DOCSLIB.ORG

Social Currents

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Social Currents Social Currents http://scu.sagepub.com/ Religious Affiliation and Hiring Discrimination in the American South: A Field Experiment Michael Wallace, Bradley R. E. Wright and Allen Hyde Social Currents 2014 1: 189 originally published online 24 March 2014 DOI: 10.1177/2329496514524541 The online version of this article can be found at: http://scu.sagepub.com/content/1/2/189 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com On behalf of: Southern Sociological Society Additional services and information for Social Currents can be found at: Email Alerts: http://scu.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://scu.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations: http://scu.sagepub.com/content/1/2/189.refs.html >> Version of Record - May 15, 2014 OnlineFirst Version of Record - Mar 24, 2014 What is This? Downloaded from scu.sagepub.com by guest on May 30, 2014 SCUXXX10.1177/2329496514524541Social CurrentsWallace et al. 524541research-article2014 Article Social Currents 2014, Vol. 1(2) 189 –207 Religious Affiliation and Hiring © The Southern Sociological Society 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Discrimination in the American DOI: 10.1177/2329496514524541 South: A Field Experiment scu.sagepub.com Michael Wallace1, Bradley R. E. Wright1, and Allen Hyde1 Abstract This article describes a field experiment in which we sent fictitious résumés to advertised job openings throughout the American South. We randomly altered the résumés to indicate affiliation in one of seven religious groups or a control group. We found that applicants who expressed a religious identity were 26 percent less likely to receive a response from employers. In general, Muslims, pagans, and atheists suffered the highest levels of discriminatory treatment from employers, a fictitious religious group and Catholics experienced moderate levels, evangelical Christians encountered little, and Jews received no discernible discrimination. We also found evidence suggesting the possibility that Jews received preferential treatment over other religious groups in employer responses. The results fit best with models of religious discrimination rooted in secularization theory and cultural distaste theory. We briefly discuss what our findings suggest for a more robust theory of prejudice and discrimination in society. Keywords religion, organizations, occupations, work, inequality, poverty, mobility Introduction received surprisingly little scholarly attention, especially among sociologists. Recent reviews Reports of religious discrimination in the of the sociology of religion have made scarce American workplace are increasingly common. mention of religion’s influence in the work- In the last 20 years, religious-based complaints place (Edgell 2012; Sherkat and Ellison 1999). filed by employees with the U.S. Equal Also, in a search of 16 major sociology jour- Employment Opportunity Commission increased nals from 1990 to 2012, we found only 15 from 1,388 in 1992 to 3,790 in 2010 (U.S. Equal articles that dealt with the intersection of “reli- Employment Opportunity Commission 2011). gion” and “work.” Of these, only one study— News reports documenting claims of religious in Greece—dealt with religious discrimination discrimination in the workplace have also in the workplace (Drydakis 2010). Expanding increased. Figure 1 shows results from a Lexus our search, we found 5 more articles in non- Nexus search of the number of print media arti- sociology journals on religious discrimination cles on religious discrimination in the workplace at work, for a total of 6. Thus, our knowledge and, as shown, they tripled from 1991 (397) to 2010 (1,197). While this increase in reports may not coincide exactly with increases in actual reli- 1University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA gious discrimination, it nevertheless signals Corresponding Author: increasing public awareness of the problem. Michael Wallace, University of Connecticut, 344 Despite increasing public awareness, reli- Mansfield Rd. Unit 2068, Storrs, CT 06269-2068, USA. gious discrimination in the workplace has Email: [email protected] Downloaded from scu.sagepub.com by guest on May 30, 2014 190 Social Currents 1(2) 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009 Three-Year Moving Average Figure 1. Print media counts for Lexus Nexus subject search of religious discrimination in the workplace, 1991-2010. about religious discrimination in the U.S. about one year later, we followed nearly identi- workplace is scant. cal procedures as in the New England study. We This study helps fill this gap in the literature. replicate this study in the South for both substan- Using an Internet-based field experiment in the tive and methodological reasons. Substantively, Southern United States, we examine whether different regions