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Is Paris 2024 really achieving its goals for gender equality?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachael-jefferson-297850">Rachael Jefferson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> The <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024">Paris Olympics</a> has proudly proclaimed to be the first games in 128 years to offer gender equality. This has been achieved by the <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/genderequalolympics-paris-2024-making-history-on-the-field-of-play">International Olympic Committee (IOC)</a> providing an equal number of quota places for female and male athletes, while also increasing the number of women in coaching, broadcasting and sport governance roles. However, gender equality in sport is not just about the numbers – it involves dismantling systemic patriarchy piece by piece. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uaCIpFiN6us?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>The Paris games will feature the highest proportion of women in the history of the Olympics.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Female athlete participation</h2> The ratio of female-to-male athlete parity is significant in the Paris Olympics, given <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jul/28/the-guardian-view-on-women-and-the-olympics-the-athletes-caught-up-now-the-ioc-must">women were banned from the first games in 1896</a> and only permitted to compete in small numbers in “female-appropriate” events four years later. There was a steady increase in female participation as the games became more popular through the 20th century. However, it was not until 1979 that the right of women to participate in sport was formally included in the first international convention (United Nations) on <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/cedaw.pdf">the elimination of all forms of discrimination</a> against women. It took another 33 years for women to be allowed to <a href="https://library.olympics.com/default/zoom-femme-et-sport.aspx?_lg=en-GB">compete in all events</a> on the Olympic program in 2012. At the Paris Olympics, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1090616/olympics-share-athletes-by-gender-since-1896/">50% of competing athletes are women</a>, and the Australian team has its <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-anika-wells-mp/media/australia-supports-unesco-push-for-gender-equality-in-sport?language=en">highest ever proportion of women (55%)</a>. <h2>Women’s visibility</h2> The IOC has been working hard at shaking off its patriarchal reputation for the past three decades or so. Two major milestones were the establishment of the <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/gender-equality/gender-equality-through-time">Women and Sport Working Group</a> in 1995, and the <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/635560/EPRS_BRI(2019)635560_EN.pdf">amending of the Olympic Charter</a> a year later to include advancing women in sport as an Olympic principle. Despite this progress, women’s Olympic events have often been <a href="https://revista-apunts.com/en/media-representation-of-women-athletes-at-the-olympic-games-a-systematic-review/">sidelined by the media</a>, enabling male athletes to enjoy greater publicity (and associated sponsorship) than their female counterparts. The long-established scheduling of events <a href="https://www.jou.ufl.edu/insights/gender-based-sports-coverage-a-quarter-century-of-prime-time-summer-olympics/">offers male athletes peak viewing times</a> across the globe, thereby consigning many women to the margins. In Paris, this <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/genderequalolympics-paris-2024-making-history-on-the-field-of-play">gender discrimination</a> has been disrupted to better the balance. Combat and strength sports are now based on weight categories, permitting the women’s and men’s events to alternate instead of having men’s events available in the popular evening slot. The women’s marathon – only introduced to the Olympics in 1984 – will <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/news/key-information-athletics-paris-2024-olympic-games">also conclude the athletics program</a> instead of the men’s for the first time. <h2>Media representation</h2> Amplifying women’s voices and stories from the games has been a key objective for the Paris Olympics. The IOC has been instrumental in this endeavour via its <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/gender-equality/portrayal-guidelines">2024 Portrayal Guidelines:</a> gender-equal, fair and inclusive representation in sport. These guidelines have led to a large increase in the number of female staff in broadcast roles and production teams in Paris. And <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/olympic-broadcasting-more-women-in-key-broadcast-roles-at-paris-2024">female-targeted training camps</a> in 2023 provided by the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) have been a timely institutional transformation. Improved media representation of female athletes is also a priority, focusing on how they are visually captured and presented in all forms of media and communication. This helps to reframe persistent patriarchal narratives about how sportswomen must <a href="https://theconversation.com/uniform-discontent-how-women-athletes-are-taking-control-of-their-sporting-outfits-164946">maintain their femininity</a> to be worthy recipients of the <a href="https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1269&context=grad_rev">male gaze</a>. Regrettably, this is still a work in progress for some commentators such as <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/business/media/you-know-what-women-are-like-eurosport-commentator-bob-ballard-sacked-for-sexist-remark-after-australias-freestyle-relay-win/news-story/739bc7a0efaf9d7007250ab0c4313f15">Bob Bollard, whose recent sexist “makeup” remark</a> went viral when he was reporting on the gold medal win for the Australian women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team. After the Bollard incident, Yiannis Exarchos, the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/news/sports/article/3272286/paris-olympics-camera-operators-told-avoid-filming-women-sexist-way">OBS chief, swiftly reminded</a> mostly male camera operators to refrain from any sexist filming of female athletes. He said the problem was mainly down to “unconscious bias”, with camera operators and TV editors tending to show more close-up shots of women than men. <h2>Leadership and infrastructure</h2> Female under-representation in the IOC is well documented. There were <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/635560/EPRS_BRI(2019)635560_EN.pdf">no women in the IOC from 1896 to 1981</a> before Flor Isava Fonseca (Venezuela) and Pirjo Häggman (Finland) were co-opted as the <a href="https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/Olympic-Movement/Factsheets/Women-in-the-Olympic-Movement.pdf">first two female IOC members in 1981</a>. In the IOC’s most recent election in July, the number of <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-session-in-paris-elects-two-new-vice-presidents-and-eight-ioc-members">female members rose to 42.3%</a> – more than a 100% increase in the past decade. Following a long overdue <a href="https://unwomen.org.au/paris-2024-olympics-a-new-era-for-women-in-sport/">IOC rule change in 2020</a>, the traditional male flag bearer in the Olympics Opening Ceremony was accompanied by a female. Gender issues arise with elite sport coaches too – <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/female-coaches">only 13% of coaches</a> at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were women. In Paris, it is estimated <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2024/07/27/female-coaches-misogyny-olympics-paris-2024-equality-wish/#:%7E:text=At%20the%20Tokyo%20Olympics%20in,10%20coaches%20will%20be%20female.">one in ten coaches are female</a>. Outrage about <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/nikes-olympic-track-womens-uniforms-criticized-athletes-sexism/story?id=109267006">sexist Nike uniforms</a> and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-olympics-and-fifa-are-trying-to-better-support-mum-aletes-what-are-australian-sports-doing-233218">lack of facilities for “mum-aletes”</a> until the 2024 games both highlight the incessant institutional hurdles elite sportswomen encounter. <h2>A new era for female athletes</h2> The Paris games are a springboard for much needed systemic change in the minutiae of Olympic policies and practices. Female athletes are no longer victims of vast patriarchal conspiracies to lock them out of this male-dominated arena. They’ve gained ground and are kicking sexism to the touchline with relish. We all need to welcome in this new era.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/235665/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachael-jefferson-297850">Rachael Jefferson</a>, Lecturer in Human Movement Studies (Health and PE) and Creative Arts, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-paris-2024-really-achieving-its-goals-for-gender-equality-235665">original article</a>. </div>

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"Misleading": IOC condemns "abuse" hurled at Olympic boxer

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has released a statement to condemn the "abuse" and "discrimination" that has targeted Algerian boxer Imane Khelif after her controversial match in Paris. The match, which was abandoned after just 46 seconds when her Italian opponent Angela Carini tapped out, caused quite the stir when Carini said she had "never been hit that hard in my life". Following the controversial match, Khelif's history came to light with many pointing out how she was permitted to fight at the Olympics despite being disqualified from the women’s boxing world championships last year for failing gender eligibility tests. Khelif, who was born female and has always identified as such, has been hit with a wave of transphobic abuse from high profile figures including J.K Rowling and Elon Musk after the revelations came to light. The 25-year-old athlete, who has been boxing since she was a child and has always competed in women’s categories, was tested by the International Boxing Association (IBA) with IBA president Umar Kremlev saying DNA tests had “proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded”. For males, XY is the combination of chromosomes while XX is the combination in females. As Khelif has always identified as female, there are a number of medical conditions that can cause a woman to also have XY chromosomes. The IOC has since spoken out in defence of Khelif, denouncing the “abuse” levelled at the Khelif as “discrimination”, while confirming she had followed the eligibility criteria to compete at the Games. “Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination,” the <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/joint-paris-2024-boxing-unit-ioc-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> released on Friday said. “We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024." The second athlete in question is referring to fellow boxer, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting, who underwent the same testing from the IBA and returned the same XY chromosome results as Khelif. “The two athletes have been competing in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments." “The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving.” The statement went on to call out the IBA's DNA testing, reading, "The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years." "Such an approach is contrary to good governance." Image credits: Facebook/YAHYA ARHAB/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial

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To tackle gendered violence, we also need to look at drugs, trauma and mental health

