This FemmEurope Podcast episode focuses on gender data gap, a widespread phenomenon in research. Today we will discuss the presence of gender data gap in security, employment, hygiene and sanitation, as well as medicine. Our team will also touch upon the consequences of that gender data gap has in the discussed fields and the importance of addressing the issue. - #GenderDataGap #WomenInResearch #GenderBias #GenderDataBias

Sources: 

1. Appel, D. & Ngom, F. (2022). Three ways to close the gender data gap. Retrieved from https://oecd-development-matters.org/2022/07/18/three-ways-to-close-the-gender-data-gap/ 

2. Buvinic, M. & Levine, R. (2016). Closing the gender data gap. Retrieved from https://data2x.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Closing-the-Gender-Data-Gap-Mayra-Buvinic-and-Ruth-Levine.pdf 

3. Chisari, C. (2021). The silent and widely impacting cost of Vulvodynia: lessons learned and future recommendations. Retrieved from https://maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/posts/2021/november/the-silent-and-widely-impacting-cost-of-vulvodynia-lessons-learned-and-future-recommendations/ 

4. Criado Perez, C. (2019). Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. 

5. ETF (2020). Making the transport sector fit for women to work in. Retrieved from https://www.etf-europe.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ETF-Report-Making-the-Transport-Sector-Fit-for-Women-to-Work-in-Findings-from-a-survey-of-women-transport-workers.pdf 

6. Eurostat (2019). Access to an indoor flushing toilet. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/EDN-20191119-1 

7. Kho, K. (2022). Breaking the silence about endometriosis. Retrieved from https://utswmed.org/medblog/breaking-the-silence-endometriosis/ 

8. Lyons, H. (2021). Parliament demands a toilet plan for Brussels. Retrieved from https://www.brusselstimes.com/190022/parliament-demands-a-toilet-plan-for-brussels 

9. National Federation of Women's Institute (n.d.). Female Crash test dummies. Retrieved from https://www.thewi.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/389084/Female-Crash-Test-Dummies.pdf 

10. Regitz-Zagrosek, V. (2019). Warum brauchen wir Gendermedizin? Retrieved from https://www.br.de/fernsehen/ard-alpha/sendungen/campus/talks/gendermedizin-therapien-mann-frau-regitz-zagrosek-vera100.html 

11. Vidal, C. (2022). Inégalités de santé entre femmes et hommes: comment agir concrètement? Retrieved from https://www.institutmontaigne.org/analyses/inegalites-de-sante-entre-femmes-et-hommes-comment-agir-concretement 

12. UN News (2014). Ensuring women's access to safe toilets is a moral imperative, says Ban marking World day. Retrieved from https://news.un.org/en/story/2014/11/484042 

13. WHO (2021). Who cares about toilets? Retrieved from https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/19-11-2021-who-cares-about-toilets 

14. Winchester, N. (2021). Women's health outcomes: Is there a gender gap? Retrieved from https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/womens-health-outcomes-is-there-a-gender-gap/

This FemmEurope Podcast episode focuses on birth control, contraception and family planning. Today discuss societal and economic developments such as career abandonment, job renunciation, parental leave and unpaid care work. Our team will also touch upon risks and side effects of contraception, societal pressures and taboos associated with contraception, as well as accessibility and affordability of birth control. - #BirthControl #Contraception #FamilyPlanning

1. ACS Newsroom (2022). A non-hormonal pill could soon expand men’s birth control options. 

2. Center for Reproductive Rights (2012). Access to Contraceptives in the European Union Human Rights, Barriers and Good Practices. 

3. Duffy, S. et al. (2021). The fatherhood penalty: how parental leave policies perpetuate the gender gap (even in our ‘progressive’ universities). 

4. Europea (2019).Congedo parentale e di paternità: una misura a favore delle donne e degli uomini. Retrieved from http://www.europeainfo.eu/congedo-parentale-e-di-paternita-una-misura-a-favore-delle-donne-e-degli-uomini/ 

5. European Institute for Gender Equality (2017). Relevance of gender in employment. 

6. European Parliament (2021). EU countries should ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health. 

7. European Parliament (2022). An ambitious future for Europe's women after COVID-19: mental load, gender equality in teleworking and unpaid care work after the pandemic. 

8. European Parliament (2022). Maternity and paternity leave in the EU. 

9. European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (2020). European Contraception Atlas. 

10. Fenton, S. (2016). How sexist stereotypes mean doctors ignore women’s pain. 

11. Fernandez Lopez, L., & Schonard, M. (2022). An ambitious future for Europe’s women after COVID-19: mental load, gender equality in teleworking and unpaid care work after the pandemic. In European Parliament (PE 719.547). European Parliament. 

