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The Women and Public Policy’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.

Spotlight

 

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.

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Advancing Gender Equity in Venture Capital

A recently added Gender Action Portal (GAP) study found that when senior partners have more daughters, their venture capital firms hire more women, improving deal and fund performance.

Read the Study
 

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
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Headshot of Hannah Riley BowlesWhen Gender Matters in Negotiation

WAPPP co-director Hannah Riley Bowles explains how situational factors influence the potential for gender or other intersecting identities to influence negotiation behavior and outcomes. 

 

two women protesting Iran in Santa Monica, CAIran’s Women on the Frontlines

In their Foreign Affairs article, WAPPP Affiliated Faculty Zoe Marks and Erica Chenoweth discuss how women’s organizing has made Iranian protests more resilient—and more threatening to the regime in Tehran.

 

Image of female two female students in an engineering class.Subtle Linguistic Cues Increase Girls’ Engagement in Science

In this Gender Action Portal summary, researchers found subtle shifts in linguistic cues, such as describing science as an action instead of as an identity, may decrease the gender gap in science among young children. 

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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Events
There are no events planned at this time.
Publications
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3 Negotiation Myths Still Harming Women’s Careers
What is the future of reproductive rights?
Engaged Fatherhood for Men, Families and Gender Equality
Are Russian troops using sexual violence as a weapon? Here’s what we know.
Negotiating as a Woman of Color
 
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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