Contextual Information & Existing Policies
Barriers to Women's Leadership
Social Construction of Gender Roles: Gender roles are socially constructed by patriarchal influences that position men as superior and normative, while women are viewed as inferior and secondary. In many societies, boys are encouraged to pursue careers in fields like engineering or computer science, while girls are steered towards roles like teaching or nursing. This societal expectation reflects the belief that men are naturally suited for technical or leadership roles, while women are better suited for nurturing or supportive roles. This bias can be seen in career guidance counseling, media representation, and parental expectations.
Male-Dominated Power Structures: Societal power structures, especially in bureaucracies, are predominantly held by men, with women often relegated to supportive roles that maintain male dominance. In Fortune 500 companies, men hold approximately 75-80% of executive positions, including CEO roles and board memberships. This imbalance is not due to lack of qualified female candidates but reflects historical biases, networking disparities, and cultural norms that favor male leadership styles and experiences. Women often encounter challenges in accessing mentorship opportunities, navigating old boys' networks, and breaking through entrenched gender biases in promotion decisions.
The Glass Ceiling: An invisible barrier limits women's advancement to top leadership positions, with factors such as occupational segregation, biased perceptions of women's capabilities, and exclusion from informal networks playing significant roles.
Woman and Conflict Resolutions
Women are often excluded or underrepresented in formal peace negotiations and peace talks. For instance, in the Syrian peace talks, women represented only a small fraction of the negotiators despite their significant role in grassroots peacebuilding efforts (Link).
Women peacebuilders and activists in conflict zones often face targeted violence and threats. For example, women working on human rights and peacebuilding initiatives in Afghanistan have been attacked or harassed by extremist groups (Link).
In some contexts, discriminatory laws and cultural norms restrict women's participation in public and political spheres, including peacebuilding activities. For instance, in parts of South Asia and Africa, customary laws may prevent women from inheriting land, limiting their economic empowerment and influence in decision-making (Link).
Case Study: The role of women in making and building peace in Liberia
Women's contributions to conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts are often overlooked or undervalued. For instance, women-led initiatives in Liberia played a significant role in ending the civil war, yet their contributions were not fully acknowledged in peace agreements.
Case Study: Rohingya Women's Priorities and Leadership in Myanmar
Women from marginalized communities, such as ethnic minorities or LGBTQ+ individuals, face compounded barriers due to intersecting forms of discrimination. For example, Rohingya women in refugee camps in Bangladesh face gender-based violence in addition to ethnic persecution, limiting their ability to engage in peacebuilding activities.
Quota Laws
In some countries, quota laws or affirmative action policies are implemented to increase the representation of women in decision-making positions such as corporate boards, political offices, or public sector roles. Quotas may require a certain percentage of positions to be held by women.
The European Union (EU) has encouraged member states to adopt quota laws for political parties' candidate lists in elections to promote gender balance. Several EU countries have implemented such laws.such as :
Norway: Norway is known for its pioneering efforts in gender diversity on corporate boards. It implemented a quota law in 2003, requiring that women make up at least 40% of board members in publicly listed companies. This law has been influential in encouraging gender diversity in Norwegian corporate governance.
France: France introduced gender diversity quotas for corporate boards through the Copé-Zimmermann law in 2011. The law mandated that women should hold at least 40% of board seats in listed companies by 2017, leading to notable progress in increasing female representation in boardrooms.
Spain: Spain adopted legislation in 2007 known as the Equality Law, which set a target of achieving 40% representation of women on corporate boards by 2015. While the law initially set voluntary targets, it empowered companies to adopt quotas if they failed to meet the targets voluntarily.
Germany: While Germany does not have strict quota laws for corporate boards, it adopted the Act on Equal Participation of Women and Men in Leadership Positions in 2015. The law requires large listed companies to set targets for increasing female representation on supervisory boards. If companies do not meet these targets, they must explain why and propose measures to achieve gender diversity.
Belgium: Belgium introduced a gender quota law in 2011, which required gender-balanced representation in public and semi-public companies. The law aimed to increase the number of women in decision-making positions across various sectors