A WSU professor is leading a first-of-its-kind study of efforts to close the gender gap in the U.S. and abroad. Results will be made available to government leaders, policymakers and advocates to improve policy development and outcomes.
The goal is to “gain unprecedented insight into how to make democracies more responsive to the demands of all citizens,” said Amy Mazur, the Claudius O. and Mary W. Johnson distinguished professor in political science at WSU.
Mazur and two colleagues at universities in Great Britain cofounded Gender Equality Policy in Practice (GEPP), a comparative, look at the last 40 years of legislation and policies that formally promote women’s rights and gender equality in 24 democratic countries.
To address the five-year study’s complexity and many variables, the researchers designed an innovative, systematic approach using a concise framework and concrete measures, Mazur said.
“It’s the new frontier for people working on gender and policy,” she said. “No one has satisfactorily measured these things or assessed these types of street-level politics. We’re seeing some interesting new tools developed by people in different countries.”
“Amy’s work is especially significant for connecting efforts across Europe and the U.S. to improve women’s lives everywhere,” said Patricia Glazebrook, director of the WSU School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs.