SOLVE magazine Issue 01 2020 | Page 26

GENDER 27 30 32 34 35 Research lights gender equality’s tortuous path Girls’ night out on the femininity tightrope Decoding the language of violence against women Live on stage – a balancing act extraordinaire Diversity straining on its leash Gender equality has been a talking point in the public domain for more than a century, yet positive action and change has still not been fully realised. Gender-related violence and exclusion persists. As for all societal challenges, research is fundamental to building knowledge, deeper understanding and effective policy tools with which to turn talk into action. The work of researchers is to develop mechanisms that bring into clear focus – and document – both subtle and overt discrimination, from career and workplace limitations and social and economic marginalisation, through to the extremes of sexual abuse and culturally-sanctioned violence. It is systematic research that provides the practical, workable basis for developing strategies that can rectify gender inequity. The research starts with gender, but as these reports show, equality empowers the whole of society. 26 ISSUE 1 / 2020