of the country have different employers discriminate in hiring against various religious climates. By several indicators, the religious groups. We sent employers résumés American South is the most devout region, and from fictitious job applicants that reported one New England is the least religious. The religious of seven different religious identities—atheist, climate of a region might affect levels of dis- Catholic, evangelical Christian, Jewish, Muslim, crimination in ways that are not obvious. Perhaps pagan, and a fictitious religious group—or a less religious regions such as New England are control group with no mention of religious affili- less accepting of overt religious expressions. Or, ation, and then tested whether employers’ perhaps areas that are more religiously homoge- response rates varied by religious group. neous, such as the American South, are less tol- erant of those who practice other religions or no religion at all. As such, the results of this study A Replication can be interpreted on their own (is there religious This study replicates a recent field experiment discrimination in the American South?) as well on religion and hiring discrimination we con- as comparatively (how does the quantity and ducted in the New England region (Wright et quality of religious discrimination in the South al. 2013). In the New England study, we sent compare with that found in New England?). As out résumés that randomly assigned affiliation such, this replication further documents the in seven religious groups and a control group, prevalence of religious discrimination in the and recorded patterns of employer response. United States, examines variations by region, We found strong levels of employment dis- and tests the reliability of résumé-based field crimination against Muslims and lesser experiments. amounts of discrimination against atheists, pagans, and Catholics, but on the whole, the Previous Studies of Religious levels of discrimination were subdued owing Discrimination in the largely to the relatively low levels of religios- Workplace ity and the ethos of religious tolerance that characterize New England. Field experiments are emerging as a new Replication is a key feature of experimental method for testing for workplace discrimina- research, so in our study of the South conducted tion but are still fairly rare and underutilized Downloaded from scu.sagepub.com by guest on May 30, 2014 Wallace et al. 191 (Pager 2007; Pager and Quillian 2005; Pager, responded equally positively to the three résu- Western, and Bonikowski 2009). Their under- més except those employers who advertised use is surprising since they offer a direct test sales positions. From them, black applicants for many forms of subtle, covert discrimina- received only a quarter as many positive tion that may escape public awareness. As responses as did white applicants. There was employers face legal and social pressure not to no difference in response between the white discriminate, they may use nondiscriminatory Protestant and Jewish applicants. justifications to mask discriminatory behaviors More recently, Ghumman and Jackson (Pager 2007). Field experiments have helped (2008) used a laboratory experiment to test the uncover employment discrimination against influence of “religious identifiers” on employ- blacks (Bertrand and Mullainathan 2004), ability. A sample of college students rated the women with children (Correll, Benard, and employability of one of eight job applicants Paik 2007), gays and lesbians (Tilcsik 2011), with identical résumés, and the résumés had obese people (King et al. 2006), pregnant pictures attached in which applicants wore women (Hebl et al. 2007), and ex-convicts items of religious attire that marked them as (Pager 2003; Pager and Quillian 2005). Riach Christian, Muslim, or Jewish (along with a and Rich (2002:F515) argue for the use of this control group that had no religious identifiers). approach to study religious discrimination as They found little difference in the treatment of well. They note that “in the investigation of applicants, except that Muslims were rated economic discrimination, field experiments most employable for low-status jobs and least represent an important compliment to the con- employable for high-status jobs. In another ventional regression analysis approach. In the study, Ghumman and Jackson (2010) investi- future we expect that field experiments will be gated the effect of wearing the Muslim heads- applied more widely to age, disability, reli- carf. A sample of Muslim women rated their gion, and class” (emphasis added). expectations for
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Toward an Understanding of Why People Discriminate: Evidence from a Series of Natural Field Experiments
    NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHY PEOPLE DISCRIMINATE: EVIDENCE FROM A SERIES OF NATURAL FIELD EXPERIMENTS Uri Gneezy John List Michael K. Price Working Paper 17855 http://www.nber.org/papers/w17855 NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH 1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 February 2012 We thank Gary Becker, James Heckman, and Steven Levitt for their discussions throughout the exploration process. Seminar participants at the 2012 ASSA meetings in Chicago also provided useful insights. Moshe Hoffman provided able research assistance. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes. They have not been peer- reviewed or been subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications. © 2012 by Uri Gneezy, John List, and Michael K. Price. All rights reserved. Short sections of text, not to exceed two paragraphs, may be quoted without explicit permission provided that full credit, including © notice, is given to the source. Toward an Understanding of Why People Discriminate: Evidence from a Series of Natural Field Experiments Uri Gneezy, John List, and Michael K. Price NBER Working Paper No. 17855 February 2012 JEL No. C93,J71 ABSTRACT Social scientists have presented evidence that suggests discrimination is ubiquitous: women, nonwhites, and the elderly have been found to be the target of discriminatory behavior across several labor and product markets. Scholars have been less successful at pinpointing the underlying motives for such discriminatory patterns. We employ a series of field experiments across several market and agent types to examine the nature and extent of discrimination.
    [Show full text]
  • The Influence of Terrorism on Discriminatory Attitudes and Behaviors
    Shades of Intolerance: The Influence of Terrorism on Discriminatory Attitudes and Behaviors in the United Kingdom and Canada. by Chuck Baker A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-Newark Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Global Affairs Written under the direction of Dr. Gregg Van Ryzin and approved by ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Newark, New Jersey May, 2015 Copyright page: © 2015 Chuck Baker All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT The Influence of Terrorism on Discriminatory Attitudes and Behaviors in the United Kingdom and Canada by Chuck Baker Dissertation Director: Dr. Gregg Van Ryzin, Ph.D. Terrorism has been shown to have a destabilizing impact upon the citizens of the nation- state in which it occurs, causing social distress, fear, and the desire for retribution (Cesari, 2010; Chebel d’Appollonia, 2012). Much of the recent work on 21st century terrorism carried out in the global north has placed the focus on terrorism being perpetuated by Middle East Muslims. In addition, recent migration trends show that the global north is becoming much more diverse as the highly populated global south migrates upward. Population growth in the global north is primarily due to increases in the minority presence, and these post-1960 changes have increased the diversity of historically more homogeneous nations like the United Kingdom and Canada. This research examines the influence of terrorism on discriminatory attitudes and behaviors, with a focus on the United Kingdom in the aftermath of the July 7, 2005 terrorist attacks in London.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 John Stuart Mill on the Gender Pay Gap Virginie Gouverneur
    John Stuart Mill on the gender pay gap Virginie Gouverneur – Preliminary draft - 0. Introduction Few detailed analyses of John Stuart Mill’s approach to gender wage inequality have been proposed. Yet, such an analysis seems to us essential from two points of view. First, elements of Mill’s study still seem relevant today and can enrich contemporary studies that focus on gender pay inequalities. In general, in modern approaches, the effect of social norms and custom on women’s wages is rarely considered as a full-fledged factor. In Mill’s analysis, the weight of custom, usage, and social norms (including that of the male-breadwinner), appear as essential causes of gender wage differences. Of course, the times are not the same and since the inequalities of wages between men and women have largely diminished. But old customs and norms, which have long prevailed in society, still persist today and continue to explain at least a part of the current wage differences between the sexes. It is therefore necessary to question the impact that they may have had at a given moment and that may have led to the persistence of their effects over time. Second, the approach developed by Mill is particularly interesting from the perspective of the history of ideas: on the question of women’s wages, Mill appears as a real exception among his peers economists. In general, contemporary commentators recognize as a remarkable fact that Mill has taken an interest in the problem of women’s low wages in his time. However, many of them expressed serious reservations about the scope of his analysis.
