into the trap of expecting women to take on stereotypical support roles like "team mom" or note taker. 6. Make Work Work for Parents - Don't assume mothers won't be willing to take on challenges or travel. Push your companies for better paid parental leave policies. Avoid telling moms "I don't know how you do it," which can signal you think mothers are doing something they shouldn't be. 7. Mentor Women & Offer Equal Access - Find at least one woman to mentor. Give her thoughtful input on how she can advance and put her name forward for stretch assignments or promotions. Introduce her to influential people in your network to help her get to know key decision makers.