Gender Equality in a Global Perspective looks to discuss whether Gender Equality can be adopted as it has been defined in international documents anywhere, or whether it needs to be adapted in a more local context; discuss which factors and perspectives need to be taken into account when adapting Gender Equality to specific contexts; suggest research approaches for studies on whether a universal (Western) concept of Gender Equality fits in certain specific contexts; and finally suggests challenges to the existing interpretation of Gender Equality (e.g., theory of intersectionality); and the development of legal and policy framework. This book is situated within the tradition of comparative gender studies. While most other such books take up and compare various ways of implementing (or not implementing) gender equality, this book studies and compares whether or not (and to what extent) a specific definition of Gender Equality (GE) could be adopted by various nations. Thus, all chapter contributors will engage with the same definition of GE, which will be presented within the book, and discuss the possibilities and constrains related to applying such a definition in their particular national context. The readers will learn about the problems of applying a universal concept of Gender Equality and the possible reasons for and modes of adapting Gender Equality to different contexts. Gender Equality in a Global Perspective looks to maintain a critical and reflexive stance towards the issues raised and will seek to present multiple perspectives and open-ended answers. As such it hopes to contribute to the international discussion of human rights more broadly and Gender Equality specifically. The intended audience is not limited only to but will include policy makers, scholars and students with an interest in Gender issues, Organizational Theory, Political Science, Human Development, Policy Analysis, Globalization and other management sub-disciplines.

This interdisciplinary volume discusses women’s global leadership and women’s rights advancement, identifying gender inequality as a persisting societal challenge and a major barrier to human development. Drawing on intersectionality as an important analytic and methodological tool, the contributors analyse women’s leadership roles across the world, featuring perspectives on the US, Israel, and Brazil, amongst other countries. The book also contributes to the growing field of leadership, presenting cross-cultural examples and case-studies of outstanding women and female leaders, as well as discussing contemporary leadership theories, and examining obstacles to women’s leadership. Global Perspectives on Women’s Leadership and Gender (In)Equality will be an important point of reference for students and scholars across the political sciences, women’s studies, feminist philosophy, business development, and history.

II: WOMEN AND HEALTH

The Nordic countries have long been seen as pioneers in promoting gender equality. The book brings together scholars from the global South and post-socialist economies to reflect on Nordic approaches to gender equality. The contributors to the book seek to explore from a comparative perspective the vision, values, policies, mechanisms, coalitions of interests and political processes that help to explain Nordic achievements on gender equality. While some contributors explore the Nordic experience through the prism of their own realities, others explore their own realities through the Nordic prism. By cutting across normal geographical boundaries, disciplinary boundaries and the boundaries between theory and policy, this book will be of interest to all readers with an interest in furthering gender equality.

"The cross-cultural study of women's issues and women's movements, the focus of this book, is fascinating and educational. It tells of women and girls' disadvantage relative to boys and men and how that disadvantage arises from the greater male rights and privilege embedded in cultures, institutions, groups, and minds. Unfortunately, this truth can be disturbing at times. But this book is also uplifting because it is equally about hope, resilience, and the power of people to fight and right social injustices. Throughout the book are many examples of actions to address women's issues and promote gender equality-ranging from the small grassroots effort addressing local women's issues to the use of international law for improving women's status. The global study of women is also about diversity and intersectionality and their importance for understanding the gendered human experience. Gendered discriminations are often heightened by their interaction with other discriminations such as those based on race, class, sexual orientation, age, and gender identity. The experiences and issues of women vary widely based on these and other intersections. Women's experiences as women are also strongly shaped by the particular political, social, and cultural contexts where they live, leading to diversity in women's lives and issues, and in their advocacy and activism. This diversity is true not only in our own country, but also globally. Documenting, studying, and appreciating this variety are hallmarks of global women's and gender studies and one of the major aims of this book. Hope the readers find the global study of women captivating and inspiring. Hope that after reading the book they not only better understand how the world works but that they also feel compelled to do their part for gender equality. Hope that readers will be struck by the scope of gender injustice but equally struck by the scope of women's resistance and the possibilities for change. Hope that the book helps readers better understand and appreciate feminism, diversity, and intersectionality, as they are so often caricatured, ridiculed, and negatively stereotyped. Hope that the book reflects and honors internationally oriented women's and gender studies scholarship and the many women's movements actors and organizations that advocate and serve women"--

There are often blanket claims that the world is facing more problems than ever but there is a lack of empirical data to show where things have deteriorated or in fact improved. In this book, some of the world's leading economists discuss ten problems that have blighted human development, ranging from malnutrition, education, and climate change, to trade barriers and armed conflicts. Costs of the problems are quantified in percent of GDP, giving readers a unique opportunity to understand the development of each problem over the past century and the likely development into the middle of this century, and to compare the size of the challenges. For example: how bad was air pollution in 1900? How has it deteriorated and what about the future? Did climate change cost more than malnutrition in 2010? This pioneering initiative to provide answers to many of these questions will undoubtedly spark debate amongst a wide readership.

Women, Politics, and Power provides a clear and detailed introduction to women's political participation and representation across a wide range of countries and regions. Using broad statistical overviews and detailed case-study accounts, authors Pamela Paxton and Melanie Hughes document both historical trends and the contemporary state of women's political strength across diverse countries. In addition to describing worldwide themes, the book acknowledges differences among women through attention to intersectionality and heterogeneity among women. Dedicated chapters on six geographic regions highlight the distinct paths women may take to political power in different parts of the world. There is simply no other book that offers such a thorough and multidisciplinary synthesis of research on women's political power around the world.