Ideas are fundamental to human progress, influencing global viewpoints and organizational contexts. The Inner Development Goals (IDGs), emerging from Sweden to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasize personal skills for tackling societal challenges. South Korea, despite economic success, is facing significant gender inequality, ranking low on the Global Gender Gap Report. This study aimed to explore the travel, translation, and dissemination of the IDG Framework in Korea. Specifically, it examined how the IDGs are spread, materialized, and manifested within Korean society and what role carriers of the IDGs play in this process. Furthermore, it discovered if the framework's objectives could catalyze meaningful transformations in addressing the pressing social issue of gender inequality in Korea. The research explores translating IDGs to South Korea, addressing local cultural contexts and gender issues. Using Czarniawska and Joerges's “Travel of Ideas” theory and Scott’s “Institutional Carriers,” it aims to determine if IDGs can mitigate gender inequality in Korea, employing qualitative data from expert interviews. Aligning with the social constructivist philosophy, the empirical data was collected and analyzed using an abductive research method. This research shows the importance of idea translation, the carriers of this idea and their legitimacy in Korean context as crucial for institutionalizing the IDG Framework in Korea. To effectively address gender issues, it is imperative to contextualize the IDGs within the framework of male perspectives.

Gender equality work is ongoing within the transport industry. The industry has a reputationof being male-dominated which may be the reason why fewer women are attracted to it.Previous research shows that there are clear norms and stereotypes within male-dominatedprofessions where women face challenges such as harassment, exclusion, prejudices, andissues with work-life balance. Previous research also presents opportunities and femalequalifications such as women being more cooperative, selfless, and less risk-taking than men. The aim of the study is to investigate how transport companies are working towards genderequality and examine the barriers and opportunities that women in the transport industry face.The study was conducted through a qualitative method, where semi-structured interviewswere conducted with a total of eleven people in leadership positions and truck drivers in threeselected transport organizations. The material provided by the respondents through their ownexperiences and perceptions has been interpreted and categorized, which is presented in theempirical chapter. The results of the study show that transport organizations are actively working to promotegender equality in the industry, requiring active marketing from companies and the presenceof female role models within the organization to increase female participation. The results ofthe study also show barriers that women face, such as work-life balance, stereotypes, andexclusion, as well as career opportunities provided to women through internal trainingprograms. By breaking norms and creating an inclusive work environment, companies canattract more women to the industry. / Jämställdhetsarbetet pågår aktivt inom transportbranschen. Branschen har en bild av att varamansdominerad vilket kan vara orsaken till att färre kvinnor söker sig dit. Tidigare forskningvisar på att det finns tydliga normer och stereotyper inom mansdominerade yrken och därkvinnor står inför utmaningar såsom trakasserier, exkludering, fördomar och problem med attfå till arbetslivsbalansen. Tidigare forskning presenterar även möjligheter och kvinnligakvalifikationer såsom att kvinnor är mer samarbetsvilliga, de är osjälviska och är mindreriskbenägna än män. Syftet med studien undersöker hur transportföretag arbetar med jämställdhetsarbete samtundersöker de hinder och möjligheter som kvinnor i transportbranschen står inför. Studien hargenomförts genom en kvalitativ metod där vi utfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med totaltelva personer på ledande positioner samt lastbilschaufförer i tre utvaldatransportorganisationer. Materialet respondenterna tillhandahöll oss genom sina egnaerfarenheter och upplevelser har vi tolkat och kategoriserat, vilka presenteras i det empiriskakapitlet. Resultatet av studien visar att transportorganisationer arbetar aktivt med att främja enjämställd bransch. Det krävs en aktiv marknadsföring från företagen samt att det kvinnligadeltagandet ökar när det finns kvinnliga förebilder inom organisationen. Studiens resultatvisar även hinder som kvinnor står inför såsom arbetslivsbalans, stereotyper och exkludering,men även vilka karriärmöjligheter som ges till kvinnor via internutbildningar. Genom attföretag bryter normer och skapar ett inkluderande arbetsklimat kan fler kvinnor attraheras tillbranschen.

