Understanding gender disparity: factors affecting higher education self-efficacy of students in Malaysia

PurposeGender disparity is a global phenomenon where females outnumber male participants. It has been observed that males are the early leaver from higher education, thus reflecting a severe concern about social instability. Malaysia is a prominent example where females outnumber males in higher education. In this context, this paper aims to examine the effect of individual, social and financial factors on the higher education self-efficacy of male and female students. It develops a comprehensive understanding of gender-based decision factors in pursuing higher education. Design/methodology/approachThe hypothesis was formed based on a comprehensive literature review following the hypothetico-deductive positivist approach. These hypotheses were tested based on a sample of 250 respondents. A multiple regression analysis was deployed to test the relationship between the dependent variable and its predictors. FindingsThe results suggest that male and female students' self-efficacy depends on five determinants, i.e. family influence, peer influence, career expectancy outcome, gender roles and institutional factors. Male students tend to be influenced more by these five determinants than females. Additionally, male students with better financial backgrounds are more likely to have higher self-efficacy, whereas gender roles negatively affect male and female students' self-efficacy for higher education. Research limitations/implicationsThe breakout of COVID-19 resulted in the selection of limited students in Malaysia. Due to restricted movement orders, it was impossible to reach out to the students for data collection. Future research could include a broader area to include multiple other regions of Malaysia. For a broader aspect, the study could be conducted in other areas/countries where the problem of less male participation exists. Practical implicationsThe relationship between higher education self-efficacy is assessed with social, financial and institutional factors for male and female students. It will enable the stakeholders and policymakers to make better decisions in increasing the self-efficacy of students to attain equity in higher education institutions. Social implicationsThe finding of this paper will assist in increasing male participation in higher education institutions to avoid any social instability. Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature in understanding the causes of gender gap reversal, focusing on Malaysian higher education institutions. It also provides empirical evidence to look at potential factors that affect the higher education self-efficacy of male and female students.

Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on India's rural youth: Evidence from a panel survey and an experiment

This paper presents evidence on the short and long-term impact of the COVID-19 crisis on India's rural youth. We interviewed about 2,000 vocational trainees from Bihar and Jharkhand three times after the first national lockdown in 2020, between June 2020 and December 2021. We find that a third of respondents who were in salaried jobs pre-lockdown lost their jobs, and half of those who worked out of state returned home shortly after the lockdown. We report a stark difference between men and women: while many male workers took up informal employment, most female workers dropped out of the labour force. In the second part of the paper, we use a randomised experiment to document the effects of a government-supported digital platform designed to provide jobs to low-skilled workers. The platform turned out to be difficult to use and publicised only few job ads. We find no effect on job search intensity or employment. Our findings suggest that bridging the gap between rural young workers and urban formal labour markets requires more active and targeted policy interventions, especially for female workers. © 2023 The Authors

Covid-19 Pandemic and the Girl Child Education: The Case of Nigeria and South Africa

The Covid-19 pandemic has not only radically affected lives and ways of living but has wreaked havoc on education systems globally. United Nations estimates that over 1.6 billion students worldwide have been affected by school closures that were necessitated by the pandemic. Although learning and teaching continued virtually in various countries, the challenges of this new mode of education were more burdensome in some countries than in others. While studies on the impact of the pandemic on education and gender inequalities have been conducted, few have focused specifically on the impact of the pandemic on girl child education. This chapter discusses the impact of the pandemic on girl child education in Africa. Although the authors present the cases of two of Africa's biggest economies, Nigeria and South Africa, the recommendations for research and policy presented will undoubtedly prove useful to other countries on the continent and improve education generally. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.

Community College Student Persistence During the COVID-19 Crisis of Spring 2020

Objective: This quantitative study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' persistence at a minority-serving, open-access, public, urban community college in New York City. Specifically, the project looked at factors associated with mid-semester college withdrawals during spring 2020 when the college shifted to remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Utilizing data from three spring semesters (spring 2018, 2019, and 2020), four logistic regression models tested the marginal effects of student background and college program factors on mid-semester withdrawal and the moderating effect of spring 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak semester. Results: Findings indicated that the withdrawal rates were higher for new students, men, minoritized students, and part-time students across all three spring semesters. Spring 2020 disproportionally affected part-time students, men, Black students, as well as readmitted students. The greatest increase in the probability of mid-semester college withdrawal was observed for Black men who had been enrolled part-time in spring 2020. Belonging to a highly structured full-time study program protected students from leaving mid-semester, although this protection was weaker in spring 2020 and spring 2019 compared to spring 2018. Contributions: The research highlights the equity gap for Black men at the college and points to additional factors contributing to mid-semester college attrition. The work provides insights into factors that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study thereby contributes to understanding short-term risk factors for vulnerable student populations and adds to the body of literature on crisis situations in higher education. © The Author(s) 2023.