12. Kimport, K. (2017), More than a Physical Burden: Women’s Emotional and Mental Work in Preventing Pregnancy. 

13. Kimport, K. (2018), Talking about male body-based contraceptives: the counseling visit and the feminization of contraception. 

14. Macaluso, A. (2021). Baring It All: The Injustice of Female Birth Control. 

15. Michas, F. (2021). Access to modern contraception in Europe 2020, by country. 

16. Musumeci, R., & Solera, C. (2013). Women’s and men’s career interruptions in Europe: the role of social policies. Observatoire De La Société Britannique, 14, 37–72. https://doi.org/10.4000/osb.1511 

17. Trevelyan, L. (n.d.). New EU Directive seeks to address employees’ work-life balance. International Bar Association. 

18. Ulrika, R. (2019). Abortion and contraceptive use stigma: a cross-sectional study of attitudes and beliefs in secondary school students in western Kenya. 

19. Vaught, J. (2020). 5 Reproductive Health Issues We Need to Talk About in 2020. 

20. Woods, M. (2016, February 24). Oral Contraceptives: Risks and Benefits | Winchester Hospital. Beth Israel Lahey Health: Winchester Hospital. 

21. Yoppies by worklife. European parents: which country helps them most with the costs of childcare and babysitting?

This FemmEurope Podcast episode is about the objectification of women.  Objectification of women is a common marketing strategy. We shed a light on the advertisement, sports, porn and TV industry. We talk about consequences, double standards and ways to fight against objectification of women - #Womennotobject.

1. Bernard, P., & Gobbe, N. (2019). 12 mois 12 experts | Pub : la femme, cet objet érotisé. Actualités de l’ULB. https://actus.ulb.be/fr/12-mois-12-expert%C2%B7e%C2%B7s/2019-2020/12-mois-12-experts-pub-la-femme-cet-objet-erotise

2. Bevan, M. (2020, June 12). The Way We Watch: Sports, Women and the Male Gaze. Varsity Online. https://www.varsity.co.uk/sport/19410

3. Boeringer, S. B. (1994). Pornography and sexual aggression: Associations of violent and nonviolent depictions with rape and rape proclivity. Deviant Behavior, 15(3), 289–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.1994.9967974

4. Fight the New Drug. (2020, February 20). How Porn is More Violently Dehumanizing and Sexually Objectifying to Women than Ever. Fight the New Drug. https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-watching-porn-erodes-views-of-women/

5. Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. A. (1997). Objectification Theory: Toward Understanding Women’s Lived Experiences and Mental Health Risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x

6. Moradi, B., & Huang, Y. P. (2008). Objectification Theory and Psychology of Women: A Decade of Advances and Future Directions. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32(4), 377–398. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2008.00452.x

7. Mr. Mondialisation. (2016, January 26). Femme ≠ Objet:la vidéo choc qui expose le sexisme dans la publicité. Mr Mondialisation. https://mrmondialisation.org/la-video-choc-qui-expose-le-sexisme-dans-la-publicite/

Women continue to be underrepresented in the political sphere both on a national and European level. In this episode, we have a look at structural barriers, the potential of gender quotas and the impact of electoral systems. Furthermore, we shed a light on the careers of some female politicians, their rise in popularity, societal contributions and struggles with regards to gender stereotypes.

Sources:

1. Amann, M. (2017, September 16). Das erste Leben der Alice Weidel. DER SPIEGEL, Hamburg, Germany. https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/alice-weidel-die-afd-spitzenkandidatin-erstaunt-fruehere-weggefaehrten-a-1167859.html

2. Elgersma, S. (2021, June 26). Women in politics. Eyes on Europe. https://www.eyes-on-europe.eu/women-in-politics/

3. European Parliament. (1997). IMPACT OF ELECTORAL SYSTEMS ON FEMALE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION (3) - DIFFERENTIAL IMPACT OF ELECTORAL SYSTEMS ON FEMALE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/workingpapers/femm/w10/2_en.htm

4. House, C. P. A. (2014, May 30). Electoral quotas for women: an international overview. Parliament of Australia. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1314/ElectoralQuotas#_Toc372193123

5. International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. (2021). Gender Quota Database: Republic of Moldova. IDEA. https://www.idea.int/data-tools/data/gender-quotas/country-view/202/35

6. IPU Parline. (2022). IPU Parline: Global Data on National Parliaments. Https://Data.Ipu.Org/Content/Parline-Global-Data-National-Parliaments. https://data.ipu.org/content/parline-global-data-national-parliaments

7. Kaiser, A. (2017, April 24). Was AfD-Frontfrau Alice Weidel mit wirtschaftsliberal meint. manager magazin, Hamburg, Germany. https://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/personalien/alice-weidel-afd-frontfrau-a-1144588.html

8. Marmouyet, F. (2019, July 3). Ursula von der Leyen, une ministre impopulaire aux portes de la Commission européenne. France 24. https://amp.france24.com/fr/20190703-ursula-von-der-leyen-designee-presidente-commission-europeenne-portrait

9. Shreeves, R., Prpic, M., & Claros, E. (2019). Women in politics in the EU: State of Play. European Parliament, 1–12. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/635548/EPRS_BRI(2019)635548_EN.pdf

10. Thuma, Z. (2019, April 9). Girls’Day und Boys’Day. Bundesamt für Familie und zivilgesellschaftliche Aufgaben. https://www.bafza.de/engagement-und-aktionen/girlsday-und-boysday

11. Wieder, T. (2019, July 17). Ursula von der Leyen, une pro-européenne au bilan controversé en Allemagne. Le Monde.fr. https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2019/07/17/ursula-von-der-leyen-une-pro-europeenne-au-bilan-controverse-en-allemagne_5490189_3210.html

With regards to Poland’s new abortion law restrictions and related other global developments, we would like to provide a multi-faceted view on the topic of abortion: We aim to focus on the medical, psychological, political and sociological perspective. We are neither legal nor medical experts and we do not want to take a moral stance on the issue, but approach the topic of abortion as a Human Rights question.

1. Adamczyk, A. (2008). The effects of religious contextual norms, structural constraints, and personal religiosity on abortion decisions. Social Science Research, 37(2), 657-672.

2. BBC. (2021). Poland enforces controversial near-total abortion ban. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55838210

3. Bloomer, F., & O'Dowd, K. (2014). Restricted access to abortion in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland: exploring abortion tourism and barriers to legal reform. Culture, health & sexuality, 16(4), 366-380.

4. Biggs, M. A., Brown, K., & Foster, D. G. (2020). Perceived abortion stigma and psychological well-being over five years after receiving or being denied an abortion. PloS one, 15(1), e0226417.

5. Burgess, L. (2019). What are the different types of abortion? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325582 

6. Centre for Reproductive Rights (2021). European Abortion Law: A comparative overview https://reproductiverights.org/european-abortion-law-comparative-overview-0/ 

7. Coleman, P. K. (2011). Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995–2009. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(3), 180-186. 

8. Cook, E. A., Jelen, T. G., & Wilcox, C. (2019). Between two absolutes: Public opinion and the politics of abortion. Routledge.

9. EPF (2021). The European Abortion Policies Atlas. https://www.epfweb.org/node/857 

10. Euronews (2021). Which country in Europe ranks worst for access to abortion?https://www.euronews.com/2021/09/28/which-country-in-europe-ranks-worse-for-access-to-abortion

11. Hovhannisyan, (2021). Most of Europe fails to guarantee access to abortion care. https://socialeurope.eu/most-of-europe-fails-to-guarantee-access-to-abortion-care    

12. Medoff, M. H. (2002). The determinants and impact of state abortion restrictions. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 61(2), 481-493.

13. Moreau, C., Shankar, M., Glasier, A., Cameron, S., & Gemzell-Danielsson, K. (2021). Abortion regulation in Europe in the era of COVID-19: a spectrum of policy responses. BMJ sexual & reproductive health, 47(4), e14-e14.

14. RFI (2021). Irlande: malgré sa légalisation, l'accès à l'avortement reste difficile.https://www.rfi.fr/fr/podcasts/reportage-international/20211018-irlande-malgr%C3%A9-sa-l%C3%A9galisation-l-acc%C3%A8s-%C3%A0-l-avortement-reste-difficile 

15. Peseckyte, G. (2021). EU Parliament condemns Poland’s restrictive law on abortion. https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/eu-parliament-condemns-polands-restrictive-law-on-abortion/

16. Shanawani, H. (2016). The challenges of conscientious objection in health care. Journal of religion and health, 55(2), 384-393.

17. Zareba, K., La Rosa, V. L., Ciebiera, M., Makara-Studzińska, M., Commodari, E., & Gierus, J. (2020). Psychological Effects of Abortion. An Updated Narrative Review. Eastern Journal of Medicine, 25(3), 477-483.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social contacts have been minimized. In this context, social media has been increasingly important to ensure communication. Although helping us maintain social ties with our friends, family and colleagues, the excessive use of online platforms had negatives consequences as well. These were mostly related to our perception of body image, which will be the primary focus of this episode.

Sources:

1. Angelakis, I., Gooding, P. A., & Panagioti, M. (2016). Suicidality in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD): A systematic review with meta-analysis. Clinical psychology review, 49, 55-66.

