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The Women and Public Policy Program’s faculty, research fellows, and students are committed to advancing women and gender equity globally. Through rigorous research, we offer gender insights into work, politics, and conflict that have the potential to reduce or eliminate barriers so all people can fulfill their life aspirations unconstrained by gender bias.

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Spotlight

 

Busting the Myth that Women Don't Negotiate Enough

In the latest episode of The Institute for Gender and the Economy's Busted podcast, WAPPP Co-Director Hannah Riley Bowles discusses how people of different social groups experience different responses when they try to negotiate—and how women negotiate in many different ways beyond just for pay. 

Listen to the episode
 

Intersectional Research Summaries on GAP

WAPPP's Gender Action Portal (GAP) team is committed to intersectionality as a core guiding principle for our work in gender policy research translation. GAP added 6 new summaries on intersectionality in 2022, bringing the total intersectional summaries to 61, 21% of all research included on GAP.

Explore GAP's intersectional research
 

Understanding the Post-Roe Landscape

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion. WAPPP has compiled resources from across Harvard University on what the historic ruling means for reproductive rights and other protected civil liberties. 

Explore the Resources
Explore more spotlighted content
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How to Negotiate for the Academic Career You Truly Want

WAPPP Co-Director Hannah Riley Bowles outlines a simple four-step framework called “SURE” to help educators plan ahead for negotiations and further their careers. This approach was devised to help not only women but also those from marginalized groups and people of all genders more broadly.

headshot of Anna Gifty next to the cover of her book

The Black Agenda with Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

In 2022, HKS doctoral student Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman published a critically acclaimed collection, The Black Agenda. WAPPP sat with Anna to chat about her book, which is the first trade publication to exclusively feature Black scholars and experts across economics, education, health, and climate.

image of transgender flag waving in the wind

Transgender Awareness Week 2022

WAPPP commemorates Transgender Awareness Week and honors the memory of Rodrigo Ventocilla MPA/ID 2023. Explore a selection of resources that raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face.

Research & Programs

Work and Gender Equity (WAGE)

The WAGE research initiative focuses on data-driven strategies organizations can use to "debias" their systems and create more inclusive workplaces, as well as interventions that enhance individuals’ agency in negotiating more gender-equitable work arrangements, including paid and unpaid labor.

WAGE

Gender and Politics

The Gender and Politics initiative aims to advance research on representative democracy and equitable participation in governments across the globe. Our "Oval Office" training program inspires and supports nontraditional candidates to run for public office. 

Gender & Politics

Gender and Conflict

The Gender and Conflict initiative unites faculty, students, and researchers at Harvard Kennedy School and beyond to study gender in non-violent and violent social movements and the social and institutional factors influencing the prevalence of gender-based violence.

Gender & Conflict

Gender Action Portal

The Gender Action Portal (GAP) serves as an online tool for decision-makers across sectors. The collection of research focuses on experimental approaches—both in the field and in the laboratory—and draws from multiple disciplines, including economics, psychology, and organizational behavior.

GAP

Research Fellowship Program

The mission of the fellowship is to support and advance academic and practitioner-scholars in their gender-related research. By conducting research and engaging with faculty and students at Harvard Kennedy School and beyond, the fellows enrich the intellectual life of the center.

Research Fellowship Program

Other Program and Initiatives

Explore all the programs, projects, and initiatives at the Women and Public Policy Program.

Other Research Initiatives
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Publications
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“A Contingent ‘Yes’” Revisited
How Women Can Negotiate for the Academic Career They Truly Want
“But the Fellows Are Simply Diversity Hires!” How Organizational Contexts Influence Status Beliefs
3 Negotiation Myths Still Harming Women’s Careers
What is the future of reproductive rights?
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF LAND AND PEOPLE

The Women and Public Policy Program and the Harvard Kennedy School are located on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary unceded homeland of the Massachusett people, the surviving descendants of the first people of Massachusetts and of the Neponset band of the Massachusett. We honor this tradition and work toward a gender equity agenda that addresses the needs of all women, including Indigenous women and Indigenous communities. For more information, please visit our GAP Land Acknowledgement resource page.

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