Könssegregerade arbetsplatser och yrkesområden är något som kan vara till företagets nackdel, då det har visat sig att könssegregering kan bidra till sämre resultat och arbetsklimat. Segregeringen gör det också svårare för arbetsgivare att hitta rätt kompetens, vilket är ett stort problem i Värmland och anledningen till att projektet “Attraktionskraft Värmland” har startats av regionen. Projektet vill, tillsammans med företagen, göra arbetsmarknaden mer jämställd och minska segregeringen för att eliminera den kompetensbrist som råder i länet. En av de könssegregerade branscherna i Värmland är tillverkningsindustrin, som överrepresenteras av män.  Med inspiration av detta är syftet med studien att undersöka hur man kan locka fler kvinnliga medarbetare till branschen genom att ändra de fördomar och stereotyper som finns kring den. Detta med hjälp av att använda den grafiska profilen för att uttrycka jämställdhet och signalera att arbetsplatsen är inbjudande för alla kön. Studiens frågeställningar blev då:  På vilket sätt uttrycks jämställdhet genom semiotiska tecken i den grafiska profilen för företag inom tillverkningsindustrin i Värmland? Vad finns det för visuella element som kan vara problematiskt kopplat till jämställdhet i en grafisk profil? För att uppnå detta användes Luptons (2011) designprocess och en semiotisk multimodal analys av hemsidor från företag inom tillverkningsindustrin i Värmland. Tillsammans med den tidigare forskningen, teorier och resultatet av analysen visade analysen att sådant som färg, form, samt representation av kön och könsroller är påverkande i huruvida uttrycket på en hemsida upplevs som maskulint eller feminint. Efter analysen togs det fram en grafisk profil och mockup på hemsida som exempel på hur det går att använda dessa grafiska element för att skapa ett uttryck som inte diskriminerar något kön samt kan upplevas som inbjudande för alla könsidentiteter. Exemplet ska också visa hur det går att ändra den grafiska profilen med dessa aspekter i åtanke utan att tappa företagets grundvärderingar och identitet. Nyckelord: Grafisk design, grafiska profiler, jämställdhet, visuell kommunikation, employer branding / Gender-segregated workplaces and industries are something that can be to the company's disadvantage, as it has been shown that gender segregation can contribute to poorer results and work climate. Segregation also makes it more difficult for employers to find the right skills, which is a major problem in Värmland and the reason why the project "Attraction Värmland" has been launched by the region. Together with businesses, the project aims to make the labor market more equal and reduce segregation to eliminate the skills shortage in the county. One of the most gender-segregated sectors in Värmland is the manufacturing industry, which is overrepresented by men. Inspired by this, the purpose of the study is to explore how to attract more female employees to that industry by changing the prejudices and stereotypes surrounding it. This is done by using the graphic profile to express gender equality and signal that the workplace is inviting to all genders. The study's questions then became: How is gender equality expressed through semiotic signs in the graphic profile of companies in the manufacturing industry in Värmland? What visual elements can be problematic in relation to gender equality in a graphic profile? To achieve this, Lupton's (2011) design process and a semiotic multimodal analysis of websites from companies in the manufacturing industry in Värmland were used. Together with the previous research, theories, and the results of the analysis, the study showed that things like color, shape, and representation of gender and gender roles are influential in whether the expression on a website is perceived as masculine or feminine. After the analysis, a graphic profile and mockup of the website were developed as an example of how it is possible to use these graphic elements to create an expression that does not discriminate against any gender and can be perceived as inviting to all gender identities. The example also wants to show how it is possible to change the graphic profile with these aspects in mind without losing the company's core values and identity. Keywords: Graphic design, graphic profiles, gender equality, visual communication, employer branding

