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This research paper endeavours to investigate the correlation between sanctions and the exacerbation of gender inequality. Specifically, the study aims to assess whether the imposition of sanctions leads to heightened levels of gender-based disparities. In the aftermath of the Cold War, the utilisation of sanctions surged markedly as an instrument for altering states' behaviour in foreign policy. In line with the increased prevalence of sanctions, a growing discourse has emerged surrounding the unanticipated outcomes of these measures. What remains unexamined is whether women are disproportionately affected. This represents a significant gap in the literature as almost no studies address gender-based consequences of sanctions. In compliance with the scarcity in academia, this thesis aims to test the outlined hypothesis that sanctions have been shown to affect women and men differently, that sanctions will have a negative impact on gender equality. This relationship between sanctions and gender inequality will be assessed by conducting OLS regression based on data from The Global Sanctions Data Base (GSDB) and the Quality of Governance (QoG). Control variables have also been incorporated to mitigate the potential impact of these variables on both the independent and dependent variables. In the bivariate model, when controls were not included, a notable level of support for the hypothesis was observed, whilst a substantially weaker, statistically insignificant connection in the multivariate regression analysis was evident. The findings of this study may offer valuable insights to enhance future investigations in the realm of sanctions and gender.

This paper discusses the incorporation of socio-political themes in music and music journalism, focusing on the issues of gender inequality, imbalance, and women's marginalization. It investigates how two UK-based media with a transnational audience focus, Kerrang! and New Musical Express (NME), challenge or reinforce gender inequality-related themes in their publications in 2019-2023. The study also asks how the socio-political discussion is positioned in relation to the aesthetic evaluation of music, how the two music magazines differ in their approach, and how this correlates to the audiences they are trying to attract and retain. The study utilises a discourse analysis method, investigating the textual, discourse practice, and social practice elements of the text in fourteen articles (seven from each chosen media), divided into publication types of news articles, new song release coverage, album/artist reviews, and women's rights-related special publications. The analysis concludes that women musicians aremarginalised, especially in the alternative and rock music genres, but also discovers that effort is put into giving women musicians' voices more space to discuss and challenge the issue. Kerrang! and NME appear as media avoiding focusing on women musicians' gender when discussing their music and pointing at specific actions necessary to reach better gender equality and women empowerment in music and society. The findings demonstrate a varying positioning of gender inequality discussion in relation to the aesthetic evaluation of music, concluding that NME as a "lifestyle" publication focuses on the topic to a lesser extent than the "underground", niche-specific media Kerrang!. The study establishes a connection to the intersectionality theory, presenting the intersecting identities of "women" and "musicians" related to the inequality in the music industry. The research contributes to understanding cultural journalism's influence in mediating and inspiring social and political debate, providing updated findings on women's representation in two contemporary music media. It proves the importance of music and music journalism for enriching modern society and serves as a foundation for future research that can expand the findings by employing a quantitative approach for more generalizable findings.

Even if child mortality has decreased significantly since 1990, it is still a substantial issue that is prevalent all over the world. Regional differences are significant, and Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected area. Traditionally, researchers have turned to the medical field for health-related issues. However, social, and structural factors, among them gender inequality, are also crucial in determining health and life conditions. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how intrahousehold gender inequality affects child mortality in Sierra Leone. The study was made through a cross-sectional study using data from the Sierra Leone Demographic Health Survey. A quantitative method was used, and analysis was conducted using OLS regression. In contrast to previous research, the results do not show a significant covariation between maternal education and child mortality. Likewise, paternal education and the difference in education between men and women showed no significant covariation with child mortality. However, polygyny, the number of wives and the first event of intimate partner violence were positively associated with child mortality. More studies about gender inequality in relation to child mortality should be conducted to strengthen the results and increase the knowledge and understanding of this subject.

Thesis advisor: Arthur Lewbel / This thesis consists of two chapters. In Chapter 1, I studied the consumption inequalities between men and women, as well as boys and girls, within the households in Sierra Leone. Through a collective household model, I found that women on average experience lower levels of consumption than men, with the inequality concentrated in households that are large or consist of more women than men. Moreover, there is little evidence of overall consumption inequality by gender for children, while both boys and girls have very high poverty rates. In addition, I developed a new strategy for understanding who is perceived as a child vs. an adult in a household, which improved the estimation. In Chapter 2, I studied the associations between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes and adolescent obesity in the US. I found that the taxes were associated with a lower body mass index and a lower probability of being overweight or obese. I found that SSBs and milk consumption had mediating roles, as tax increases were associated with decreases in SSB consumption and increases in milk consumption. Given the limited implementation and recent preemption of SSB taxes across the US, these results would help in understanding the potential benefits of implementing SSB taxes on a larger scale. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

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This paper studies the Covid-19 pandemics effect on female labor market participation in Sweden and Denmark. Previous studies have various assessments on whether women were affected to a different extent than men. Studies from the United States indicate that women have been hit harder than men as a result of the pandemic. According to the Swedish data, women were not affected significantly more than men. This study contributes to the research by examining how the gender gap develops during the pandemic in Sweden and Denmark. This is warrant by the different policies that the countries have introduced. In this study panel data between 2014 and 2021 is used, the results of this study indicate that there is no significant effect of the pandemic on women's unemployment rate in Sweden while the results from Denmark is significant at a 1 percent level. The results show that the pandemic has affected the gender gap in Sweden more than in Denmark.

The aim of the given study is to investigate the impact of the legal as well as the sociocultural systems of Iran on the secondary victimization of rape victims in the country. As a theoretical background of the study, two feminist theories, Feminist criminology and Radical Feminist, will be used. By the help of these theories the influences of patriarchy on secondary victimization of rape victims in Iran will be explained. While case study is used to frame the design of the study, qualitative content analysis will also be used to collect the needed data through analyzing different sources and materials. The findings show that the lack of comprehensive laws regarding rape crime in Iran and the way service providers view and perceive rape victims have led to re-victimization of rape victims. Moreover, analyzing the sociocultural system of the country demonstrated that the prevalence of rape myths and gender inequality in the society have also contributed to re-victimization of such victims. The author believes that establishing new comprehensive laws regarding rape crime and changing the service providers and people’s attitudes regarding rape crime and rape victims through education are the most appropriate solutions for this problem.

Background: Although major depression is one of the leading causes of premature death and disability in India, there is little infrastructure to provide mental health services in the rural North Indian state of Uttarakhand. The worldwide burden of depression is 50% higher in women than men, however Indian women experience the double burden of gender disadvantage and poverty which restricts their autonomy and access to social support, and increases their risk for common mental disorders (CMDs). In this low resource setting, community mental health (CMH) models of care may offer the best approach to supporting women with CMDs. Objective: This study partnered with a local NGO in Uttarakhand to examine the factors influencing women’s participation in psychosocial support groups (PSSGs), and the groups’ impact on the women and their communities. PSSGs had been set up in the communities for a minimum of 6 months. Methodology: Focused ethnographic research was conducted over three months in 2016, involving ten focus group discussions (FGDs) with seven unique PSSGs, representing a total of 43 women. FGDs were conducted with PSSGs that had been active a minimum of 6 months. They included both persons with psychosocial disability and their caregivers, primarily divided into separate PSSGs. FGDs were conducted across three different sites, with predominantly Muslim and Hindu populations. Additionally, eight key informant interviews were conducted with community health workers and mental health professionals. Data was translated and transcribed from Hindi to English. Results: The principal barrier to PSSG participation was gender inequality, more specifically, women not being granted permission to leave the home to participate. In terms of impact, the women explained how learning and talking about their own depression and anxiety increased their knowledge and improved their mental health. PSSGs created safe social spaces for women to talk, which increased women’s confidence to speak freely in their community. As a result of the PSSGs, women felt that they had reimagined their roles as community members, shifting from the role of receiver of help to provider. Communities were impacted by the PSSGs as women shared their mental health (MH) knowledge widely, and referred and accompanied community members to MH services. Discussion: These findings are significant because women in PSSGs were able to work together to improve their MH in the context of high gender inequality and mental health stigma. Greater ability to speak out and act collectively may empower women to contribute to household and community decisions, and participate economically, advancing their health and social interests. This research demonstrates how PSSGs can benefit not only the women involved but their community and its mental health. It highlights the importance of understanding models for CMH services that build on local resources and can serve as a model for other underserved communities. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)