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/siobhan-odean-1356613">Siobhan O'Dean</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lucinda-grummitt-1531503">Lucinda Grummitt</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steph-kershaw-1466426">Steph Kershaw</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged <a href="https://ministers.pmc.gov.au/gallagher/2024/helping-women-leave-violent-partner-payment">more than A$925 million</a> over five years to address men’s violence towards women. This includes up to $5,000 to support those escaping violent relationships. However, to reduce and prevent gender-based and intimate partner violence we also need to address the root causes and contributors. These include alcohol and other drugs, trauma and mental health issues. <h2>Why is this crucial?</h2> The World Health Organization estimates <a href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/341604/WHO-SRH-21.6-eng.pdf?sequence=1">30% of women</a> globally have experienced intimate partner violence, gender-based violence or both. In Australia, <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/partner-violence/latest-release#key-statistics">27% of women</a> have experienced intimate partner violence by a co-habiting partner; <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37004184/">almost 40%</a> of Australian children are exposed to domestic violence. By gender-based violence we mean violence or intentionally harmful behaviour directed at someone due to their gender. But intimate partner violence specifically refers to violence and abuse occurring between current (or former) romantic partners. Domestic violence can extend beyond intimate partners, to include other family members. These statistics highlight the urgent need to address not just the aftermath of such violence, but also its roots, including the experiences and behaviours of perpetrators. <h2>What’s the link with mental health, trauma and drugs?</h2> The relationships between mental illness, drug use, traumatic experiences and violence are complex. When we look specifically at the link between mental illness and violence, most people with mental illness will not become violent. But there <a href="https://theconversation.com/bondi-attacker-had-mental-health-issues-but-most-people-with-mental-illness-arent-violent-227868">is evidence</a> people with serious mental illness can be more likely to become violent. The use of alcohol and other drugs also <a href="https://theconversation.com/alcohol-and-drug-use-exacerbate-family-violence-and-can-be-dealt-with-69986">increases the risk</a> of domestic violence, including intimate partner violence. About <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/family-domestic-and-sexual-violence/understanding-fdsv/factors-associated-with-fdsv">one in three</a> intimate partner violence incidents involve alcohol. These are more likely to result in physical injury and hospitalisation. The risk of perpetrating violence is even higher for people with mental ill health who are also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525086/">using alcohol or other drugs</a>. It’s also important to consider traumatic experiences. Most people who experience trauma do not commit violent acts, but there are <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(23)00075-0/fulltext">high rates</a> of trauma among people who become violent. For example, experiences of childhood trauma (such as witnessing physical abuse) <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178915000828?via%3Dihub">can increase the risk</a> of perpetrating domestic violence as an adult. Early traumatic experiences can affect the brain and body’s <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-017-0895-4">stress response</a>, leading to heightened fear and perception of threat, and difficulty regulating emotions. This can result in aggressive responses when faced with conflict or stress. This response to stress increases the risk of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9675346/">alcohol and drug problems</a>, developing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30798897/">PTSD</a> (post-traumatic stress disorder), and <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-17349-001">increases the risk</a> of perpetrating intimate partner violence. <h2>How can we address these overlapping issues?</h2> We can reduce intimate partner violence by addressing these overlapping issues and tackling the root causes and contributors. The early intervention and treatment of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-019-0728-z">mental illness</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1541204020939645">trauma</a> (including PTSD), and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2015.06.001">alcohol and other drug use</a>, could help reduce violence. So extra investment for these are needed. We also need more investment to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212657023000508">prevent mental health issues</a>, and preventing alcohol and drug use disorders from developing in the first place. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074937972200023X?via%3Dihub">Preventing trauma</a> from occuring and supporting those exposed is crucial to end what can often become a vicious cycle of intergenerational trauma and violence. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/070674371105600505">Safe and supportive</a> environments and relationships can protect children against mental health problems or further violence as they grow up and engage in their own intimate relationships. We also need to acknowledge the widespread <a href="https://store.samhsa.gov/product/practical-guide-implementing-trauma-informed-approach/pep23-06-05-005">impact of trauma</a> and its effects on mental health, drug use and violence. This needs to be integrated into policies and practices to reduce re-traumatising individuals. <h2>How about programs for perpetrators?</h2> Most existing standard intervention programs for perpetrators <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1524838018791268">do not consider</a> the links between trauma, mental health and perpetrating intimate partner violence. Such programs tend to have <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0012718">little</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.101974">mixed effects</a> on the behaviour of perpetrators. But we could improve these programs with a <a href="http://rcfv.archive.royalcommission.vic.gov.au/MediaLibraries/RCFamilyViolence/Reports/RCFV_Full_Report_Interactive.pdf">coordinated approach</a> including treating mental illness, drug use and trauma at the same time. Such “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014976341930449X?via%3Dihub">multicomponent</a>” programs show promise in meaningfully reducing violent behaviour. However, we need more rigorous and large-scale evaluations of how well they work. <h2>What needs to happen next?</h2> Supporting victim-survivors and improving interventions for perpetrators are both needed. However, intervening once violence has occurred is arguably too late. We need to direct our efforts towards broader, holistic approaches to prevent and reduce intimate partner violence, including addressing the underlying contributors to violence we’ve outlined. We also need to look more widely at preventing intimate partner violence and gendered violence. We need developmentally appropriate <a href="https://theconversation.com/4-things-our-schools-should-do-now-to-help-prevent-gender-based-violence-228993">education and skills-based programs</a> for adolescents to prevent the emergence of unhealthy relationship patterns before they become established. We also need to address the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7278040/">social determinants of health</a> that contribute to violence. This includes improving access to affordable housing, employment opportunities and accessible health-care support and treatment options. All these will be critical if we are to break the cycle of intimate partner violence and improve outcomes for victim-survivors. <hr /> The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault. If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call 000.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/229182/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/siobhan-odean-1356613">Siobhan O'Dean</a>, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lucinda-grummitt-1531503">Lucinda Grummitt</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steph-kershaw-1466426">Steph Kershaw</a>, Research Fellow, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-tackle-gendered-violence-we-also-need-to-look-at-drugs-trauma-and-mental-health-229182">original article</a>.

Caring

Horrifying moment plane crashes in gender reveal stunt

A gender reveal party in Mexico has ended in tragedy after the stunt plane crashed killing the pilot. The video, filmed by a party guest, showed an expecting couple smiling as they waited for the plane to ascend and perform the reveal. The pair stood in front of a sign that read: "Oh baby!" as the small plane approached them releasing pink smoke, signalling to the couple that they are having a girl. Tragedy struck when the pilot pulled the Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee aircraft upwards and the left wing suddenly gave way, sending aircraft into a tailspin, ultimately leading to the fatal crash. The Sun reported that the attendees seemed oblivious to the crash as they continued to celebrate the gender reveal. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Pilot killed after his Piper PA-25 left wing failed at a gender reveal party in the town of San Pedro, Mexico. <a href="https://t.co/6JILK7fsGm">pic.twitter.com/6JILK7fsGm</a> — Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/aviationbrk/status/1698255432630796349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2023</a></blockquote> Later on, graphic photos of the horrendous aftermath emerged showing the 32-year-old pilot, Luis Angel N., lying in the wreckage of the plane before he was rushed to hospital where he unfortunately passed away, according to local media reports. A few other photos of the wreckage has also been posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a few people rushing to get the pilot out. Footage of the gender reveal party has since gone viral, with viewers sharing their condolences to the pilot, while others slammed the "extreme gender reveals". "The way the camera panned back to the couple with not the slightest care in the world for the pilot is sad," one commented. “Why do they have to do such extreme gender reveals lately? Why can’t they just settle for something simple?” added another. “It looks like he over stressed the aircraft. I wonder if he was above safe manoeuvring speed? I hate to see it," wrote a third. A fourth person commented: “Whats the point of this at the first place? I see so many accidents and incidents doing gender reveals.” Images: Twitter

Family & Pets

How biological differences between men and women alter immune responses – and affect women’s health

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-mcgettrick-1451122">Helen McGettrick</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138">University of Birmingham</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/asif-iqbal-1451123">Asif Iqbal</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138">University of Birmingham</a> Most people will have heard the term “man flu”, which refers to men’s perceived tendency to exaggerate the severity of a cold or a similar minor ailment. What most people may not know is that, generally speaking, women mount stronger <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36121220/">immune responses</a> to infections than men. Men are <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1005374">more susceptible</a> to infections from, for example, HIV, hepatitis B, and Plasmodium falciparum (the parasite responsible for malaria). They can also have more severe symptoms, with evidence showing they’re more likely to be <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1005374">admitted to hospital</a> when infected with hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and Campylobacter jejuni (a bacteria that causes gastroenteritis), among others. While this may be positive for women in some respects, it also means women are at <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri2815">greater risk</a> of developing chronic diseases driven by the immune system, known as immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Here we will explore how biological factors influence immune differences between the sexes and how this affects women’s health. While we acknowledge that both sex and gender may affect immune responses, this article will focus on biological sex rather than gender. <h2>Battle of the sexes</h2> There are differences <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">between the sexes</a> at every stage of the immune response, from the number of immune cells, to their degree of activation (how ready they are to respond to a challenge), and beyond. However, the story is more complicated than that. Our immune system evolves throughout our lives, learning from past experiences, but also responding to the physiological challenges of getting older. As a result, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">sex differences</a> in the immune system can be seen from birth through puberty into adulthood and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jleukbio/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jleuko/qiad053/7190870">old age</a>. Why do these differences occur? The first part of answering this question involves the X chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X and one Y chromosome. The <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20651746/">X chromosome</a> contains the largest number of immune-related genes. The X chromosome also has <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00018-020-03526-7">around 118 genes</a> from a gene family that are able to stop the expression of other genes, or change how proteins are made, including those required for immunity. These gene-protein regulators are known as microRNA, and there are only <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24808907/">two microRNA genes</a> on the Y chromosome. The X chromosome has <a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/X-Chromosome-facts">more genes overall</a> (around 900) than the Y chromosome (around 55), so female cells have evolved to switch off one of their X chromosomes. This is not like turning off a light switch, but more like using a dimmer. Around <a href="https://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-019-5507-6">15-25% of genes</a> on the silenced X chromosome are expressed at any given moment in any given cell. This means female cells can often express more immune-related genes and gene-protein regulators than males. This generally means a faster clearance of pathogens in females than males. Second, men and women have <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.604000/full">varying levels</a> of different sex hormones. Progesterone and testosterone are broadly considered to limit immune responses. While both hormones are produced by males and females, progesterone is found at higher concentrations in non-menopausal women than men, and testosterone is much higher in men than women. The role of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6533072/">oestrogen</a>, one of the main female sex hormones, is more complicated. Although generally oestrogen <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000887491500026X?via%3Dihub">enhances immune responses</a>, its levels vary during the menstrual cycle, are high in pregnancy and low after menopause. Due in part to these genetic and hormonal factors, pregnancy and the years following are associated with heightened immune responses to external challenges such as infection. This has been regarded as an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">evolutionary feature</a>, protecting women and their unborn children during pregnancy and enhancing the mother’s survival throughout the child-rearing years, ultimately ensuring the survival of the population. We also see this pattern in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2628977/">other species</a> including insects, lizards, birds and mammals. <h2>What does this all mean?</h2> With women’s heightened immune responses to infections comes an increased risk of certain diseases and prolonged immune responses after infections. An <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3328995/">estimated 75-80%</a> of all immune-mediated inflammatory diseases <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32542149/">occur in females</a>. Diseases more common in women include multiple sclerosis, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri2815">rheumatoid arthritis</a>, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">thyroid disorders</a> such as Graves disease. In these diseases, the immune system is continuously fighting against what it sees as a foreign agent. However, often this perceived threat is not a foreign agent, but cells or tissues from the host. This leads to tissue damage, pain and immobility. Women are also prone to chronic inflammation following infection. For example, after infections with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5818468/">Epstein Barr virus</a> or <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jwh.2008.1193">Lyme disease</a>, they may go on to develop <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs/">chronic fatigue syndrome</a>, another condition that affects more women than men. This is one possible explanation for the heightened risk among <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fresc.2023.1122673/full">pre-menopausal women</a> of developing long COVID following infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. Research has also revealed the presence of auto-antibodies (antibodies that attack the host) in patients with long COVID, suggesting it might be an <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568997221000550">autoimmune disease</a>. As women are more susceptible to autoimmune conditions, this could potentially explain the sex bias seen. However, the exact causes of long COVID, and the reason women may be at greater risk, are yet to be defined. This paints a bleak picture, but it’s not all bad news. Women typically mount <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24966191/">better vaccine responses</a> to several common infections (for example, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A and B), producing higher antibody levels than men. One study showed that women vaccinated with half a dose of flu vaccine produced the same amount of antibodies compared to men vaccinated with <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/773453">a full dose</a>. However, these responses <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">decline as women age</a>, and particularly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3954964/">after menopause</a>. All of this shows it’s vital to consider sex when designing studies examining the immune system and treating patients with immune-related diseases.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208802/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-mcgettrick-1451122">Helen McGettrick</a>, Reader in Inflammation and Vascular Biology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138">University of Birmingham</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/asif-iqbal-1451123">Asif Iqbal</a>, Associate Professor in Inflammation Biology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138">University of Birmingham</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-biological-differences-between-men-and-women-alter-immune-responses-and-affect-womens-health-208802">original article</a>.

