Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka

Although awareness of gender inequality can motivate collective action, it does not always translate into a greater willingness to engage in collective action to promote gender equality. This study investigated how sociocultural contexts and individual awareness of gender inequality jointly shaped normative and non-normative collective action intentions. Drawing on cross-cultural data from 61 societies ( N = 31,393), we found that individual awareness of gender inequality was associated with stronger collective action intentions, both normative and non-normative, aimed at promoting gender equality. However, macrolevel sociocultural factors moderated this relationship. Specifically, higher levels of societal gender inequality and power distance weakened the translation of individual awareness into action intentions. In contrast, greater societal individualism strengthened this translation. These findings underscore that promoting gender equality globally requires a dual focus on addressing not only individual-level awareness but also the broader structural environments that affect collective action intentions.

This study examines the psychometric properties of the Zero-Sum Perspective of Gender Status (ZSPGS) scale, which measures the belief that gains for one gender come at the expense of the other. We compared a single-item and a six-item version of the scale using data from 30,510 participants across 62 countries. We tested measurement invariance (MI), variability, reliability, and validity across cultures. The six-item ZSPGS demonstrated partial scalar invariance, supporting its use in cross-national research. The single-item ZSPGS, derived from the six-item scale, showed greater variability in scores, consistent with known limitations of single-item measures. Both versions correlated moderately with hostile sexism (HS), but weaker than expected with hostility toward men (HM). Discriminant validity was mixed, as correlations with benevolent sexism (BS) and benevolence toward men (BM) were stronger than anticipated. Gender differences emerged: HS was more strongly associated with ZSPGS among men, while HM showed stronger links among women. Both scales predicted lower intentions to engage in collective action for gender equality, indirectly via increased HS. While the single-item ZSPGS offers a practical option for brief surveys, the six-item scale provides greater measurement precision and is recommended when possible. Our findings highlight both the utility and limitations of ZSPGS in research.

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to explore and analyze the existing research on the relationship between religiosity and two forms of ambivalent sexism: benevolent and hostile. A narrative synthesis approach and meta-analysis based on Fisher’s z-transformed correlation coefficients were used to summarize the findings. The findings are re-ported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The find-ings suggest that religiosity is associated positively with both forms of ambivalent sexism. There was a stronger positive correlation between religiosity and benevolent sexism (z = .29, 95% CI [.26; .33]) than between religiosity and hostile sexism (z = .19, 95% CI [.13; .25]). However, the relationship varied significantly across studies, suggesting moderating roles of religious affiliation and gender. The findings highlight the need for more nuanced and intersectional approaches. Empirical models which will allow a better understanding of this relationship are proposed.

Collective action is a powerful tool for social change and is fundamental to women and girls’ empowerment on a societal level. Collective action towards gender equality could be understood as intentional and conscious civic behaviors focused on social transformation, questioning power relations, and promoting gender equality through collective efforts. Various instruments to measure collective action intentions have been developed, but to our knowledge none of the published measures were subject to invariance testing. We introduce the gender equality collective action intention (GECAI) scale and examine its psychometric isomorphism and measurement invariance, using data from 60 countries ( N = 31,686). Our findings indicate that partial scalar measurement invariance of the GECAI scale permits conditional comparisons of latent mean GECAI scores across countries. Moreover, this metric psychometric isomorphism of the GECAI means we can interpret scores at the country-level (i.e., as a group attribute) conceptually similar to individual attributes. Therefore, our findings add to the growing body of literature on gender based collective action by introducing a methodologically sound tool to measure collective action intentions towards gender equality across cultures.

The Towards Gender Harmony (TGH) project began in September 2018 with over 160 scholars who formed an international consortium to collect data from 62 countries across six continents. Our overarching goal was to analyze contemporary perceptions of masculinity and femininity using quantitative and qualitative methods, marking a groundbreaking effort in social science research. The data collection took place between January 2018 and February 2020, and involved undergraduate students who completed a series of randomized scales and the data was collected through the SurveyMonkey or Qualtrics platforms, with paper surveys being used in rare cases. All the measures used in the project were translated into 22 languages. The dataset contains 33,313 observations and 286 variables, including contemporary measures of gendered self-views, attitudes, and stereotypes, as well as relevant demographic data. The TGH dataset, linked with accessible country-level data, provides valuable insights into the dynamics of gender relations worldwide, allowing for multilevel analyses and examination of how gendered self-views and attitudes are linked to behavioral intentions and demographic variables.