Cambodia's future rests on its young generation, particularly university students and recent graduates. Yet, traditional gender roles and societal norms, such as Chbab Srei, persist, hindering true gender equality. This thesis investigates the experiences and perceptions of Cambodian youths of gender equality in the context of university students and new graduates. The research aims to understand to what extent Chbab Srei (women’s code of conduct) plays a role in shaping the participants’ world. It examines how their experiences and perceptions intersect with different factors such as gender, and how these young people’s agency contributes to the reproduction or transformation of the existing gender equality. This thesis draws upon a theoretical framework informed by three key concepts. The first two, habitus and capital, stem from Pierre Bourdieu's Theory of Practice, and the third concept, intersectionality, is central to contemporary social theories of gender. A qualitative method was employed through focus group discussions, with the support of a short survey. The data was collected from 24 participants with 14 females, nine males, and one LBGTQ+.   The results show that Chbab Srei still has a strong influence on the lives of female participants. Female participants’ mobility is strictly restricted, they are expected to be close to home, responsible for housework, and get married at a young age. Such expectations impact their education, networking opportunities, career development, and leadership advancement. The lack of female leaders made most youths perceive women as incapable of leadership roles and masculine traits as desirable traits for leaders. The knowledge of participants on gender equality is low, reflecting the habitus of the social world of these participants, a low-gender-equality-index Cambodia. Symbolic capital was found to be the social force for the participants’ agency in social reconstruction and transformation. While participants’ experiences intersected with their gender, their perceptions seemed to be uniform regardless of their gender. Place(s) was found to be another aspect that influenced participants’ experiences and perceptions. Participants’ actions for social change were mainly at micro and meso levels.

The purpose of this study is to understand which challenges women politicians on Gotland face and how they perceive themselves in their political work. We aim to highlight existing gender norms and how these translate into challenges within an island setting. This research further highlights the identity work women politicians at a local level engage in. The theoretical frameworks used include feminist political theory, feminist institutionalism, identity, and political identity. The empirical data was gathered through 13 semi-structured interviews with local women politicians on Gotland. Taking on a feminist approach, our study underscores and engages with the complexity of the stories, emotions, and experiences of our participants. Our findings underline several challenges women politicians face, including Part of a quota?, Motherhood and Double standards. Our findings also stress that the notion of femininity, such as motherhood and emotionality, need to be the base for restructuring and reframing current political systems to allow for true gender equality. Additionally, our findings reveal three identity facets, (1) The Holistic Caretaker, (2) The Freedom Fighter, and (3) The Game Player, which women politicians take on depending on the political context and while aiming to navigate through the political landscape. Lastly, we have identified the paradox Women vs Women. Our study sheds light on the intertwined and complex nature of gender related challenges in local politics and reveals the paradoxical nature of women’s attempt to move up the political staircase, while simultaneously trying to challenge pre-existing systemic structures.

The starting point of this thesis is that gender equality should be studied as an empirical field. After the Swedish general election in 2014 the newly formed government proclaimed itself to be the world’s first feminist government. This study aims to examine how gender equality is made and filled with meaning by this feminist government since 2014 and to analyse the results by making use of postcolonial feminist theory and relevant research. Carol Bacchis analytical strategy, “What´s the problem represented to be?” is used as the study’s methodological framework. This approach to critical policy analysis focuses on how governing takes place through problematizations within policy. The results of the study show that gender equality is made by problematizing a lack of regulation, a lack of knowledge, a lack of collaboration, wrongful designation, a lack of attention for certain groups as well as a lack of Swedish strategy. One of the most significant results drawn from the analyses confirms previous research findings that neoliberalism as well as ethnocentric discourses dominate this field of policy. This leads to the conclusions that Swedish Gender Equality Politics, through to its fragmentation is emptied of a specific content and direction as well as that Swedishness and Norms of Honor are created in an asymmetric-diametrically relationship.