Body

Sickness or health: Healthy life split along gender, education lines

Australians are living and working longer than ever, but the number of healthy years they’re enjoying with this added longevity isn’t shared equally between the sexes, or by those who finished school before Year 12. <div class="copy"> A paper recently <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00129-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00129-9">published</a> in The Lancet Public Health from the Ageing Futures Institute at the University of New South Wales shows an increase in longevity in Australia. Other data in the publication reveal detail about “healthy years”. Men, and those with higher levels of education, worked about 2 years longer in good health. For women and those with lower education, the years of healthy life expectancy have gone backwards. The report, led by statistician Dr Kim Kiely who is now based at The University of Wollongong, compared representative cohorts of people aged 50-100 who participated in the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey (HILDA). Those cohorts were measured over decade long periods – the first from 2001-2010 and the second from 2011-2020. Men added an extra 11 months of healthy life between the cohorts, while women lost a month. Similarly those of any gender who had completed year 12 added about 10 months to their healthy life expectancy, while the same amount of time was lost by those who hadn’t. “Everyone’s increasing their working life expectancy, so the years they’re expected to be working,” Kiely says. “What is different is how long they’re expected to be living in good health: women and people with low education didn’t have an improvement in healthy life expectancy. “Everyone’s also living longer than ever before, but for women, those extra years seem to be years of poor health. People with lower education – they end up going backwards, they’re losing years of healthy life.” Australia’s working life trends are similar to those in Europe and the UK, though this research suggests the Australian labour force works longer in poor health than their antipodean counterparts. Kiely says the findings are important considerations for policymakers pondering questions of retirement and pension ages: the demands of some labour may not be evenly spread when it comes to considering health implications. “We have a pension age that has been rising steadily over the past couple of decades – it’s not rising anymore – but there is a strong expectation for people to be working longer,” Kiely says. “And if that is the case, then we need opportunities for work for mature age, older adults, and those work opportunities have to be suitable for their capacity to work. “We do need to address things like age and gender discrimination in the workforce. And we need to think about how we support people who are unable to work before they reach the pension age.” Kiely is extending his research into how the nature of work in Australia influences these high-level findings. He hopes this can explain why gender and education influence healthy working years. Further drilling down into other subgroups is important, say Dr Marty Lynch and Dr Ross Wilkie from Keele University, UK. They investigated healthy working life expectancy as part of Britain’s Independent State Pension Age Review last year. They too found Briton were working longer, but not at a rate that keeps pace with the national pension age. In a Lancet editorial accompanying the Australian research, they point out that the HILDA data evaluation only shows changes in average ages on gender and education lines. “The extent of HWLE [Healthy Working Life Expectancy] inequalities between subpopulations with multiple specific characteristics are likely to be even wider and will also indicate targets and interventions to increase the number of years that people can be healthy and in work,” they say. The impact of socioeconomic status on life expectancy and disease burden was recently highlighted in a large-scale review of Australia’s 30-year health data. <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/australias-life-expectancy-is-up-but-healthy-years-are-a-different-story/">It found</a> while Australians have added 6 years to their life expectancy since 1990, those with lower socioeconomic backgrounds had a higher risk of death-causing disease. Image credits: Getty Images <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/sickness-or-health-healthy-life-split-along-gender-education-lines/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="null">Cosmos</a>. </div>

Retirement Life

How 1920s high society fashion pushed gender boundaries through ‘freaking’ parties

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dominic-janes-347508">Dominic Janes</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/keele-university-1012">Keele University</a> The 1920s brought about a rise in androgynous fashion among a high society set that broke boundaries and caused controversy. This drew on a subculture that had existed for decades, perhaps centuries, but after the first world war gender-bending fashions became front page news. It was a time of upheaval. Established regimes were toppling across Europe. In Britain, women over 30 had finally been given the vote and there was widespread concern about the new hedonism of their younger “flapper” sisters. There was also a new market for novels, such as Radcylffe Hall’s <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/stories/articles/2019/4/1/radclyffe-hall-well-of-loneliness-legacy#:%7E:text=On%20November%2016%2C%201928%2C%20Biron,its%20immediate%20removal%20from%20circulation.">banned book</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20221121-the-well-of-loneliness-the-most-corrosive-book-ever">The Well of Loneliness</a> (1928) that focused on, rather than merely hinted at, queer lives. Daring male university students <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/tcbh/hwab036">started wearing makeup</a>. One of these was <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/cecil-beaton-an-introduction">Cecil Beaton</a>, the future celebrity photographer, who <a href="https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/ht24wj66t">delighted in cross-dressing</a> both on stage and off. Beaton became part of a set of high society socialites who were known as the “<a href="https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/cecil-beaton-bright-young-things/exhibition">bright young things</a>”. They were often socially privileged, many of them were queer and their antics were <a href="https://djtaylorwriter.co.uk/page10.htm">widely followed in the media</a> with a mixture of horror and fascination. The “things” took partying seriously and paid great attention to their outfits. They dressed to transgress. In 1920, high society magazine <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350172609/">The Sketch reported</a> that what it termed “freak parties” were suddenly in vogue with the younger set. Before the war, <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350172609/">articles had appeared</a> condemning unusual styles as “freak fashions”, but suddenly “<a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350248083/">freaking</a>” was all the rage. Until this point, menswear had been heavily circumscribed. Black was the default colour for formal occasions and tweed for informal settings. But suddenly there was a circle who were keen to try out new looks, no matter how bizarre – or queer-looking – the results. <h2>Queer parties, queer fashions</h2> These styles were often worn as fancy dress, but they borrowed looks from marginalised queer communities such as feminine-styled queer men, some of whom made a living by selling sexual services. One such man was Quentin Crisp, whose memoir <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/324730/the-naked-civil-servant-by-quentin-crisp/">The Naked Civil Servant</a> (1968) was dramatised as a <a href="http://www.crisperanto.org/news/NCSusa2007.html">pioneering TV drama</a>. Another source of inspiration was the <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo3682948.html">freak show</a>. These displays, horrifying from a 21st century point of view, were a popular element of circuses at the time. They featured such stock characters as the muscled giant and the bearded lady, some of whom <a href="https://www.thehumanmarvels.com/annie-jones-the-esau-woman/">became celebrities</a> in their own right. Masquerade and fancy dress parties had long been a feature of urban social life, but the bright young things innovated in that they impressed less through the expense of their outfits and more through their queer implications. Many such parties were themed, such as a Greek-themed freak party that was hailed as the greatest “Dionysia” of 1929 (Dionysus being the Greek god of sex and pleasure). Androgynous and cross dressing looks were common and men such as Beaton designed their own frocks. In July 1927, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Her-Husband-was-a-Woman-Womens-Gender-Crossing-in-Modern-British-Popular/Oram/p/book/9780415400077">one magazine declared</a> that an event attended by Beaton’s friend Stephen Tennant dressed as the Queen of Sheba and bisexual actress Tallulah Bankhead dressed as a male tennis star was: “one of the queerest of all the ‘freak’ parties ever given in London”. <h2>The party’s over</h2> The Wall Street crash of 1929 led to a rapid shift in public mood. Economic recession led people to favour sobriety over flamboyance. Money for the parties ran out and media attention faltered. Gender-bending style vanished from the fashionable arena, although it persisted on inner cities streets. Quentin Crisp’s mode of <a href="https://bodleianshop.co.uk/products/british-dandies">queer dandyism</a> was daring for its time, but it only became extraordinary by virtue of his unwillingness to modernise. Seemingly he, and pretty much he alone, continued to wear the queer looks of the interwar period into the television age. He duly <a href="http://www.crisperanto.org/news/AnEnglishmanInNYmovie.html">became a transatlantic celebrity</a> late in life when he became the inspiration for Sting’s song <a href="https://www.sting.com/discography/album/189/Singles">Englishman in New York</a> in 1987. Cecil Beaton, meanwhile, became a leading photographer for Vogue magazine and was commissioned to take official <a href="https://www.rct.uk/cecil-beaton-1904-80">coronation portraits of Elizabeth II</a>. He also designed the fantastic dresses worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film <a href="https://www.tatler.com/article/in-cecil-beatons-show-stopping-designs-for-my-fair-lady-lies-a-story-of-tantrums-and-top-hats">My Fair Lady</a> (1964), inspired by the gowns he and his compatriots had dreamed up for themselves some 40 years earlier.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205893/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dominic-janes-347508">Dominic Janes</a>, Professor of Modern History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/keele-university-1012">Keele University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-1920s-high-society-fashion-pushed-gender-boundaries-through-freaking-parties-205893">original article</a>.