2. Cerea, S., Bottesi, G., Grisham, J. R., & Ghisi, M. (2018). Body dysmorphic disorder and its associated psychological and psychopathological features in an Italian community sample. International journal of psychiatry in clinical practice, 22(3), 206-214.

3. Drüge, M., Rafique, G., Jäger, A., & Watzke, B. (2021). Prevalence of symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and associated features in Swiss military recruits: a self-report survey. BMC psychiatry, 21(1), 1-6.

4. Hallett, E. (2021). Influencers told not to use "misleading" beauty filters. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-55824936

5. hannoverre (2020). Réflexions sur la dysmorphophobie. https://www.hannover-re.com/1624168/recent-medical-news-french-version-reflexions-sur-la-dysmorphophobie-2020.pdf 

6. Higgins, S., & Wysong, A. (2018). Cosmetic surgery and body dysmorphic disorder–an update. International journal of women's dermatology, 4(1), 43-48.

7. Himanshu, A. K., Kaur, A., & Singla, G. (2020). Rising dysmorphia among adolescents: A cause for concern. Journal of family medicine and primary care, 9(2), 567.

8. Kleemans, M., Daalmans, S., Carbaat, I., & Anschütz, D. (2018). Picture perfect: The direct effect of manipulated Instagram photos on body image in adolescent girls. Media Psychology, 21(1),93-110.

9. Meeson, S. (2020). Lockdown and remote work have meant hours of staring at our own faces on video calls - an prompted interest in going under the knife. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200909-why-plastic-surgery-demand-is-booming-amid-lockdown

10. Morgan, L. (2021). Norway has just made it illegal not to declare retouched photos on social media. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/a36912499/norway-law-edited-retouched-photos-social-media/

11. Neziroglu, F. & Lippman, N. Cross Cultural Aspects of BDD. https://bdd.iocdf.org/expert-opinions/cross-cultural-aspects-of-bdd/

12. Phillips, K. A. (2004). Body dysmorphic disorder: recognizing and treating imagined ugliness. World Psychiatry, 3(1), 12.

13. Raypole, C. (2021). How to shift from body positivity to body neutrality - and why you should. https://www.healthline.com/health/body-neutrality

14. Rief, W., Buhlmann, U., Wilhelm, S., Borkenhagen, A. D. A., & Brähler, E. (2006). The prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder: a population-based survey. Psychological medicine, 36(6), 877-885.

15. Soler, P. T., Harada Ferreira, C. M., & da Silva Novaes, J. F. H. (2018). Body dysmorphic disorder: characteristics, psychopathology, clinical associations, and influencing factors. Published: May 30th, 10.

16. UK parliament  (2020). Body Image Survey Results. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5801/cmselect/cmwomeq/805/80502.htm

17. Weingus, L. (2018). Body neutrality is a body image movement that doesn't focus on your appearance. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-body-neutrality_n_5b61d8f9e4b0de86f49d31b4

18. Williams, S. (2020). I can recover at home: Cosmetic surgeons see rise in patients amid pandemic. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53341771

19. Wired (2021). Zoom Dysmorphia is following people into the real world. https://www.wired.com/story/zoom-dysmorphia-the-real-world/

​​During the COVID-19 crisis, there has been a significant increase in domestic violence in Europe. Countries facing these increasing numbers were obliged to take action. In this episode we argue that the COVID crisis has the potential to make a change by developing and improving prevention techniques. In our discussion, wee will focus on several perspectives and investigate whether or something has changed.

Sources: 

1. Campbell, J. C. (2002). Health consequences of intimate partner violence. The lancet, 359(9314), 1331-1336.

2. Chrisler, J. C., & Ferguson, S. (2006). Violence against women as a public health issue. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1087(1), 235-249.

3. European Commission (2021). 2021 report on gender equality in the EU. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/aid_development_cooperation_fundamental_rights/annual_report_ge_2021_en.pdf

4. Gender-based violence. (2020). Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://eige.europa.eu/covid-19-and-gender-equality/gender-based-violence

5. Hagemann-White, C. (2005). Analytical study of the results of the 4th round of monitoring the implementation of Recommendation Rec(2002)5 on the protection of women against violence in Council of Europe member states. Gender Commission Equality, 1–82.

6. Kumar, A., Nizamie, S. H., & Srivastava, N. K. (2013). Violence against women and mental health. Mental Health & Prevention, 1(1), 4-10.

7. The BMJ. (2020). Covid-19: EU states report 60% rise in emergency calls about domestic violence. The BMJ. Published. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1872

8. United Nations. (2020). What Is Domestic Abuse? Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/what-is-domestic-abuse