Several empirical studies have concluded that gender equality is a crucial ingredient for development. Gendered higher education institutions play an important role in this respect. The research problem that this dissertation sought to address was whether Addis Ababa and Unity Universities have mainstreamed gender throughout their systems in order to contribute towards gender equality and women empowerment in Ethiopia. The research employed various data collection methodologies and processed primary and secondary data sources using qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques. The key finding is that gender has not been integrated into the policies and practices of both Universities in any significant way. The study concludes that the Universities have an inadequate institutional framework and commitment to mainstream gender. Moreover, they lack gender analytical capacity, enforcement mechanisms for accountability, and have not forged strategic partnerships with development partners. / Educational Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

The adoption of the 1996 Constitution in recognition of the historic imbalances that South Africa inherited from its past, affirms the commitment to the promotion of human rights including the right to equality. The emphasis on the right to equality in the Constitution and other related laws discussed in the study represents a guarantee for both men and women the right to equal treatment and benefit of the law. The point of departure is based on the premise that views the law as an instrument that has the potential to effect social change. The primary purpose is to determine various factors that are an impediment to the significance of the law for the promotion of the right to gender equality. The objective is to establish with sufficient certainty the substantive conception of the right to gender equality in post-apartheid South Africa. This dissertation examines and provides a brief overview of the development and the intersection of the principles of non-discrimination at the international and regional spheres and their influence in broadening the scope for enforcement of gender equality in South Africa. It provides a literature review and an analysis of the equality jurisprudence of South Africa’s Constitutional Court and its influence to the lowest structures of the judiciary in promoting the right to gender equality. This undertaking is reinforced by the primary purpose in this study of examining various factors that are an impediment to the promotion of the right to gender equality. It discovers that the establishment of a “just society” is difficult where the significance of the law is affected by the lack of legal knowledge and other related factors identified in the study. It establishes that the promotion of the right to gender equality is a gradual process that should not be undertaken overnight but on a continuous basis. It can be drawn from the findings in this study that the law “alone” is limited in its application in addressing socio-legal problems. Despite the limitation, the use of law is not a goal that should be discarded as it lays the framework for the determination of the significance of legal measures for social change.

Generally, traditional "marriages" according to Islamic custom are void in South African law because they are potentially polygynous and do not comply with the formalities prescribed by the Marriage Act 25 of 1961 . A valid concern for those who oppose polygyny is that it may enforce and promote gender inequality in that it is practised in patriarchal Muslim societies. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996 contains numerous provisions aimed at combating gender inequalities, and these could be used to justify the policy of non-recognition. On the other hand, the Constitution has ushered in an era of tolerance and empathy; and the equality and religion clauses could be used to ensure that polygynous marriages are no longer ignored. This study will examine the tensions between Muslim personal law and clauses in the Constitution which have led to calls for the reformation and codification of Muslim personal law. / Private Law / LL. M.

The study is a gender critical investigation of the implementation of gender policy programs in student admission in Zimbabwe state universities. The study locates itself in the student admissions section of these institutions, acknowledging the potential contributions of the practices and procedures in this section towards achievement of gender equality. The study focused on the nature of the implemented programs, the gender equality model pursued and how the programs are made part of the mainstream. The study employed a multi-pronged theoretical frameworks approach as its theoretical framework to determine feasible strategies in analyzing the research problem, choosing the research approach, deciding on the research methods, formulating the research questions and in drawing the conclusion to the study. A mixed method inquiry used the multiple case study survey, documentary analysis and interviews to gather data in two state universities. The study found that in spite of the state universities implementing gender policy programs as required by the Zimbabwe National Gender Policy (2004), gender inequalities persisted, and in the process the study revealed more barriers than successes encountered on the road to gender equality. This concurred with some of what was predicated from literature on the use of the adopted approaches to gender mainstreaming and models of gender equality pursued. The chief factor responsible for the inequalities was found to be the pervasive, deeply entrenched patriarchal conservatism, cultural stereotypes, biases and discriminations held by some actors in student admissions which marginalized gender equality and consequently, rendered the gender equality agenda elusive. The study identified the need for adoption of a wider conception of gender and gender equality and of a radical transformative approach in order to resuscitate the paralyzed gender equality mandate in student admissions. Apart from generating some new insights regarding theory, the study is also of value at an applied level: serving to support programs and sustainable plans for gender equality implementation in student admissions in universities. The main recommendation of the study is the need for a new shift in policy program implementation, and the study outlined the main cardinal points of this new paradigm. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)