Beauty & Style

"I fell for it!": Boys in blue crash gender reveal party

One Sydney couple have taken their friends and family by surprise with their high-stakes gender reveal, where the father-to-be was apparently put under arrest by two police officers. Mina Ibrahim revealed their elaborate prank with a video posted to his TikTok account. Mina’s video begins with footage of the moment of his ‘arrest’, before it cuts to the TikToker at a later date, explaining that “that’s me being arrested at my baby’s gender reveal.” He goes on to share the full video, and a promise that the ending will answer any questions his viewers may have. In the clip, the parents-to-be can be seen talking to two uniformed NSW ‘police officers’, guests all around them, with Mina asking for onlookers to get their phones out. He then pushes one of the officers, telling them to leave, and both grab him before attempting to handcuff him, while his pregnant partner attempts to intervene. As family members rush to assist, one of the officers calls for everyone to calm down, then delivers news that takes them all by surprise - and delight - by telling them, “it’s a baby girl.” “So it was the cops who announced to everyone that I was having a baby girl,” present-day Mina informed his audience, before noting that there was a fake balloon inside to throw their guests off the surprise scent. <div class="mol-embed" style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; letter-spacing: -0.16px; text-align: center; font-family: graphik, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"> <blockquote id="v34606683345148116" class="tiktok-embed" style="margin: 18px auto; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; position: relative; width: 605px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.15; overflow: hidden; text-size-adjust: 100%; font-family: proxima-regular, PingFangSC, sans-serif; max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@mina.ibs/video/7232964823296773383" data-video-id="7232964823296773383" data-embed-from="oembed"><iframe style="letter-spacing: -0.01em; border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 605px; height: 735px; display: block; visibility: unset; max-height: 735px;" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7232964823296773383?lang=en-GB&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-12082153%2FGender-reveal-party-prank-sees-cops-arrest-father-be.html&embedFrom=oembed" name="__tt_embed__v34606683345148116" sandbox="allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-same-origin"></iframe></blockquote> </div> The prank attracted thousands of views online, with many flocking to his comments section to share their congratulations with the parents-to-be. Others, while thrilled for them and their happy news, were open about their concern, having fallen for the trick right along with the couple’s loved ones. “I fell for it and I was worried for your wife!!!,” one confessed. “I was freaking out hahahah you got me”. “I was worried too haha … you scared me,” another said. “Omygosh! I was ready to sue them coppas with you!” came one response, “but congratsss! What a way to reveal!” One other simply wanted to know if the entire situation was even allowed, believing that impersonating the police may not be. And another had simply been suspicious from the very start, noting “Broooo the whole time I was like … something ain’t right! He’s not carrying his gun”. Images: TikTok

Family & Pets

5 books for kids and teens that positively portray trans and gender-diverse lives

<a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/blog/trans-day-visibility-global-perspective">International Transgender Day of Visibility</a> is an opportunity to celebrate trans and gender-diverse people – and to raise awareness of the ongoing discrimination they experience. Trans and gender-diverse people <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7826417/">experience</a> higher levels of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal behaviours than the general population. Recent events in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/25/whats-behind-the-terrifying-backlash-against-australias-queer-community">Australia</a>, <a href="https://time.com/6250646/united-kingdom-scotland-transgender-bill/">the United Kingdom</a> and <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d378d/anti-trans-bills-2023">the US</a> remind us of the need to promote acceptance of trans and gender-diverse young people, and to support their mental health and wellbeing. Community, school and family <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40894-019-00118-w">are vital</a> tools for this. So are books that positively represent trans and gender-diverse experiences, themes and issues. Such books can expand young people’s awareness, understanding and acceptance of gender differences from an early age. They also validate the lived experience of trans and gender-diverse youth. The five books below all positively portray trans and gender-diverse lives in age-appropriate ways. <h2>1. My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart (ages 4-9)</h2> This picture book, <a href="https://larrikinhouse.com.au/products/my-shadow-is-purple">My Shadow Is Purple</a>, considers gender diversity through the use of colour. The story focuses on a boy whose shadow is purple: presumably a blend of masculine blue and feminine pink. Early in the story, the boy celebrates his gender hybridity, enjoying a range of both traditionally masculine and feminine activities. Stuart also explores the way society regulates and limits gender expression, and how this can have negative effects on individuals. That said, the picture book is positive and offers a promising message to readers. Through both resistance and collective support, we can acknowledge and celebrate the spectrum of colours our shadows might take. <h2>2. Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff (ages 10-12)</h2> In his <a href="http://www.kylelukoff.com/my-books/tbts">award-winning</a> junior novel, <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/too-bright-to-see-9780593111178">Too Bright to See</a>, Kyle Lukoff uses the ghost story to explore <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gender-dysphoria/">gender dysphoria</a> and grief. Trans boy Bug, aged 11, lives in a house with relatively benign spirits. However, during the summer before school starts, Bug’s uncle dies and a new ghost takes up residence in the house. It is not only the grief of his uncle’s death that Bug must learn to live with. His best friend, Moira, is eager to give him a feminine makeover and the new ghostly resident seems intent on sending him a message. Bug’s investigation of the ghost and his journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance is sensitive and nuanced, allowing readers to learn about transgender issues (and grief) alongside Bug. <h2>3. Euphoria Kids by Alison Evans (ages 12+)</h2> <a href="https://www.echopublishing.com.au/books/euphoria-kids">Euphoria Kids</a> is an urban fantasy young adult novel that centres on three trans and gender-diverse teenagers: Iris, who grew from a seed; Babs, the daughter of a local witch; and the boy, named so because his current name does not fit him. The world Evans creates is one of strange magic, free from the trauma and gender dysphoria often associated with representations of transgenderism <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-transgenderism-in-film-and-literature-71809">in literature and film</a>. The characters’ quest to break a curse enables them to demonstrate their resilience, develop their confidence and experience euphoria. Evans explains (in the author note) their decision to create a positive narrative for trans youth, "I want people to know about gender euphoria. I want them to learn about it before gender dysphoria. I want young trans kids that will read this book to be proud of who they are, and imagine wonderful magic lives for themselves." <h2>4. Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee (ages 14+)</h2> <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780063038837/meet-cute-diary/">Meet Cute Diary</a>, a heartfelt young adult romantic comedy, explores gender identity and sexuality – and recognises self-discovery entails continuous questioning, rather than a linear progression. Noah Ramirez, a Japanese, white, Afro-Caribbean 16-year-old trans boy, loves the idea of falling in love. He writes fictional trans love stories for his blog, “Meet Cute Diary”. Noah is confronted in real life by Drew, a white cisgender boy who Noah has featured on his blog. After Noah explains his actions, Drew agrees to pretend to date him, in order to validate his stories. Their pretending quickly becomes real. Things become complicated, though, when Noah finds himself attracted to his nonbinary and asexual coworker, Devin. The narrative explores the changing nature of relationships and love. Lee creates interesting characters and complex relationships that respect gender fluidity and recognise the blurry boundary between the platonic and romantic. <h2>5. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (ages 14+)</h2> Felix, the 17-year-old protagonist of <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/felix-ever-after-kacen-callender?variant=32280909578274">Felix Ever After</a>, is Black, queer and trans. The marginalisation and transphobia he experiences are exacerbated when pre-transition images of him are prominently displayed at his school. Felix’s search for revenge sees him open up more about himself to others. And he forms new relationships, including with his friend, Ezra Patel. Similar to Lee’s depiction of self-discovery in Meet Cute Diary, Callender suggests that learning about yourself and your identity is an ongoing process. Felix continues to make new discoveries about himself, including the realisation that he is not a boy but a <a href="https://queerintheworld.com/what-does-demiboy-mean/">demiboy</a>. Callender’s writing is engaging, and the cast of diverse characters that populate the narrative reflects the variation in our communities. This tender trans young adult romance sensitively explores the complexity of friendship, forgiveness and self-discovery. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-books-for-kids-and-teens-that-positively-portray-trans-and-gender-diverse-lives-202832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Books

Outrage at couple’s explosive gender reveal

Love them or hate them, gender reveals seem primed to stay. While some couples prefer to keep their unborn baby’s gender a surprise for loved ones, others are keen to share the news with the world. And in the age of the internet, many parents-to-be are committed to having the biggest event yet. One couple has gone viral on TikTok for their reveal, but it hasn’t been the positive affair they’d hoped for, with many slamming them for putting lives in danger with their stunt. In the clip, the excited pair are standing at sunset with their two daughters in front of a massive sign that lights up to read “oh baby”. Pink and blue balloons surround them all, while Bruno Mars’ ‘Locked Out of Heaven’ plays over the video. Mere seconds in, the sign erupts with fireworks, pink smoke, and confetti. The couple seem thrilled to have learned they’re expecting another girl, jumping around and cheering with their two young children. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7173812850702454022&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40blancarore33%2Fvideo%2F7173812850702454022&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-va.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-maliva-p-0068%2Fedbf7bee036c450da31af699ae689a51_1670283471%3Fx-expires%3D1676019600%26x-signature%3DSjekZvCX9KbuH3KAM5P3ipVDuWs%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> Despite their elation, viewers did not share in their cause for celebration, instead noting the blatant danger of their outrageous display. “This could have gone wrong on so many levels,” commented one viewer. “Could have gone so wrong and regret forever,” agreed another. “Forest fire core,” wrote one, referencing the more recent internet trend of adopting specific style aesthetics and declaring them ‘something-core’. “Right underneath the very nonflammable eucalyptus trees,” someone else noted. However, despite the very real risk, some simply enjoyed the spectacle. And in what was a cause for concern for many, a large number of viewers declared their desire to have a reveal just like it. “If it takes all my life earnings to make my gender reveal like this,” one said, “then I will spend it in an instant.” “This just motivated me to work harder in life cus this needs to be me,” came one response, among a sea of related comments about the cost of such an event. Concerns over the couple’s stunt stem from a series of unfortunate results over the years, most notably from a similar incident in 2020, when a gender reveal in California was responsible for a bushfire that claimed 10,000 acres of land. In 2018, another couple’s reveal was the spark behind a 47,000-acre bushfire. The bad news cycle surrounding such these events has even led to the woman credited with inventing the concept - blogger Jenna Karvunidis - to apologise for it. Images: TikTok

Family & Pets

Jacinda Ardern’s resignation: gender and the toll of strong, compassionate leadership

