Åsa Ekvall investigates the strong correlation between gender equality and violent conflict and finds that although causality is difficult to prove there is still value in examining the link between the two.
While at one level the contemporary ‘urban transition’ in the Global South offers scope for advancing gender equality, barriers to female empowerment remain widespread, especially among the urban poor.
Women have made their voice heard in the Arab Spring, however, the ‘gains’ in terms of gender roles can be lost in the post-revolution period when ‘going back to normal’ is the priority.
Based on the approaches and opinions which have been purported thus far by the Egyptian government, it appears unlikely that gender equality in Egypt will improve any time soon.
Recent political discourse on same-sex marriage suggests that Christian conservatives in the US are undergoing a readjustment of public rhetoric, outreach, and perhaps of policy positions.
The inclusion of women, especially Islamists as the largest group of victims, is important for the overall success of transitional justice and to ensure that women’s rights will not be eroded in Tunisia.
At some point, the fact that it is a female leading a government will be utterly banal. We will look past gender and notice other qualities of leadership: vision, managerial skill, judgment, empathy, and character.
Violence against women and the societal attitudes that often provide the conditions which condone such acts cannot be parked solely within the developing world.
Looking at how the principle of gender equality has developed in the EU provides useful insights into an approach to equality that is essentially premised on the neo-liberal paradigm.
The decision to open combat roles to women in the US is historic. Yet, the military may have to reduce its sexual assault and harassment rates before women will take full advantage of these new opportunities.
