Diversity Metrics Tracking

We’ve spent decades measuring “attitudes toward gender equality.” But this new UN Women paper asks: What if we’ve been asking the wrong questions all along? For years, surveys have told us whether people “agree” that women should work, lead, or study. But as this paper points out, attitudes don’t always predict action... And they rarely capture power. Norms are social, not individual. They’re held in the spaces between people: in expectations, sanctions, and unwritten rules about what’s acceptable. Measuring personal opinions doesn’t tell us how those rules shift, or who enforces them. This is where “Measuring Social Norms for Gender and Development” adds real value. It distills lessons from seven major global initiatives and identifies what’s missing in our metrics: → We track beliefs, but not the collective pressures that keep them in place. → We capture attitudes, but not agency, who gets to defy the norm, and at what cost. → We measure change, but not power in the institutions that either reinforce or dismantle inequality. The paper argues for a next generation of gender indicators that go beyond counting agreement to mapping the conditions that make equality possible throuh law, policy, social recognition, and collective action. Because measuring gender equality isn’t about what people say they believe. It’s about what people feel safe enough to do. #Gender #Norms 🔥 Follow me for similar content

The American Institute for Boys and Men is doing some groundbreaking work: recalculating the world’s leading gender equality measures to capture gaps in both directions. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report counts only where women lag behind. When AIBM removed that truncation, here’s what emerged: In education: In all but 3 OECD countries, women outnumber men in university—often substantially. Yet standard methodology gives these countries perfect scores. Expert analysis reveals tertiary education gaps are often the largest gender gaps of all. In health: Most frameworks assume men naturally live 5 years less than women. AIBM treats men’s and women’s lifespans as equally valuable. The data shows ratios vary dramatically, from near-parity in Northern Europe to 6+ year gaps, suggesting these aren’t fixed. In literacy: Using PIAAC data instead of basic literacy measures, boys now lag significantly behind girls in most OECD countries—gaps that were previously invisible. When measured symmetrically, equality scores drop in virtually every OECD country, especially top-ranked nations where education and health gaps affecting men are most pronounced. We aren't diminishing women’s challenges through this, but rather getting the full and equal picture so policymakers can direct resources where they’re most needed. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/egsJV8P6

Unlocking the Power of Quantitative Measurement for Gendered Social Norms Understanding and shifting gendered social norms is crucial for advancing gender equality and promoting positive social change. Quantitative measurement offers powerful tools to illuminate these norms at scale, providing valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. The guide emphasizes that quantitative approaches are an indispensable part of monitoring and evaluation of social norms interventions because they provide standard, objective scales that can be compared across different places and time periods. Their emphasis on statistical representativeness makes it possible to draw conclusions on the prevalence and strength of norms within a given setting – be it a village, a country or across groups of countries – as well as any shifts over time. Quantitative data are also well-placed to illustrate how norms are distributed within a population and whose opinions different groups of people find influential. The guide is useful as it focuses on the following elements of norms measurement: •                    the value of measuring social norms •                    the components of social norms that can be measured •                    specific instruments to measure social norms •                    broader data instruments that capture evidence on social norms •                    the need for diverse approaches •                    useful resources. Key Components of Social Norms: Empirical Expectations: Beliefs about what others do. Normative Expectations: Beliefs about what others think one should do. Sanctions: Positive or negative consequences of conforming to or violating norms. Reference Groups: People whose opinions matter most in influencing behavior. Measurement Instruments: Surveys: Key tool for assessing norms, attitudes, and behaviors. Example: World Values Surveys. Vignettes: Hypothetical scenarios used to explore norms and their influence on behavior. Practical Applications: Case Studies: Examples from Mali, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia illustrate how quantitative measures reveal the distribution and influence of norms. Innovative Methods: Combining surveys with qualitative data enhances understanding. For example, CARE’s approach integrates simple questions about sanctions to measure norms efficiently. Challenges and Future Directions: Developing standard, scalable methods for measuring norms. Balancing depth with practicality in data collection. Using diverse approaches, including big data and qualitative methods, to capture the full picture. Conclusion: Quantitative measurement is a vital tool in the fight for gender equality. By systematically capturing and analyzing social norms, we can design more effective interventions and track progress over time. #GenderEquality #SocialNorms #BehaviorChange #QuantitativeResearch #PublicHealth #ProgramDesign