Pandemic Crisis, Contact Intensity and Gender Disparity in a Developing Economy*

The paper attempts to analyse the grotesque dimensions of gender disparity of lockdown as a policy response to the pandemic crisis. In doing so, we develop a multi-sectoral distortion-ridden general equilibrium model which applies to small open developing economies. Lockdown results in supply-chain disruptions (SCDs), physical restrictions on labour gathering, adverse demand shock and an escalation of demand for the high-skilled capital-intensive product. Not only factor intensity ranking but also contact intensity of sectors has several dimensions. These dimensions include inter alia female labour force participation, the burden of unpaid domestic chores on women and gender wage disparity with unemployment as well. © 2023 The Economic Society of Australia.

A Systematic Literature Review on ESG during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have been investigated by scholars from several points of view. Although the epidemic of COVID-19 is recent, numerous scholars have analyzed its effects on ESG, making it difficult to systematize current knowledge. This generates the risk that the discussion will become stale. This study aims to provide a systematic literature review able to examine the combination of ESG and COVID-19 outbreak, to understand what the academics discovered. Eighty-five studies were systematically reviewed. We used a systematic literature review which is the tool that can ensure that all relevant data from the topic under investigation are considered. This approach is considered as the most comprehensive and rigorous one because it allows the creation of the advancement of knowledge of the specific topic. We identified five classes plus a residual one that accommodate the main topics analyzed in the literature (investment and stock returns, ESG in specific industries, ESG rating, gender studies, ESG reporting, and other). Our research highlights that most of the studies have been focused on the first three topics, sometimes reaching different or opposite findings, while only few studies have been dedicated on the other topics. Therefore, we state the need for more research into the ESG/COVID-19 combination in the fields of gender diversity and ESG reporting, and for more research able to understand the different findings of the other three identified topics. © 2023 by the authors.

Gender Differences Associated with Hyper-Inflammatory Conditions in COVID-19 Patients.

COVID-19 has been associated with various hyper-inflammatory conditions (HICs) such as macrophage activation, hematological dysfunction, cytokinaemia, coagulopathy, and liver inflammation. However, it is not clear if the differences in the disease severity and mortality shown by male and female COVID-19 patients are associated with these HICs. Here, we review the literature and present supporting laboratory data on the gender differences associated with various HICs in COVID-19 patients. We measured plasma/serum levels of various HIC specific clinical markers in severe male (N=132) and severe female (N=78) COVID-19 patients. The result revealed that all clinical markers were highly elevated above the normal in both male and female COVID-19 patients. However, a comparison of AUROC (area under the receiving operative characteristics) of specific clinical markers revealed that elevation in serum ferritin (marker for macrophage activation), and neutrophil to lymphocyte (N/L) ration (marker for hematological dysfunction) was much higher in male compared to the female COVD-19 patients. Further, univariate regression analyses revealed that male COVID-19 patients had two times higher risks than female patients for developing macrophage activation (OR 2.36, P=0.004)), hematological dysfunctions (OR 2.23, P=0.01), coagulopathy (OR 2.10, P=0.01), and cytokinaemia (OR 2.31, P=0.01). Similar results were obtained in bivariate analyses. Survival curve analysis showed that male COVID-19 patients had relatively short survival duration than female COVID-19 patients (hazard ratio 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-3.7, P=0.01). The above findings suggest that the high mortality rate in male COVID-19 patients compared to the female could be due to higher prevalence and severity of various HICs.

Explicating gender disparity in wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The available evidence suggests that women were more likely to wear face masks as a precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies have explicated this gender disparity in wearing face masks. This study investigates associations of demographic factors with wearing face masks in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic, then explicates gender disparity in wearing face masks from the lens of the Protection Motivation Theory. METHODS: The first part of this study employed a structured online survey of 708 Malaysian adult participants. Data collected were quantitatively analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression. The second part of this study was conducted among 28 women to better understand gender disparity in protection motivations from the perspectives of women. RESULTS: Gender has the strongest positive association with wearing face masks (p-value < .001), followed by age (p-value = .028). The Protection Motivation Theory adequately explicated the gender disparity in wearing face masks. Additionally, women were motivated to wear face masks beyond protection from the SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSION: Understanding the underlying motivations for wearing face masks informs design of gender-based public health messages to increase compliance with public health regulations and reduce morbidity and mortality for present and future public health crises.

