Advancing gender equality in the Caribbean: legislative approaches to sex discrimination

Includes bibliography

Can gender-fair language reduce gender stereotyping and discrimination?

Gender-fair language (GFL) aims at reducing gender stereotyping and discrimination. Two principle strategies have been employed to make languages gender-fair and to treat women and men symmetrically: neutralization and feminization. Neutralization is achieved, for example, by replacing male-masculine forms (policeman) with gender-unmarked forms (police officer), whereas feminization relies on the use of feminine forms to make female referents visible (i.e., the applicant… he or she instead of the applicant… he). By integrating research on (1) language structures, (2) language policies, and (3) individual language behavior, we provide a critical review of how GFL contributes to the reduction of gender stereotyping and discrimination. Our review provides a basis for future research and for scientifically based policy-making.

Occupational Access and Wage Discrimination

This article presents a study on the quantification of the level of occupational access and wage discrimination in Great Britain. The traditional approach to quantifying the level of sex discrimination is to distinguish gender differences in productive characteristics from the unequal treatment of characteristics according to gender. The role of inter- versus intra-occupational effects in determining the magnitude of wage differences between men and women was examined. The econometric results provided estimates of the wage differential in six broad occupational classifications together with an aggregate picture of how important the occupational distribution of females is in explaining their lower average wage. In summary, the results of the study suggest that the vast majority of the male and female wage differential arises from intra-occupation effects. The results provide evidence to suggest that occupational segregation is not a major contributor to the observed male/female wage differential.

Does occupational aggregation matter in determining the size of the gender wage gap?

The traditional decomposition of the gender wage gap distinguishes between a component attributable to gender differences in productivity-related characteristics and a residual component that is often taken as a measure of discrimination. This study of data from the 1989 Canadian Labour Market Activity Survey shows that when occupation is treated as a productivity-related characteristic, the proportion of the gender wage gap labeled explained increases with the number of occupational classifications distinguished. However, on the basis of evidence that occupational differences reflect the presence of barriers faced by women attempting to enter male-dominated occupations, the authors conclude that occupation should not be treated as a productivity-related characteristic; and in a decomposition of the gender wage gap that treats occupation as endogenously determined, they find that the level of occupational aggregation has little effect on the size of the "explained" component of the gap.

Discrimination experienced by HIV/AIDS infected persons and its associations with mental health in an Indian sample

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and prevalence of discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in West Bengal, India, and how discrimination is associated with depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts. Method Semi-structured interviews and the Beck Depression Inventory were administered to 105 HIV infected persons recruited by incidental sampling, at an Integrated Counseling and Testing Center (ICTC) and through Networks of People Living with HIV/AIDS, in the West Bengal area. Results Findings showed that 40.8% of the sample has experienced discrimination at least in one social setting – such as family (29.1%), health centers (18.4%), community (17.5%) and workplace (6.8%). About two-fifths (40.8%) reported experiencing discrimination in multiple social settings. Demographic factors associated with discrimination were gender, age, occupation, education, and current residence. More than half of the sample was suffering from severe depression while 8.7% had attempted suicide. Discrimination in most areas was significantly associated with suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts. Conclusions Prevalence of discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS is high in our sample from West Bengal. While discrimination was not associated with depressive symptomatology, discrimination was associated with suicidal ideation and attempts. These findings suggest that there is an urgent need for interventions to reduce discrimination of HIV/AIDS in the West Bengal region.

Sex discrimination and occupational segregation in the Australian labour market

This paper explores the implications of the difference between the occupational distribution for males and females in a joint model determining earnings and occupation. The male/female wage differential is evaluated for a number of broad occupational classifications. This is followed by an evaluation of the role and relative importance of inter-occupational and intra-occupational effects as contributors to the overall male/female wage differential The main conclusion following from the econometric results is that intra-occupational effects dominate Thus, policies which attempt to address the gender wage differential by re-allocation of labour across occupations are unlikely to solve the problem.

Trends in the Australian gender wage differential over the 1980s : some evidence on the effectiveness of legislative reform

The article examines the legislative reforms incorporating the Sex Discrimination Act and the Affirmative Action Act introduced during the 1980s. We utilise the Australian Bureau of Statistics Income Distribution Surveys 1981–82 and 1989–90 to reflect pre- and post-legislative reform. The article adopts the Brown, Moon and Zoloth (1980) methodology which treats both the wage and occupational status of the individual as endogenously determined. In the current context this is a particularly flexible framework allowing one to capture both the direct and indirect effects of the legislative reforms. The indirect effect refers to the narrowing of the gender wage gap associated with legislative manipulation of the male-female occupational distributions. The results contrast the slow convergence in the gender wage gap during the 1980s with the much faster pace of the 1970s. The article concludes that despite the focus of the 1980s legislation on employment equity, changes in the male-female occupational distribution over the period are small and the associated impact on gender wage convergence is also small.

