Global Ideas: Lessons on Gender Equity

Gender Equity: Lessons from around the globe that could promote the health of all

From 2020 to 2024, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Global Ideas for U.S. Solutions team focused on three key themes: sustainable and equitable urban development, gender equity, and community power. This work generated a wealth of insights, partnerships, and practical experiences for policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and community members in the U.S. and beyond, proving that good ideas have no borders. Through a series of grants, we explored how gender inequities in education, income, employment, and healthcare negatively affect the health and wellbeing of people of all genders, with women and gender minorities often facing the biggest barriers.

Our Learnings

Through our grants, we aimed to answer key questions about global practices that could improve outcomes in the U.S. Here’s what we learned: 

• Which places worldwide are making progress on gender equity, and how did they get there? We learned that several places around the world are making significant progress on gender equity. In particular, we learned that cities can serve as incubators for innovative policies and practices, and that many around the world are leading the way. For example, Bogotá, Colombia developed a comprehensive Care System, which includes Care Blocks, Care Buses, and Care Home Assistance. These initiatives provide training and support to caregivers, who are mostly women, and also aim to equip men to take on a fair share of caregiving responsibilities. Care Blocks locate services and supports within a 15-minute walk from caregivers’ homes, relieving and educating caregivers while building community. Cities are also learning from and with each other in a networked way. Spain has also made strides with paid family leave, credit schemes, opportunities for career advancement, and early childhood education, which has increased employment for mothers. Additionally, Germany introduced a national minimum wage, and New Zealand made it easier for employees to raise pay equity claims. Countries like Iceland and Rwanda have established policies requiring that a certain share of women be included as legislators or candidates and trained aspiring female leaders, resulting in a near-equal number of women as political candidates or elected representatives.
• What does it look like for organizations and institutions to work with an intentional focus on gender equity, and what conditions must be in place for them to do so? Organizations and institutions that work with an intentional focus on gender equity often have clear policies and practices that promote inclusivity and diversity. For example, Barcelona has a dedicated Office for Feminism and LGBTI Affairs, which promotes gender equality and requires government officials to receive gender equity training. Similarly, Vienna has a city department dedicated to “Gender Mainstreaming.” Conditions that must be in place for organizations to focus on gender equity include strong leadership commitment, comprehensive gender equality policies, regular training and awareness programs, and mechanisms for accountability and monitoring progress.
• Which places are taking action to ensure that gender minorities, such as non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals, have a fair and just opportunity for good health and wellbeing? We learned that several places were taking action to ensure that gender minorities have a fair and just opportunity for good health and wellbeing. For instance, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, Malta, Nepal, New Zealand, and Pakistan allow official registration under a third gender. Los Angeles has a Transgender Advisory Council that advises city agencies on programs, policies, and plans relevant to gender minorities. The Netherlands provides gender-affirming care, and its applications to transgender youth are being examined by Evidence for Action for potential implementation in the U.S. Countries like Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland, and India are expanding the role of pharmacists to provide care, as many gender minorities are hesitant to seek traditional medical care. Sweden provides medically accurate sex education for younger kids, and Quito, Ecuador, has implemented transit design, policy, and communications campaigns to prevent and respond to high levels of sexual harassment and assault for women and gender minorities.
• What can we learn from how other countries and cities outside the U.S. link gender equity issues with significant challenges like climate change, food equity, and migration? Countries and cities around the world offered valuable lessons in linking gender equity issues with significant challenges. For example, Canada has committed to integrating gender equality into at least 80 percent of climate projects, supporting women’s leadership and decisionmaking, investing in women-led renewable energy businesses, and analyzing the impacts of climate decisions on women and girls. Sweden has advocated for gender equality climate funds, and Kenya's climate adaptation plan incorporates gender considerations into all adaptation actions. The Huairou Commission, a women-led social movement of grassroots groups from poor urban, rural, and indigenous communities in over 45 countries, launched the Community Resilience Funds to channel resources to grassroots women’s groups living in risk-prone communities, empowering them to lead action strategies and advocate for resilience. Organizations like the Women’s Earth Alliance and Women Deliver are leading the way on approaches that consider climate and gender issues together. 

Key Takeaways

• COVID-19's Toll on Women: A Catalyst for Gender Equity: Our grantees’ projects highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected women’s health and wellbeing and galvanized action on gender equity issues. Research shows that women lost more paid work, took on more unpaid domestic responsibilities than men during the pandemic, and were less likely to receive economic relief funding. In many places, human rights violations and violence against women rose, and women’s mental and physical health declined. However, the public health crisis also spotlighted various social, economic, and political gender inequities. It spurred federal, state, and private sector action on issues like family leave, pay equity, and child care and showed a spotlight on the gendered nature of care and caregiving. Community-led organizations, policymakers, researchers, and funders can build on this momentum to advance gender equity policies and strategies. Places like Bogotá offer inspiration and solutions for the U.S. Its Care Blocks provide centralized services for female caregivers, improving their wellbeing and reducing unpaid care work. 
• Leading with Gender Equity in Climate Solutions: We learned that U.S. approaches to gender equity could benefit from focusing more intentionally on its intersections with climate and racial justice. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change impacts but face social, political, and economic barriers to engaging in climate justice efforts. Additionally, women, girls, and gender minorities of color often face multiple inequities that negatively affect their health and wellbeing, such as the most significant gender pay gaps. Emphasizing these intersections could foster a more diverse and representative movement to advance gender, climate, and racial equity. The U.S. can learn from countries like Canada, Kenya, and Sweden about how to integrate gender equity into climate initiatives. 
• Global Insights for U.S. Gender Equity: Data, Networks, and Policy Change: Progress toward gender equity in the U.S. could also benefit from improved data collection, inclusive networks, and transparent governance. The nation lacks comprehensive data on the needs of women, girls, and gender minorities. Most gender data is collected at the national level, making it hard for cities to apply it locally, and limited geographic sampling and binary frameworks further restrict its utility. Examples from other countries show the value of collecting inclusive gender data to create policies that support the wellbeing of transgender, intersex, and non-binary individuals. The U.S. can learn from the U.K., Argentina, and Canada to advocate for gender-inclusive measures in national surveys. Additionally, engaging more women and gender minorities in public decisionmaking can lead to more gender-equity-focused policies, as seen in research linking greater representation of women in politics with such outcomes. Global networks can help highlight effective strategies to advance gender equity and harness collective power for change.

Collectively, our grants focused on learning about gender equity from around the globe and provided valuable insights into promoting future efforts to help improve the health and wellbeing of everyone living in the U.S.