As the global community increasingly prioritizes gender equality, the need for precise and effective measurement tools has become more critical than ever. The document “Gender Equality Indicators: What, Why, and How?” serves as a pivotal resource for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers, offering an in-depth exploration of the essential role that gender equality indicators play in shaping effective and equitable interventions. This document systematically addresses the fundamental questions of what gender equality indicators are, why they are indispensable, and how they can be effectively implemented across various contexts. By delving into both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, it underscores the importance of a nuanced approach to capturing the complexities of gender dynamics. Through the integration of real-world examples and case studies, the document provides practical guidance on the development and adaptation of these indicators to specific socio-cultural environments, ensuring their relevance and impact. Furthermore, the document highlights the challenges and opportunities inherent in measuring gender equality, from the political implications of indicator selection to the technical difficulties of data collection in diverse settings. It advocates for the use of gender equality indicators not only as tools for assessment but also as catalysts for change, driving awareness and action towards more inclusive and just societies. By meticulously presenting the principles and practices of gender equality measurement, this document is an invaluable tool for those committed to advancing gender equity. It invites readers to engage deeply with the content, to better understand the pivotal role of gender indicators in achieving sustainable development goals, and to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on gender justice.

Gender equality results and indicators provide a structured approach for assessing progress toward equitable outcomes across social, economic, political, and institutional domains. Gender results refer to measurable changes in conditions, behaviours, capacities, or systems that advance equity, such as increased agency, reduced gender-based violence, or improved access to resources. Indicators track these changes and include sex-disaggregated, gender-specific, and transformative measures that capture shifts in power relations and social norms. Key categories include access and control of resources, agency and decision-making, economic empowerment, political participation, institutional responsiveness, GBV prevention and response, and attitudes toward gender roles. Quantitative indicators measure aspects such as women’s land ownership, wage equity, leadership representation, and time use, while qualitative indicators assess perceptions of safety, norm change, and institutional gender mainstreaming. Gender indicators support theories of change, logframes, and SDG monitoring, ensuring accountability and informing adaptive, evidence-driven programming aimed at achieving gender-transformative outcomes. Gender Associations, Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) / ODI Global, Gender at Work, Gender DEI, Gender Champions Network, ADB Gender, Gender Equality and the Istanbul Convention - Council of Europe action - @CoE_Women, OSCE Gender Issues Programme, CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion, Gender Justice Research Platform Gender Summit - Quality Research and Innovation through Equality, Gender-Based Violence Research Group, Gender Equitable Interactions Research Team, Tadwein Gender Research Centre, Gender Pay Gap MSc Dissertation Research, African Gender Research Institute, Center for Research on Women and Gender, Gender Research Team University of Akron, The Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University, Gender Studies, o.p.s., Gender and Women's Studies Research Center, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS), Furman University Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Gender Studies UCD, Master of Gender and Women’s Studies (MGWS), GEMMA EMMC - Women´s & Gender Studies, Swiss Association for Gender Studies SAGS SGGF SSEG, Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights, Women&Gender Studies Action Group, GEST (Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme), Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity, European Institute for Gender Equality, Gender Equality in European Research & Innovation, Institute for Gender and the Economy, IGVI: African Gender Equality Research Group

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 ? This Gender Equality Results and Indicators Toolkit offers a practical, evidence-driven guide to help practitioners integrate gender perspectives into development initiatives, and measure what truly matters. Designed for policymakers, planners, implementers, evaluators, and gender specialists, the toolkit provides a clear menu of gender equality outcomes and indicators that can be adapted across sectors. It highlights why explicit gender results, clear targets, and robust indicators are essential for accountability, effectiveness, and meaningful progress in reducing inequalities. Whether you design programs, manage results frameworks, or evaluate outcomes, this document helps ensure that women and girls are not overlooked, and that development work drives equitable change backed by measurable evidence. A timely reminder that what we measure shapes what we prioritize. #GenderEquality #WomensEmpowerment #MonitoringAndEvaluation #ResultsBasedManagement #InclusiveDevelopment #GenderIndicators #DevelopmentEffectiveness