Global-Local Approach to the Study of Gender Inequality

To study gender inequality in the world, certain methodological tools were developed, such as the Gender Inequality Index and the Global Gender Gap Index. These indices, including the largest possible number of countries for research, are based on such indicators as access of men and women to education, life expectancy, economic opportunities, political representation, etc. However, along with demonstration of global and national manifestations of gender inequality in main spheres of life these researches have local specificity, the study of which requires the improvement of their methodology.

The problem of gender indices is that they are based predominantly on statistical indicators. Sociological data is important for increasing and deepening the empirical base for analysis of gender situation in the countries. Difficulties in conducting sociological surveys on the global-local level can be overcome due to the use of modern IT. For example, online surveys using LimeSurvey application are possible wherever there is access to the Internet.

To be able to compile information and compare data from the global to the local levels, it is necessary to develop a common program with a unified system of gender indicators. The advantage of global-local gender studies is that they can take into account local specificity of gender relations and gender culture. For example, the Global Gender Gap Index shows that gender inequality in Ukraine in political representation is overcome only by 9.8%. But this indicator takes into account only representation of women in supreme authority bodies of the state. At the same time the fact that representation of women in local authorities is much higher wasn’t taken into account.

Thus, global-local studies with a certain periodicity give rise to new opportunities for cross-cultural and cross-temporal analysis of the problems of gender inequality and gender development in all countries of the world, their local communities.