“Uneasy is the head that wears the crown”, wrote Shakespeare, way back in the 1500s. It’s not a new idea that top-level leadership jobs are intensely <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984316300923">stressful</a> and pose a heavy toll. Extended periods of stress are known to put people at <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397">risk of burnout</a>. Yet probably few of us can ever grasp just how unrelentingly demanding and difficult leading a country actually is. Especially in times of crisis and with our modern media and online environment, every statement and every move a leader makes is subject to extensive scrutiny and commentary. Increasingly, a troubling feature of the commentary about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been its abusive, violent, sexist and misogynistic tenor. While she has not focused on this as a reason for her decision to <a href="https://theconversation.com/arderns-resignation-as-new-zealand-prime-minister-is-a-game-changer-for-the-2023-election-198149">resign yesterday</a>, being targeted in this way, and knowing <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2022/03/where-is-clarke-gayford-jacinda-ardern-laughs-off-conspiracy-theories-reveals-the-answer.html">her partner</a> and even <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/482761/the-hatred-and-vitriol-jacinda-ardern-endured-would-affect-anybody">her child</a> were also targeted, must surely have made an already difficult job so much more challenging. <h2>Crises, kindness and courageous decisions</h2> Crises have long been understood as the most intensive tests of a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984322000649">leader’s skill and character</a>. They involve making weighty decisions, at times about matters that quite literally have life and death implications. Decisions have to be made at speed, but often with insufficient information to confidently predict the consequences of the choices made. Ardern’s premiership has thrown crisis after crisis her way. And time and time again, she has displayed a strength of character and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003099109-10/leading-crisis-adaptive-leadership-jacinda-ardern-deidre-le-fevre">considerable leadership skills</a> in responding to them. Her handling of the Christchurch terror attacks won <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/03/18/new-zealands-prime-minister-wins-worldwide-praise-her-response-mosque-shootings/">global admiration</a> for her composure, compassion and decisive resolve to ensure such heinous acts could not be repeated here. Her response to the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/white-island-eruption-how-good-is-ardern-world-praises-pm-for-disaster-response/4S5BZ6NCOWXN4R63HDIEV4KXVM/">Whakaari White Island eruption</a> garnered similar praise, showing yet again her intuitive grasp that a leader offering support to those caught up in such a distressing event actually makes a difference. That Ardern has sought to combine compassion and kindness with the courage to make tough decisions is a key feature of <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-80262-157-020221003/full/html">her style</a>. <h2>Unrealistic expectations of a leader</h2> Throughout the pandemic, Arden has repeatedly proved her willingness to make courageous decisions. Combined with her prowess at <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1742715020929151">mobilising the public’s understanding</a> and support for the government’s COVID response, this was critical to the success of the elimination strategy. Many <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2022/03/21/two-years-since-nz-first-locked-down-expert-reaction/">lives and livelihoods have been saved</a> due to her leadership. When Delta and then Omicron emerged, Ardern <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-jacinda-arderns-clumsy-leadership-response-to-delta-could-still-be-the-right-approach-169926">sought to continually adapt</a> the government’s policies to a changing context. While tenacity and resilience may number among her many strengths, dogmatism is not one of her weaknesses. Of course not all decisions <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300763211/ombudsmans-criticism-of-miq-virtual-lobby-doesnt-go-far-enough">proved to be optimal</a> – expecting them to be so would be wildly unrealistic. Some of her decisions have sparked a <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/summer-2022/04-01-2023/the-day-the-grounds-of-parliament-burned-2">strong negative response</a>. But it’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Differently-About-Leadership-Critical/dp/1784716782">foolish to expect perfection from leaders</a>, and the job unavoidably means making tough calls not everyone will agree with. <h2>Rise in sexist and mysogynistic abuse</h2> No leader is omnipotent, especially in a democracy and in a globally interconnected world. The latest crisis Ardern has been grappling with – the cost of living – is in large measure <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/21/economy/central-banks-inflation-global/index.html">driven by global forces</a> far beyond the control of any New Zealand prime minister. New Zealand’s situation is <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/129353834/think-inflation-is-biting-spare-a-thought-for-turkey">better than many other countries</a>, but unfortunately for Ardern this holds little sway for some people. The reality, then, is that her growing unpopularity has in part been rooted in people having unrealistic expectations of what leaders can and can’t actually do, and needing someone to blame. But there’s also no getting away from the fact that far too much of the criticism directed at her has been coloured by sexist and misogynistic attitudes. There’s a continuum in how this is expressed. It starts with one C word – <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/122658284/shes-not-a-doll-so-dont-call-the-prime-minister-cindy">Cindy</a> – which is a sexist attempt to belittle her authority and status as an adult woman who is the elected leader of our country. It ends with the other C word. Research by the <a href="https://thedisinfoproject.org/2022/11/29/dangerous-speech-misogyny-and-democracy/">Disinformation Project</a> shows its usage is enmeshed within a wider discourse that denigrates other aspects of her identity as a woman and extends to <a href="https://twitter.com/justinsight/status/1616144565433663488">fantasising about her rape and death</a>. This kind of behaviour is simply inexcusable. It should be to New Zealand’s eternal shame that Ardern has been subjected to this. It cannot be justified by arguing her policies have been controversial and she “deserves” this abuse: that line of reasoning simply replicates the defence long used by rapists and domestic abusers. Ardern is New Zealand’s third woman prime minister. The <a href="https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=277628">glass ceiling</a> for that role is well and truly broken. We now also have <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/477290/women-will-have-equal-share-of-seats-in-parliament-with-soraya-peke-mason-s-swearing-in">equal representation of women</a> within parliament. But the sexist and misogynistic nature of so much of the criticism and abuse directed at Ardern also shows we are a very long way from having equal treatment of women in leadership. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/jacinda-arderns-resignation-gender-and-the-toll-of-strong-compassionate-leadership-198152" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Retirement Life

Gender pension gap: why women save less - and why that’s changing dramatically

One issue <a href="https://www.scottishwidows.co.uk/knowledge-centre/gender-pension-gap/">that has</a> attracted <a href="https://prospect.org.uk/article/what-is-the-gender-pension-gap/#:%7E:text=The%20gender%20pension%20gap%20is,gap%20that%20year%20(17.3%25).">growing attention</a> in <a href="https://www.aviva.co.uk/aviva-edit/your-money-articles/women-know-gender-pension-gap/">recent years</a> is the “gender pension gap” – the fact that on average, women have lower private pension wealth and lower income in retirement than men. But before rushing to conclusions about how to “fix” this, it is crucial to understand what lies behind any pension differences between men and women. There are three main potential drivers behind this phenomenon: <ol> <li> Different labour market experiences: the “<a href="https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/10358">gender pay gap</a>”, and the fact that <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Duration_of_working_life_-_statistics#:%7E:text=In%202019%2C%20the%20estimated%20expected,aged%2015%20years%20and%20more">men have</a> longer paid working lives than women; </li> <li> Different investment strategies: when it comes to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/pension-types">defined contribution pensions</a>, <a href="https://s-h-w.com/news-articles">men choose</a> to invest in portfolios with a higher expected rate of return. </li> <li> Different saving rates: as <a href="https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/15425">we investigate</a> below, men and women may also differ in how likely they are to be offered a pension in their job, or tend to work for employers that contribute more or less to a pension, or tend to make different contributions themselves. </li> </ol> Importantly, the role of these potential drivers will have changed over time for various reasons. Mothers <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/familiesandthelabourmarketengland/2019#:%7E:text=In%20April%20to%20June%202019%2C%20three%20in%20four%20mothers%20with,mothers%20in%20employment%20in%202000.">have increasingly participated</a> in the labour market over the years, for example. Final salary pensions have been reformed to career average schemes, which in particular reduced the generosity for long stayers and those with stronger pay growth, <a href="https://www.pensionspolicyinstitute.org.uk/sponsor-research/research-reports/2013/17-05-2013-the-implications-of-the-coalition-governments-public-service-pension-reforms/">affecting men</a> more than women. Also, <a href="https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/about-pensions/pensions-basics/automatic-enrolment">automatic enrolment</a> has been introduced for workplace pensions, which affected everyone’s participation in them. Gaps in pension income today may therefore reflect labour markets and pension arrangements from many years ago, and the gap in pension income for current working-age individuals may be quite different when they reach retirement. In an ongoing programme of work at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, funded by the <a href="https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/">Nuffield Foundation</a>, we are examining in detail differences in pension saving rates between men and women that will contribute to a future “gender pension gap” for today’s working age individuals. <h2>Making sense of the gap</h2> In a <a href="https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/15421">first publication</a>, we have documented differences in average pension saving between male and female employees before the introduction of <a href="https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/about-pensions/pensions-basics/automatic-enrolment">automatic enrolment</a> in 2012. We found that on average across all employees (whether saving in a pension or not), women of all ages actually contributed more as a proportion of their earnings each year than men. However, this was driven by the fact that women were more likely to work in the public sector, where contribution rates are typically higher. Examining average pension saving among men and women within each sector reveals a different pattern. The average saving rates of male and female employees were similar until around age 35 but then diverged, with average contributions continuing to increase with age for men but not changing for women. The graphs below unpick what was driving this pattern among private-sector employees in Great Britain (though the pattern was broadly similar for public-sector employees). It was caused by the extent to which men and women participated in a pension. The proportion of men and women saving anything in a private pension was similar until around age 30 but then diverged, with men increasingly likely to be saving in a pension as they get older, while women’s pension participation plateaued. On the other hand, average contribution rates for those saving in a pension were actually slightly higher as a share of earnings among women than men. Pension participation in overall savings <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/graph-1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Average contribution rates in pension savings <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/graph-2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> What might have been driving differences in pension participation? The timing of the divergence in people’s lives mirrored the evolution of the gender gaps <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/genderpaygapintheuk/2020">in pay</a>, <a href="https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/13673">commuting</a> and <a href="https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/14032">firm productivity</a>, and suggested that the arrival of children and related employment decisions was an important factor. So in our ongoing programme of research we are examining whether the gap in pension participation is associated with the arrival of children, and the extent to which female employees received a different pension offer from their employer, or made different saving decisions when presented with the same offer as male employees. <h2>Effect of automatic enrolment</h2> The introduction of automatic enrolment into workplace pensions has substantially changed pension-saving behaviour – in particular, substantially increasing pension participation among employees targeted by the policy. The graph below shows the proportion of male and female employees of different ages who were saving in a private workplace pension in 2012 and 2019 in Great Britain. The pattern in 2012 is represented by the two sets of dashed lines, with men again in blue and women in purple. It is similar to that estimated in the first graph in this article. But the pattern in 2019 is totally different. Rather than participation diverging at a particular age, women are now slightly less likely to be in a pension at all ages than men (but the level of participation among both is considerably higher). Automatic enrolment will therefore have fundamentally changed the nature of the gender gap in pension-saving rates going forwards. Pension participation 2019 vs 2012 <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/graph-3.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> This highlights the importance of examining gender differences in saving rates, rather than just accrued pension wealth or pension income. Focusing on the latter risks developing policies to fix a perceived problem that has already changed. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/gender-pension-gap-why-women-save-less-and-why-thats-changing-dramatically-160648" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Retirement Income

