What Works: Gender Equality, By Design

TL;DR

Harvard Kennedy School's Women in Public Policy Program discusses the importance of behavioral design in closing the gender gap and promoting gender equality.

Transcript

welcome to the women in public policy program seminar series podcast at the Harvard Kennedy School go ahead get started if we're just about almost get everybody in the room hello my name is Hannah Riley bowl-like the research director here at the women in public policy program which leads me with the pleasure of hosting our research seminar we hope... Read More

Key Insights

• 😚 Unconscious bias is a major barrier to closing the gender gap.
• 🛀 Traditional approaches to promoting gender equality, such as diversity training, have shown limited success.
• ⚧️ Mentorship and sponsorship have been found to be effective in promoting gender diversity in the workforce.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the main focus of the discussion in the Harvard Kennedy School seminar?

The seminar focuses on the importance of behavioral design in promoting gender equality.

Q: How effective are traditional approaches, such as diversity training, in closing the gender gap?

Traditional approaches, like diversity training, have shown limited success in promoting gender equality. More research is needed to determine their effectiveness.

Q: What has research shown about the role of mentorship and sponsorship in promoting gender diversity in the workforce?

Research has shown that mentorship and sponsorship are correlated with increased gender diversity in the workforce. They have been found to be effective in helping women succeed and overcome bias.

Q: What is behavioral design, and how can it be used to close gender gaps?

Behavioral design uses insights from psychology and behavioral economics to shape behavior. It can be used to create environments that promote gender equality and challenge unconscious bias.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The discussion focuses on the need to address unconscious bias in order to close the gender gap.

• Traditional approaches, such as diversity training, have shown limited success in promoting gender equality.

• Mentorship and sponsorship have been found to be effective in promoting gender diversity in the workforce.

• Behavioral design, using insights from psychology and behavioral economics, offers new ways to close gender gaps.