Discrimination and mental health

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and prevalence of discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in West Bengal, India, and how discrimination is associated with depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts. Semi-structured interviews and the Beck Depression Inventory were administered to 105 HIV infected persons recruited by incidental sampling, at an Integrated Counseling and Testing Center (ICTC) and through Networks of People Living with HIV/AIDS, in the West Bengal area. Findings showed that 40.8% of the sample has experienced discrimination at least in one social setting – such as family (29.1%), health centers (18.4%), community (17.5%) and workplace (6.8%). About two-fifths (40.8%) reported experiencing discrimination in multiple social settings. Demographic factors associated with discrimination were gender, age, occupation, education, and current residence. More than half of the sample was suffering from severe depression while 8.7% had attempted suicide. Discrimination in most areas was significantly associated with suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts. Prevalence of discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS is high in our sample from West Bengal. While discrimination was not associated with depressive symptomatology, discrimination was associated with suicidal ideation and attempts. These findings suggest that there is an urgent need for interventions to reduce discrimination of HIV/AIDS in the West Bengal region.

Unspeakably present: The (un)acknowledgment of diverse sexuality and gender human rights in Australian youth justice systems

A number of international human rights frameworks protect the rights of young people in contact with the criminal justice system in states parties, including Australia. These frameworks inform youth justice policy in Australia’s jurisdictions. While the frameworks protect young people’s right to non-discrimination on the grounds of ‘race’, religion and political opinion, the rights of young people to non-discrimination on the grounds of sexuality and gender diversity are not explicitly protected. This is problematic given that lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) young people appear over-represented in youth justice systems. This article argues that the exclusion of this group from human rights frameworks has an important flow-on effect: the marginalisation of the right of LGBTIQ young people to non-discrimination in policy and discourse that is informed by international human rights frameworks. After outlining the relevant frameworks, this article examines the evidence about LGBTIQ young people’s interactions with youth justice agencies, particularly police. The evidence indicates that the human rights of LGBTIQ young people are frequently breached in these interactions. We conclude by arguing that it is timely to consider how best to protect the human rights of LBGTIQ young people and keep their rights on the agenda.

Male nursing students in training: A comparative analysis of hidden advantage and discrimination

Aim The aim of this study was to examine the lived experience of men training to be registered nurses within a regional New Zealand context. Design This study draws upon the key principles of descriptive phenomenology. Sample Five male students enrolled from the 1st and 3rd year of the BN programme. Findings - A Career with Prospects - Gender inequality by superiors; - Developing professional boundaries with female colleagues; - Being unique has its advantages.

Ceilings and Floors? Gender Wage Gaps by Education in Spain

Revised: 2006-11.-- Published as an article in: Journal of Population Economics, 2007, vol. 21 issue 3, pp. 751-776.

Employment discrimination against transgender people and self-esteem.

The evocation of gender identity in company anti-discrimination policies is still very rare. This observation is also true forscientific studies. Very few researches have focused exclusively on transgender employees. Transgender are neither sick nor lesscompetent, and yet, the feeling of being strongly discriminated is shared by many transgender people. Such discrimination and thetype of causal attribution do not remain without any effect on the well-being of the concerned individuals. According to Crocker &Quinn (1998), the attribution of the discrimination to the existing prejudices may be a way to protect one-self from the negativeimpact on self-esteem. In this theoretical scope, the "rejection-identification" model (Branscombe, Schmitt & Harvey, 1999) has beenhighly mobilized. It emphasizes the importance of ingroup identification in the causal relationship between perceived discriminationsituation and well-being. Previous studies which did test this model show that the identification to a certain group can counteract thenegative effects on well-being. Following this theoretical frame, the presented study examines the impact of different types of causalattributions on self-esteem: internal causes (e.g. lack of skills), external causes (e.g. economic crisis), and gender identity relatedissues. For that purpose, an online survey has been created and fulfilled by 110 transgender people. Different scales were used to testthe model: the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, a causal attribution scale, the perceived discrimination of the transgender population inthe workplace scale and a group identification scale. The results show that transgender people feel still highly stigmatized today andattribute, significantly, the causes of their situation to the prejudices they are victim of. Also, in accordance with the “rejectionidentification”model, three links are observed: (1) a negative link between perceived discrimination and self-esteem; (2) a positivelink between perceived discrimination and ingroup identification; and (3) a positive link between ingroup identification and selfesteem.This situation reflects a lack in diversity considerations. Nevertheless, the attribution made to group stigmatization seems toplay a protective role towards transgender people self-esteem.

The influence of gender in the direction of Spanish cooperative societies on profitability and indebtedness: an empirical analysis

In this paper the claim for the market for a new business management to ensure the presence of women in decision -making to respond to new social needs addressed. Thus, this paper analyzes the influence of gender diversity of the directors on the profitability and the level of debt for a sample of 5,199 Spanish cooperatives. Unlike capitalist societies, these organizations have a number of peculiarities in their government, and that the partners are themselves major time, agents and customers. The study focuses on the Spanish context, where there is an open debate on the importance of women's business management, as in other countries, driven by the proliferation of legislation on gender equality, being, in addition, Spain, the pioneer in having specific legislation on Social Economy. The results show that cooperatives with greater female representation in theirs Boards have higher profitability. On the other hand, those Boards with a higher percentage of women show a lower level of indebtedness.