Unpaid and unequal: women’s extra workload affects mental wellbeing

Women do the bulk of unpaid domestic work globally and the added burden has an impact on their mental health – but surprisingly there’s little independent empirical research about this. Now, there is data, which shows the double burden of paid and unpaid work results in increased depressive or psychological distress for women as unpaid labour increases. Researchers at the University of Melbourne reviewed the evidence for the gendered nature of unpaid work and consequences for mental health among employed adults, <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(22)00160-8/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">publishing</a> their results in Lancet Public Health. Public health researcher and lead author, Jen Ervin, says the research showed women were uniformly doing more unpaid work across every geographical and time setting. “What our review tells us is that, in addition to the economic penalty women experience carrying out most of the world’s unpaid labour load, there is a troubling mental health cost as well,” she says. While further research is needed, Ervin says the most widely acknowledged explanation for the impact on mental health is that the combined paid and unpaid workload triggers stress-related pathways. It also reduces time for activities known to be protective for mental health such as sleep, leisure and physical activity. The findings won’t come as a surprise to many, especially women, she says. Indeed. The study follows <a href="https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/news/47524-yet-again--the-census-shows-women-are-doing-more-housework.-now-is-the-time-to-invest-in-interventions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">census data</a> confirming (once again) that Australian women do more hours of unpaid housework than men. And <a href="https://cew.org.au/2022-cew-census-an-urgent-wakeup-call-ceo-gender-balance-100-years-away/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">another report</a> this week commissioned by Chief Executive Women indicating caring responsibilities in the pandemic held back progress on women’s workforce participation and leadership. For what seems like an intractable problem, what can be done to change things? Ervin says, “we believe that policies such as universal childcare and normalising flexible working arrangements and extended paternity leave for men can help in shifting the dial and driving greater gender equality in the division of unpaid labour and unpaid care. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p205326-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> “Some of these measures will also aid and facilitate the harder task of shifting some of the outdated attitudes and beliefs around labour division.” It’s important to note many men are taking a more active role in childcare and housework. But men can be limited in doing so by factors such as inflexible workplace arrangements or social stigma, she says. The University of Melbourne research focussed on employed adults, the ‘double burden’ effect of combining paid work with unpaid work, and how this subsequently creates issues of overload and time poverty. It found substantial gender differences. Of the 14 studies reviewed for the article – totalling more than 66,800 participants worldwide – five examined unpaid labour (inclusive of care), nine examined housework time and, of these, four also examined childcare. Overall, in 11 of the 14 studies, women self-reported increased depressive or psychological distress symptoms with increasing unpaid labour demands. For men, only three out of a possible 12 studies reported any negative association. An aspect not captured in the current review, Ervin says, is the difference in the gendered allocation of household tasks. For example, men often do less-time-sensitive outdoor or maintenance tasks such as mowing the lawn or cleaning the gutters. These jobs aren’t as time-pressured as feeding a hungry child or driving them to an appointment. And while more difficult to measure, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13668803.2021.2002813?journalCode=ccwf20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">other research</a> shows women are also often carrying more of the mental load of household labour. Unfortunately, Australia is lagging behind many other countries when it comes to key gender equality indicators such as unpaid labour division, Ervin says. This week a <a href="https://cew.org.au/2022-cew-census-an-urgent-wakeup-call-ceo-gender-balance-100-years-away/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a> commissioned by Chief Executive Women drew attention to the lack of progress made by Australia’s top companies in appointing women to leadership roles. The report, prepared by management consultants Bain & Company, says 73% of executive roles in ASX300 companies are held by men, and 85% of line management roles. The report says COVID-19 set back women’s workforce participation, as they took on the bulk of the increased caring responsibilities. This is consistent with <a href="https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/news/47524-yet-again--the-census-shows-women-are-doing-more-housework.-now-is-the-time-to-invest-in-interventions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">findings</a> from other University of Melbourne research showing the “catastrophic” impact of the pandemic on women’s lives, especially for mothers. Restrictions such as school closures and remote learning added to the domestic workload for everyone, but the gender gap remained. Women, more often than men, reduced their paid work to meet the increased demands. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute also <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/mental-health-maternal-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> maternal wellbeing was profoundly impacted by the pandemic, finding a third of women experienced clinically significant mental health problems during Victoria’s second lockdown, with ongoing fatigue and parenting stress. <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=205326&title=Unpaid+and+unequal%3A+women%26%238217%3Bs+extra+workload+affects+mental+wellbeing" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/womens-unpaid-work-and-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/petra-stock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Petra Stock</a>. Petra Stock has a degree in environmental engineering and a Masters in Journalism from University of Melbourne. She has previously worked as a climate and energy analyst. Image: Getty Images </div>

Mind

Male artists dominate galleries. Our research explored if it’s because ‘women don’t paint very well’ – or just discrimination

In the art world, there is a gaping gender imbalance when it comes to male and female artists. In the National Gallery of Australia, <a href="https://nga.gov.au/knowmyname/about/">only 25%</a> of the Australian art collection is work by women. This is far better than the international standard where <a href="https://nmwa.org/support/advocacy/get-facts/">roughly 90%</a> of all artworks exhibited in major collections are by men. The <a href="https://www.artsy.net/artwork/georgia-okeeffe-jimson-weed-slash-white-flower-no-1">most expensive</a> painting by a female artist – Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 – does not even rank among the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_paintings#List_of_highest_prices_paid">100 most expensive paintings</a> ever sold. Why is women’s art valued so much less than art by men? Some economists <a href="https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2005/02/why_do_women_su.html">have suggested</a> the greater burden of child rearing and other domestic duties means women have had fewer opportunities to succeed in the art world. Others have blamed the “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/report-names-laggers-as-women-artists-win-parity-20191029-p534vy.html">quality</a>” of women’s art. In 2013, German painter <a href="https://observer.com/2013/01/georg-baselitz-says-women-dont-paint-very-well/">Georg Baselitz said</a> “Women don’t paint very well. It’s a fact. The market doesn’t lie.” We wanted to know: is work by women generally valued differently to work by men because it is of a lower artistic quality, or is it just discrimination? <h2>Which painting do you like better?</h2> In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268122002669?dgcid=author">our new research</a> we showed average Americans pairs of paintings, painted between 1625 and 1979, side by side. Each of the pairs are similar in style, motif and period, but one work was by a male artist and the other by a female artist. Participants were in two groups. One group saw the artists’ names and the other didn’t. We wanted to see whether more people among those who saw artist names preferred the male painting. If seeing the names – and thereby inferring artist gender – causes more people to prefer male paintings, then there is gender discrimination. Before we tell you the results, think about what you would have expected. And <a href="https://rmit.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e4JBs0wxKeftYF0">take a look</a> at our actual painting pairs and see if you can guess which is the male one (hint: you can’t). We were pleasantly surprised to find our participants did not give a hoot about artist gender. In both groups, 54% preferred the painting from a woman. We repeated this experiment, this time rewarding participants if they could accurately guess the preferences of others – the people in the first experiment. Again, 54% of the people in each group picked the female paintings. <h2>Which painting do you think is worth more?</h2> Next we wanted to find out if people picked male paintings for reasons other than personal taste. Art isn’t just bought and sold on aesthetic value: it is a speculative market, where art is treated as an investment. We conducted two more experiments. In one, participants were rewarded if they picked the more expensive painting. In the other, they were rewarded to pick the one painted by the more famous artist. Gender discrimination emerged in both these experiments. When asked to predict the value of and creator fame of paintings, people suddenly swung towards picking male artists. Preference for female paintings fell by 10% and 9% in these two new experiments. Gender discrimination in art comes not from personal aesthetic preference – Baselitz’ argument that women “don’t paint very well” – but people thinking paintings are more valuable and famous when painted by male artists. <h2>A question of fame</h2> In our fifth experiment, we again rewarded participants who could correctly guess which painting would be preferred by others. This time everyone saw the names of the artists. But only one group was told which of the two artists was objectively more famous – the male artist in 90% of cases. The group with that information was 14% more likely to pick male paintings. People used fame information to predict the painting others liked better. If women artists were discriminated against just because of their gender we would have seen a higher premium put on the male artists even in questions of aesthetics. Here, discrimination only occured when our participants were asked to assign a monetary value to the art works, or when they were given information about the level of fame of the painter. This means our art appreciators discriminated not on gender, but on something closely associated with gender: fame. And because male artists have, historically, been given <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1574067606010234">more opportunities</a> to become artists – and therefore become famous – artwork by men is perceived as having a higher value. Policy is slowly starting to recognise and target institutional factors that perpetuate male dominance because of historical notions of fame, like the National Gallery of Australia’s <a href="https://knowmyname.nga.gov.au/">Know my Name</a> initiative. Discrimination in the arts exists, but it often comes from people’s beliefs about what others care to discriminate about. The task ahead is to change perceptions of people and institutions who do not discriminate – but merely conform to others’ discrimination. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/male-artists-dominate-galleries-our-research-explored-if-its-because-women-dont-paint-very-well-or-just-discrimination-189221" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

Does a sibling’s gender influence our own personality? A major new study answers an age-old question