    [Show full text]
  • 3 B a Lanre-Abass and M Oguh-Xenophobia and Its
    Vol. 5 No. 1 January – June, 2016 XENOPHOBIA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL ORDER IN AFRICA DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ft.v5i1.3 Bolatito A. LANRE-ABASS, Ph.D and Matthew E. OGUH, MA Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan Abstract Xenophobia, a form of discrimination practiced in countries, particularly in South Africa, is one of the major challenges confronting the modern day society. This paper examines xenophobia as a menace showing at the same time that this discriminatory practice bifurcates societies by creating a dichotomy amidst the various occupants of the society, thereby giving room for “otherness” rather than “orderliness”. The paper also highlights the philosophical implications of this societal bifurcation, particularly to the human community. Seeking a plausible way of addressing this challenge, the paper concludes by emphasizing the relevance of the value of tolerance in curbing xenophobia. Keywords : Xenophobia, Social discrimination, Tolerance, order and other, Africa. Introduction A basic plague that befalls some contemporary African societies is the monster called Xenophobia, which has as its features, discrimination and segregation and killing of non- members. As a result of this practice, any affected human society attempt to cut off setting portion of occupants for preserving them as the “other”. Thus, “otherness” rather than orderliness becomes a factor in some societies today. Most disheartening is the fact that it now seems immaterial whether these societies belong to the developed or third world countries as could be seen in the case of countries such as South African and Greece. In some African societies however, there abound fragments of the act of discrimination in almost all human societies within Africa, even though the gravity of its perpetuation varies from one country to another (MCKINLEY, ROBBINSON, and SOMAVIA 2001, 2-4).
    [Show full text]
  • Religious Inequality in America
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Departmental Papers (Sociology) Penn Sociology 6-2018 Religious Inequality in America Melissa J. Wilde University of Pennsylvania Patricia Tevington University of Pennsylvania Wensong Shen University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/sociology_papers Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Wilde, Melissa, Patricia Tevington, and Wensong Shen. 2018. "Religious Inequality in America." Social Inclusion 6 (2): 107-126. http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/si.v6i2.1447 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/sociology_papers/53 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Religious Inequality in America Abstract Sociology has largely ignored class differences between American religious groups under the assumption that those differences “are smaller than they used to be and are getting smaller all of the time” (Pyle & Davidson, 2014, p. 195). This article demonstrates that profound class differences remain amongst American religious groups. These differences are as large as—or larger than—commonly examined forms of inequality such as the gender pay gap and the race achievement gap. Using the most popular categorization of American religious groups, we find that egarr dless of the particular measure examined (years of education, income, socioeconomic index score, and proportion of members with at least a bachelor’s degree) Jews and Mainline Protestants are at the top of the socioeconomic ladder and Evangelical Protestants, both black and white, are at the bottom. Furthermore, religious group significantly predicts both years of education and the overall socioeconomic standing of respondents by itself with basic controls. Likewise, both socioeconomic indicators and education significantly predict the likelihood of being in a specific eligiousr tradition on their own with basic controls.
    [Show full text]
  • Lecture 1: Economics and Politics of Labor Coercion and Discrimination
    14.193, Symposium on Discrimination Lecture 1: Economics and Politics of Labor Coercion and Discrimination Daron Acemoglu MIT September 2020. Daron Acemoglu (MIT) Discrimination, Lecture 1 September2020. 1/88 Economics and Politics of Labor Coercion and Discrimination Introduction This Course This course is intended to encourage you to think more deeply about issues of race and discrimination, primarily in the US context but also beyond. The ultimate objective is to encourage top young researchers to start doing first-rate research in these areas. Because we believe that existing approaches in economics do not cover many of the important aspects of this problem, we have also included lectures by non-economist guests. Daron Acemoglu (MIT) Discrimination, Lecture 1 September2020. 2/88 Economics and Politics of Labor Coercion and Discrimination Introduction This Lecture This lecture will review the history of slavery and coercion in the US, emphasizing their political and social as well as economic implications. I will then attempt to provide a conceptual framework for thinking about what I will term “structural economic racism” – how economic opportunities are restricted for the particular group (in this case Black Americans). I will in particular dwell on economic aspects of an equilibrium in which there is systematic discrimination against Black Americans, undergirded by institutions, norms and overt and covert discriminatory labor market practices. (This is narrower than “structural racism”, which has many other elements and dimensions.) Many other aspects of structural economic racism (unequal education, segregation and law enforcement in incarceration problems) are equally or even more important but will be discussed more later.
    [Show full text]
  • Complex Religion: Intersections of Religion and Inequality"
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Departmental Papers (Sociology) Penn Sociology 2018 Editorial: "Complex Religion: Intersections of Religion and Inequality" Melissa J. Wilde University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/sociology_papers Part of the Christianity Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Islamic Studies Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, and the Sociology of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Wilde, Melissa. 2018. "Editorial: "Complex Religion: Intersections of Religion and Inequality"." Social Inclusion 6 (2): 83-86. http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/si.v6i2.1606 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/sociology_papers/54 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Editorial: "Complex Religion: Intersections of Religion and Inequality" Abstract What is complex religion and how does it relate to social inclusion? Complex religion is a theory which posits that religion intersects with inequality, especially class, race, ethnicity and gender. The nine articles in this volume examine a wide array of ways that religion intersects with inequality, and how, as a result, it can create barriers to social inclusion. The issue begins with three articles that examine the role of religion and its intersection with race and racialization processes. It then moves to three articles that examine religion’s intersection with socioeconomic inequality. The issue closes with three studies of how religion’s relationship with the state creates and maintains various status hierarchies, even as some religious movements seek to combat inequality. Together, these articles enrichen our understanding of the complex task before anyone seeking to think about the role of religion in social inclusion.
    [Show full text]
  • Athe Complexity of Religious Persecution@
    The Complexity of Religion in Determining Refugee Status T. Jeremy Gunn Emory University, USA This paper was prepared as a background paper for an expert discussion on religion organized as part of the follow-up to the Agenda for Protection. The views expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of UNHCR. The paper is available online at http://www.unhcr.org/protect. “The Complexity of Religion in Determining Refugee Status” Roundtable on Religion-Based Refugee Claims United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Church World Service by T. Jeremy Gunn 8 a revised version of this paper will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Harvard Human Rights Journal October 24, 2002 Introduction....................................................................................................................................3 I. Understanding (rather than defining) Religion...........................................................................5 A. The understandable search for a legal definition ..........................................................6 B. Difficulties in the legal definition of religion ...............................................................8 1. Characteristics of definitions of religion ...........................................................8 a. Assumptions about the underlying nature of religion............................8 b. Types of definition: essentialist or polythetic ........................................8 2. Typical shortcomings in legal definitions of religion......................................10
    [Show full text]
  • Domestic Terrorism: a Review of the Literature
    Portland State University PDXScholar Criminology and Criminal Justice Senior Capstone Project Criminology and Criminal Justice Spring 2013 Domestic Terrorism: A Review of the Literature Portland State University. Criminology and Criminal Justice Senior Capstone Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/ccj_capstone Part of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, and the Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Portland State University. Criminology and Criminal Justice Senior Capstone, "Domestic Terrorism: A Review of the Literature" (2013). Criminology and Criminal Justice Senior Capstone Project. 8. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/ccj_capstone/8 This Technical Report is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Criminology and Criminal Justice Senior Capstone Project by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. A Review of the Domestic Literature Terrorism Spring 2013 Brandy Anderson, Megan Brosnan, Chris Burgett, Adam Caughell, Joshua Dery, Alisha Dobkins, Tiffany Escover, Beverly Flanary, Jasmine Fletcher, Josh Gehl, Olivia Gilleo, April Grisamore, Tina Gutierrez, Marissa Hinds, Jedidiah Iverson, Johannes Korpela, Jason Lindsay, Justin Lloyd, Tani Lumague, Theresa Malaspina, Brian McDonald, Shona Mendenhall, Sasha Older, Christina Pack, Chad Patton, Matthew Pietrzak, Michael Register, Suzanne
    [Show full text]
  • Regression Or Progress? Barriers to Equality of Economic Opportunity and the Arab Transitions
    Regression or progress? Barriers to equality of economic opportunity and the Arab transitions Nadia Hijab Director, Development Analysis and Communication Services July 29, 2013 2 Table of contents 1. Introduction: Conceptual issues and root causes ..................................................... 3 2. The legal roots of gender discrimination in the economic sphere ..................... 5 A. CEDAW and constitutions ......................................................................................... 5 B. Issues in personal status and nationality laws ............................................................ 6 3. Planning for and promoting access to economic opportunity ............................. 8 A. Engendering national planning .................................................................................. 9 B. Shaping the labour force .......................................................................................... 10 C. Gender issues among vulnerable groups .................................................................. 12 4. Providing rights and protection in the world of work ......................................... 13 A. Gender stereotyped rights and ―protection‖ ............................................................. 13 B. Discrimination against men in parental rights.......................................................... 15 C. Retirement biases against men ................................................................................. 17 5. Regression or progress? The impact of the Arab
    [Show full text]
  • The Pay Equity Dilemma Women Face Around the World
    University of Central Florida STARS Honors Undergraduate Theses UCF Theses and Dissertations 2018 The Pay Equity Dilemma Women Face Around The World Lana D. McMurray University of Central Florida Part of the Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the UCF Theses and Dissertations at STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Undergraduate Theses by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Recommended Citation McMurray, Lana D., "The Pay Equity Dilemma Women Face Around The World" (2018). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 372. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/372 THE PAY EQUITY DILEMMA WOMEN FACE AROUND THE WORLD by LANA D MCMURRAY A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors in the Major Program in Marketing in the College of Business and in the Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Summer Term, 2018 Thesis Chair: Muge Yayla-Kullu, PhD ABSTRACT In this research, I examine the pay equity dilemma women face around the world and how it is different in various regions of the world. My research question focuses on “how a nation’s cultural characteristics affect pay equity?” It is already documented that men are paid more than women. The goal of this study is to explain how individual characteristics of national culture (such as masculinity, individualism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance) impacts this inequality.
    [Show full text]
  • Economic and Social Council Distr.: General 9 November 2016
    United Nations E/CN.6/2017/NGO/61 Economic and Social Council Distr.: General 9 November 2016 Original: English Commission on the Status of Women Sixty-first session 13-24 March 2017 Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century” Statement submitted by Mother’s Union, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council* The Secretary-General has received the following statement, which is being circulated in accordance with paragraphs 36 and 37 of Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31. * The present statement is issued without formal editing. 16-20057 (E) 161116 *1620057* E/CN.6/2017/NGO/61 Statement Mothers’ Union is a Christian, grassroots, non-governmental organisation working through four million members in 83 countries to support family life and promote flourishing relationships. We work to further women’s economic empowerment through financial education, supporting enterprise and campaigning for flexible working conditions and decent parental pay and leave arrangements. Economic empowerment enables access to and control over economic resources and opportunities, for the purpose of economic sustainability and advancement. Women face economic disempowerment because of discrimination through cultural and social norms, policies and laws; which must be addressed to accord women equality with men. Particular attention should be paid to the impact of gender-based violence on women’s economic empowerment, with measures introduced to prevent and end it. Whilst economic empowerment is important in enabling human choice and freedom, women and men should not be valued only as economic units, but their intrinsic worth recognised.
    [Show full text]