Our siblings play a central role in our childhoods, so it stands to reason they influence our personality in the long term. In particular, researchers have long been interested in how growing up with a sister compared to a brother might influence who we become as adults. How do children interact with their sister or brother? How do parents behave differently towards their children of different genders, and how does that interaction influence the children? Past theories have made quite different predictions: siblings of the opposite gender may plausibly result in either <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/2786054" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gender-stereotypical personalities</a> (a girl may take on a more feminine role to differentiate herself from her brother) or <a href="https://doi.org/10.9783/9781512800807" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less gender stereotypical personalities</a> (a girl may take on more masculine traits because she imitates her brother). In fact, psychological research has been exploring these differences for over half a century. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.02.037" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In some studies</a>, siblings of the opposite sex seemed to be more gender-conforming. Girls with brothers later become more “typically female” and boys with sisters more “typically male”. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/h0030055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Other studies find the exact opposite</a>, however. Opposite gender siblings developed in typically gender-conforming ways. To resolve these contradictions, we wanted to test the effect of sibling gender on personality in a rigorous and comprehensive way. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480681/original/file-20220823-16-4ll79p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480681/original/file-20220823-16-4ll79p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480681/original/file-20220823-16-4ll79p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480681/original/file-20220823-16-4ll79p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480681/original/file-20220823-16-4ll79p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480681/original/file-20220823-16-4ll79p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480681/original/file-20220823-16-4ll79p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption>Like brother, like sister? Researchers have differed on the likely influence of an opposite gender sibling on personality. Getty Images</figcaption></figure> Using big data In our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976221094630" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new study</a> we focused on the relationships between children and their next older or younger sibling. We compiled a unique data set by combining 12 large representative surveys covering nine countries across four continents (US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Mexico, China and Indonesia). This resulted in a data set of more than 85,000 people – many times the sample sizes used in previous studies. We also investigated many more personality traits than previous studies have. This included the traits that have been most widely studied in other research, and which have been shown to be important predictors of people’s decisions and choices. The “big five” of these traits are: openness to experiences, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. The other traits examined were: risk tolerance, trust, patience and “locus of control” (the degree to which people believe they have control over their lives). We also created an index describing to what extent people have a typically female personality. This allowed us to test comprehensively whether growing up with an opposite gender sibling leads to a more or less gender-stereotypical personality. Sibling gender and life experience This study is not only innovative in its use of a large data set, but it also applies a consistent method to identify any causal effects of a sibling’s gender on personality traits. To estimate credible causal effects, we make use of an interesting fact of nature: once parents decide to have another child it is essentially random whether they have a girl or boy. In this “natural experiment” some people are therefore “randomly assigned” a younger sister or brother. This allows us to estimate the causal effect of sibling gender on personality by comparing the average personality of people who grew up with a sister as their next youngest sibling with those who grew up with a next younger brother. Brothers and sisters Our results suggest sibling gender has no effect on personality. For all nine personality traits and the summary index, we find people who have a next younger sister display, on average, the same personality traits as people who have a next younger brother. We also see no difference in personality between people who have a next older sister and people who have a next older brother. Because we have data on more than 85,000 people, these results are estimated with great precision. The results help refute the idea that brothers or sisters cause each other to develop “feminine” or “masculine” personality traits over the long term. However, the results don’t mean sibling gender has no long-term effect at all. Other studies that applied a similar methodological approach have shown that women with brothers in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2019.02.009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00148-021-00830-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denmark</a> earn less. And a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjt011" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study of Asian populations</a> has found women with younger sisters marry earlier and women with older sisters marry later. So, there seem to be interesting sibling dynamics related to gender – but personality is probably not part of the explanation for those effects.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188532/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jan-feld-594140" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jan Feld</a>, Senior Lecturer in Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/te-herenga-waka-victoria-university-of-wellington-1200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anne-ardila-brenoe-1373305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anne Ardila Brenøe</a>, Assistant Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-zurich-1139" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Zurich</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-dudek-1372681" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thomas Dudek</a>, Postdoctoral Researcher, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/te-herenga-waka-victoria-university-of-wellington-1200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-a-siblings-gender-influence-our-own-personality-a-major-new-study-answers-an-age-old-question-188532" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Family & Pets

The rise of the gender-neutral baby name

Naming a baby is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. However, while many might seek inspiration by trawling through a traditional list of boys and girls names, an increasing number are using gender-neutral names. According to research by Nameberry and the NY Times there was an 88% increase in the use of unisex names between 1985 and 2015. Now, US-based baby naming site Nameberry has revealed the most popular gender neutral monikers among new parents with Logan coming in at the top of the list. While Charlie has long been a popular choice for both boys and girls, some of the names on the list such as Ryan have traditionally been considered male names. Meanwhile, nature-inspired names were also on the increase, with River, Rowan and Eden making the top twenty. The research comes after the most popular UK baby names so far for 2022 were revealed. Lily has knocked Olivia off the top spot for girls names for the first time in seven years. It comes after BabyCentre released a list of the top 100 names for baby boys and girls in the UK for 2022 so far. Although the top girls' names have shifted, firm favourites for boys' names have remained fairly stable, with Muhammad clinging onto number one. While some trends remain strong, such as members of the Royaly Family inspiring parents, other high-profile events appear to have affected parents' decisions too. For boys' names in particular, there was little change in the top spots, with Muhammad and Noah clinging to first and second place. However Oliver, which had solidly occupied third place for several years, dropped down the list while Jack soared to take its place. Freddie and Harry also fell out of the top 10 while Ethan and Oscar climbed up the ranks to occupy eighth and ninth place. Sarah Redshaw, managing editor for BabyCentre, shed some light on why she thought new trends were appearing. One trend that appears to have stuck around is parents taking inspiration from members of the royal family. George has remained a firm favourite in the top 10 while Louie - a cute play on Louis, held firm in the top 30. In the year of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, it seems many parents have been inspired, with the name Elizabeth climbing two places in the top 100. It is also thought the increase in popularity of the name Lily is down to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who named their daughter Lilibet in 2021. Princess Charlotte appears to have given lots of parents food for thought as the name climbed four places to number 30 this year, while its diminutive form Lottie also climbed the ranks to sit at 52. Some classic 70s names appear to be dying out altogether including Kelly, Gail, Brenda and Susie for women - while Keith, Leslie, Glenn and Terry have been shunned by parents too. Without further ado, here are the lists: Top 100 girls names 1. Lily 2. Sophia 3. Olivia 4. Amelia 5. Ava 6. Isla 7. Freya 8. Aria 9. Ivy 10. Mia 11. Elsie 12. Emily 13. Ella 14. Grace 15. Isabella 16. Evie 17. Hannah 18. Luna 19. Maya 20. Daisy 21. Zoe 22. Millie 23. Rosie 24. Layla 25. Isabelle 26. Zara 27. Fatima 28. Harper 29. Nur 30. Charlotte 31. Esme 32. Florence 33. Maryam 34. Poppy 35. Sienna 36. Sophie 37. Aisha 38. Emilia 39. Willow 40. Emma 41. Evelyn 42. Eliana 43. Maisie 44. Alice 45. Chloe 46. Erin 47. Hallie 48. Mila 49. Phoebe 50. Lyla 51. Ada 52. Lottie 53. Ellie 54. Matilda 55. Molly 56. Ruby 57. Ayla 58. Sarah 59. Maddison 60. Aaliyah 61. Aurora 62. Maeve 63. Bella 64. Nova 65. Robyn 66. Arabella 67. Eva 68. Lucy 69. Eden 70. Gracie 71. Jessica 72. Amaya 73. Anna 74. Leah 75. Violet 76. Eleanor 77. Maria 78. Olive 79. Orla 80. Abigail 81. Eliza 82. Rose 83. Talia 84. Elizabeth 85. Gianna 86. Holly 87. Imogen 88. Nancy 89. Annabelle 90. Hazel 91. Margot 92. Raya 93. Bonnie 94. Nina 95. Nora 96. Penelope 97. Scarlett 98. Anaya 99. Delilah 100. Iris Top 100 boys names: 1. Muhammad 2. Noah 3. Jack 4. Theo 5. Leo 6. Oliver 7. George 8. Ethan 9. Oscar 10. Arthur 11. Charlie 12. Freddie 13. Harry 14. Zayn 15. Alfie 16. Finley 17. Henry 18. Luca 19. Thomas 20. Aiden 21. Archie 22. Teddy 23. Lucas 24. Ryan 25. Kai 26. Liam 27. Jaxon 28. Louie 29. William 30. Jacob 31. Ali 32. Caleb 33. Isaac 34. Joshua 35. Jude 36. James 37. Jayden 38. Adam 39. Arlo 40. Daniel 41. Elijah 42. Max 43. Tommy 44. Ezra 45. Mason 46. Theodore 47. Roman 48. Dylan 49. Reuben 50. Albie 51. Alexander 52. Toby 53. Yusuf 54. Logan 55. Rory 56. Alex 57. Harrison 58. Kayden 59. Nathan 60. Ollie 61. Ayaan 62. Elliot 63. Ahmad 64. Kian 65. Samuel 66. Hudson 67. Jason 68. Myles 69. Rowan 70. Benjamin 71. Finn 72. Omar 73. Riley 74. Zachary 75. Brodie 76. Michael 77. Abdullah 78. Matthew 79. Sebastian 80. Hugo 81. Jesse 82. Junior 83. Oakley 84. Abdul 85. Eli 86. Grayson 87. Mateo 88. Reggie 89. Gabriel 90. Hunter 91. Levi 92. Ibrahim 93. Jasper 94. Syed 95. Zion 96. Luke 97. Seth 98. Aaron 99. Asher 100. Blake Top gender unisex names: 1. Logan 2. Avery 3. Riley 4. Parker 5. Cameron 6. Ryan 7. River 8. Angel 9. Rowan 10. Jordan 11. Sawyer 12. Charlie 13. Quinn 14. Blake 15. Peyton 16. Hayden 17. Emery 18. Emerson 19. Amari <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">20. Eden <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Image: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

Girlboss or businessperson? Should we highlight or downplay gender in our language?

Just hearing the term “girl boss” makes me cringe. But after reading new research findings on gendered language in the workplace, I’m now more open to embracing it. Gender-neutral words such as “businessperson” may not be gender-neutral at all, and may even be reinforcing stereotypes. This is because if gender is not specified, often we fill in the blanks with a masculine default – so suggests new research <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2022.05.001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> in Trends in Cognitive Sciences. “If anyone suggested saying ‘female politician’ or ‘lady scientist’, I think many would say, ‘No, thank you’,” says co-author of this study, Assistant Professor Stav Atir, from the University of Wisconsin, US. “But wholesale gender neutrality in language is no panacea. Occupation words such as ‘businessperson’ or ‘surgeon’, though technically gender neutral, likely conjure up an image of a man. Likewise, ‘nurse’ (also technically gender neutral) conjures up an image of a woman.” The alternative, using a gender-marking approach, can be useful to highlight women and nonbinary people’s successes in a normally male-dominated field. “In order to spotlight the breakers of glass ceilings and those following in their footsteps, we must mention their gender,” says Atir. “If we discuss the CEO of YouTube, for instance, or the 2020 Nobel laureate in physics, and don’t mention they are women (Susan Wojcicki and Andrea Ghez, respectively), we’d be missing an opportunity to change people’s perceptions of who belongs and who can be successful in these professions.” This is similar to the effect of not “<a href="https://ideas.ted.com/why-saying-i-dont-see-race-at-all-just-makes-racism-worse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeing race</a>”, where ignoring someone’s <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/does-race-count-in-healthcare/">race</a> means we could be failing to recognise and celebrate additional obstacles overcome by underrepresented people. The lack of “gender marking” could have negative effects on nonbinary people too. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p194192-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> “The gender-neutral businessperson is technically inclusive, but the same male-default thinking that makes women disappear in gender-neutral language likely makes nonbinary people disappear, too.” says Atir. “Even writing about gender in a nonbinary way is difficult using existing linguistic tools.” Unfortunately, gender marking also has its own drawbacks, and potentially reinforce stereotypes between different genders. “Gender marking, then, should not be used thoughtlessly,” says Atir. “Though it can draw attention to professionals whose gender is underrepresented, it can also have ironic consequences, prompting stereotypical thinking and bolstering the perception of women as exotic exceptions to the male rule.” So what do we do? “We might be tempted to throw up our hands and give up the endeavour of using language to express and promote our beliefs,” says Atir. “That would be a mistake. “Language remains one tool in our toolbox for social change, and, unlike some of our other tools, it’s one that we can all use. The key to using this tool effectively is to tailor our language to the context, taking into account our situation-specific goals.” <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=194192&title=Girlboss+or+businessperson%3F+Should+we+highlight+or+downplay+gender+in+our+language%3F" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/girlboss-or-businessperson-should-we-highlight-or-downplay-gender-in-our-language/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/qamariya-nasrullah">Qamariya Nasrullah</a>. Qamariya Nasrullah holds a PhD in evolutionary development from Monash University and an Honours degree in palaeontology from Flinders University. Image: Getty Images </div>

Caring

Still counting: why the visual arts must do better on gender equality

You have to get more than a bit mad to single-handedly launch a campaign against inequality. At a recent forum, visual artist Elvis Richardson wryly <a href="http://www.womensartregister.org/">described</a> how anger was the catalyst that sparked her to start <a href="http://countesses.blogspot.com.au/">CoUNTess</a>, a blog that assembles and reviews data on gender representation in Australia’s contemporary art scene. Since 2008, Richardson has analysed the gender breakdown of who gets exhibited, collected, reviewed and rewarded. Converting indignation into statistics and emotion into hard facts, her blog provides irrefutable evidence that gender bias is an ongoing problem besetting the visual arts. The most current snapshot illustrates that only 34% of the artists shown in <a href="http://thecountessreport.com.au/thecountessreport-museums2014.html">state museums</a> are women. In <a href="http://thecountessreport.com.au/thecountessreport-commercial-galleries2014.html">commercial galleries</a>, the proportion is 40%. In the <a href="http://thecountessreport.com.au/thecountessreport-art-media2014.html">art media</a>, 34% of feature articles and reviews are about women, but 80% of magazine covers are dedicated to male artists. Change needs to be embraced at every level, not least in developing art curriculum in secondary schools. Victorian students who sat their final Studio Art exam last week were given 14 images to write about, of which only one was produced by a woman. A cursory survey of exams in previous years and other states suggests such bias is entrenched. Over the past decade, the gatekeepers of the Australian art scene have started responding to the unconscious bias Richardson documents. When comparing the graphs and charts in her old posts with the 2016 <a href="http://thecountessreport.com.au/thecountessreport-art-media2014.html">CoUNTess Report</a>, it is possible to identify small improvements. Still, as Richardson says in her <a href="http://thecountessreport.com.au/">report introduction, "</a>The closer an artist gets to money, prestige and power the more likely they are to be male." A recent <a href="http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/research/making-art-work/">study</a> by David Throsby and Katya Petetskaya also shows the gender pay gap is substantial in the Australian art scene. The 2016 CoUNTess Report was made possible with support from the <a href="http://cruthersartfoundation.com/about/">Cruthers Art Foundation</a>. This organisation is making a substantial contribution towards rebalancing the statistics via the <a href="http://cruthersartfoundation.com/collections/">Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art</a>, the only dedicated public collection of art by Australian women. Begun in 1974 as a private family collection acquiring women’s art, the collection consists primarily of portraiture, self portraiture and art that is focused on still life, abstraction, early postmodernism and second wave feminism. The collection was gifted to the University of Western Australia in 2007 and is housed at <a href="http://www.lwgallery.uwa.edu.au/">Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery</a>. Cruthers curator Gemma Weston believes the collection plays a role in valuing and making visible the work of women artists, which in turn can provide a pathway to its acceptance in the institutional domain. Individual works are often loaned to other art museums around Australia. Weston identifies visibility as a key factor in determining what gets collected and how an artist gets traction in her career. She says institutional recognition is a long and complicated process of gathering momentum, which often begins with the private collector rather than the art museum. There is no doubt that all-women collections and exhibitions can help to change the depressing statistics assembled by Richardson. There is concern, however, that this strategy can cause ghettoisation. Weston is conscious of this conundrum. Cruthers’ current show <a href="http://artguide.com.au/exhibition/country-and-colony">Country and Colony</a> moves beyond the concerns of previous exhibitions to document “women’s art” and “women’s issues” through biography, autobiography and portraiture. While gender and feminist politics are a subtext, Colony and Country profiles new acquisitions that deal with the fraught history of colonialism. The paintings, prints and objects by Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists tell stories about land, landscape, the body, industry and culture. <h2>Building momentum for change</h2> While the speed of change appears glacial, the momentum to overcome structural inequality for female artists appears to be building. In September, 11 top gallery directors, curators and arts organisation chiefs in the UK united in a <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/arts/art-worlds-most-powerful-women-unite-to-call-for-better-representation-for-female-artists-a3646586.html">call</a> for greater representation of female artists. A month later, possibly encouraged by the fall of the American movie producer Harvey Weinstein, the call-out of sexist and abusive behaviour in cultural industries spread to the visual arts. Numerous <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/allegations-against-former-artforum-publisher-knight-landesman-1128926">sexual harassment allegations</a> were made against powerful and prominent gatekeeper, Artforum co-publisher Knight Landesman. Landesman’s resignation from the international art publication has prompted many more women to come forward with stories about his alleged behaviour. An open letter written by women in the art world, “<a href="http://www.not-surprised.org/home/">We are not surprised</a>”, has morphed into a larger campaign linking abuse of power with structural inequality. By providing a graphic illustration of inequality, Richardson’s CoUNTess project has done much to bring the issue into view in Australia. Together with Weston’s thoughtful management and curation, the Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art is another important step in changing the status quo. Many arts organisations and individuals who have the capacity to bring about change have started counting and making an effort to <a href="http://visual.artshub.com.au/news-article/opinions-and-analysis/visual-arts/gina-fairley/are-we-finally-counting-right-254469">rectify</a> the imbalance. Yet when part of the cost of overlooking structural inequality is sexual harassment it is time for more decisive action. While extreme examples of sexual misconduct have not (yet) been exposed in Australia, demeaning behaviour is regularly meted out by the art scene gatekeepers. There are also anecdotal stories of grooming and sexual advances by powerful male gatekeepers. At present, few speak up because they fear damaging their career prospects. The CoUNTess Report <a href="http://www.thecountessreport.com.au/thecountessreport-recommendations.html">recommends</a> that “stakeholders in the Australian visual art sector routinely collect, analyse and publish gender representation data and use it to inform their policy decisions”. A rebalance of gender representation will only occur if all institutions that have a role in shaping the value of artists’ work start counting. As in the tertiary sector, many more girls than boys study art at school. In Victoria, for example, 73% of the cohort who completed <a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/statistics/2016/section3/vce_studio_arts_ga16.pdf">Studio Art</a> in 2016 were girls. Unless there is significant improvement, why would future generations of women pursue a career in the visual arts? Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/still-counting-why-the-visual-arts-must-do-better-on-gender-equality-87079" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

New study reveals fascinating fact about gender balance in books

Characters in books are almost four times more likely to be male than female, according to a new artificial intelligence study on female prevalence in literature. Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering used artificial intelligence to examine more than 3,000 English-language books with genres ranging from science fiction, to mystery and romance, including novels, short stories, and poetry. The team used Named Entity Recognition (NER), a prominent NLP method used to extract gender-specific characters. Lead researcher Mayank Kejriwal was inspired to research the topic and was surprised to find that gender bias was prevalent in the books. “Gender bias is very real, and when we see females four times less in literature, it has a subliminal impact on people consuming the culture,” she said. “We quantitatively revealed in an indirect way in which bias persists in culture.” Co-author of the study Akarsh Nagaraj discovered the four to one ratio which showed male characters were more common in books. “Books are a window to the past, and the writing of these authors gives us a glimpse into how people perceive the world, and how it has changed,” she said. “It clearly showed us that women in those times would represent themselves much more than a male writer would.” Using the technology, the team found the most common adjectives used to describe gender specific characters. “Even with misattributions, the words associated with women were adjectives like ‘weak,’ ‘amiable,’ ‘pretty,’ and sometimes ‘stupid,’” said Nagaraj. “For male characters, the words describing them included ‘leadership,’ ‘power,’ ‘strength’ and ‘politics.’” Image: Shutterstock

Books

Dad’s priceless reaction upon learning he’s having another girl

A father’s reaction at his wife’s baby shower has been slammed when it was revealed she was having another daughter. Expectant mother KC Fulton shared the reveal on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@kc.fulton/video/7085045940910083374?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> where she is holding one of her daughters and another daughter stands nearby with the father. She opens the umbrella where pink petals fall to reveal she is having another baby girl. The father immediately walks off saying “f**k” despite the fact that KC captioned the video: “Baby Fulton #3 is a……. I swear he’s happy.” Before the clip ends, he once again walks in front of his family and swears. KC has disabled the comments on the video which has already been seen more than 44 million times but it has been shared widely on social media with many calling out her partner's reaction. “This guy doesn’t deserve daughters. What a disgusting display of misogyny to a girl child not yet born,” one comment read. “I have 6 beautiful daughters and this video makes me quite upset. In today's day with all the negativity in the world this is not the attitude we need. There should have been nothing but joy and excitement in my opinion,” another wrote. “As a guy, I don’t get dudes like that. I have two little girls and they changed my life,” someone else commented. “How invaluable his daughters must feel,” another commented. Images: TikTok

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Dad’s priceless reaction upon learning he’s having another girl