Gender and Race-Based Health Disparities in COVID-19 Outcomes among Hospitalized Patients in the United States: A Retrospective Analysis of a National Sample.

COVID-19 has brought the disparities in health outcomes for patients to the forefront. Racial and gender identity are associated with prevalent healthcare disparities. In this study, we examine the health disparities in COVID-19 hospitalization outcome from the intersectional lens of racial and gender identity. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 2020 NIS dataset for hospitalizations from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020 was analyzed for primary outcome of in-patient mortality and secondary outcomes of intubation, acute kidney injury (AKI), AKI requiring hemodialysis (HD), cardiac arrest, stroke, and vasopressor use. A multivariate regression model was used to identify associations. A p value of <0.05 was considered significant. Men had higher rates of adverse outcomes. Native American men had the highest risk of in-hospital mortality (aOR 2.0, CI 1.7−2.4) and intubation (aOR 1.8, CI 1.5−2.1), Black men had highest risk of AKI (aOR 2.0, CI 1.9−2.0). Stroke risk was highest in Asian/Pacific Islander women (aOR 1.5, p = 0.001). We note that the intersection of gender and racial identities has a significant impact on outcomes of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the United States with Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) men have higher risks of adverse outcomes.

Designing a (Re)Orientation program for Women Computing Students at a Commuter College and Measuring Its Effectiveness

Farmingdale State College (FSC) is primarily a commuter four-year college within a large state college system. Computing degrees at FSC have traditionally struggled with gender disparity in enrollment, consistent with many other national and global computing degrees. While the student enrollment in FSC computing degrees has doubled, the female population has hovered at 8-15% over the last decade. This research study focuses on designing an orientation program for women computing students of FSC and measuring its effectiveness on the female student experience. Details about measurement and assessment of the design decisions and implementation details, and data analysis of pre- and post-orientation survey results from the pilot version of the (re)orientation held in summer 2021 are presented. The main goal of the (re)orientation program is to provide an environment for connections to be established among the small female population enrolled fostering camaraderie and recognition as female students begin their upcoming semester. A secondary goal is for the students to gain familiarity with the campus, department and technical tools used in classes to give an edge to the female students for the new semester. The timing of the (re)orientation session coincided with return to campus after being remote for two and half semesters due to the global COVID19 pandemic and hence implementing the pilot and evaluating its results were additionally important. There is a wide variety in approach, objectives, and outcomes of orientation programs in general, however, it is rare for orientation programs to be focused on gender balance and even more rare in the context of commuter colleges. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2022.

EXPERIENCES OF PLACE-BOUND SOCIALITY AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENT-RELATED COPING STRATEGIES

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, places of public encounter were effectively inhibited by lockdown regulations. In addition to several quantitative studies of the impact of the ongoing pandemic on society, little is known about the use of one’s spatial environment on individual coping strategies mitigating physical isolation. Through an explorative qualitative study we derived a typology of coping strategies that helped participants to balance responsible action and the urgent need for social contact.Our approach aligns with well-known theory in the field of place (Cresswell 2020) and place-bound sociality (cf. Schatzki 2002) in the context of phenomenology (Sloan & Bowe 2014, Rehorick 1991, Seamon 1979). Sixteen participants were selected reflecting diverse conceptualisation of community and representing socioeconomic and gender diversity in both urban and rural areas of the German state of Bavaria. Semi-structured interviews were con-ducted in the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19 restrictions from the end of November 2020 to early December, to reflect expectations and early routines associated with the isolation. In addition to social and individual, a variety of environment-related coping strategies can be observed. We (1) interpret those coping strategies, (2) discuss the essential function of places for the coordination and negotiation of social activities, and (3) relate the importance of public spaces to weak social ties (Granovetter1973) emphasising their outstanding value for individual wellbeing. © 2022, Erdkunde. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 lockdown, family migration and unemployment in a gendered society.

COVID-19 has posed severe challenges not only to researchers in the field of medicines and natural sciences but also to policymakers. Almost all nations of the world lockdown have been chosen as an immediate response to this pandemic crisis. The labour market in developing economies continues to be gendered with gender-based wage differentials besides occupational segregation, women who are the marginalized section in the society, bear the brunt of the unprecedented COVID-19 lockdown. Against this backdrop, a multi-sectoral general equilibrium model has been constructed with heterogeneity in migration (with and without family migration) that has been derived from the intra-household bargaining problem amongst unskilled families to analyse the gendered effect of the pandemic. Lockdown has been conceptualized as a restriction on the physical gathering of labour in the contact-intensive sectors. The results of the paper reflect internal contradictions of developing economies that have a conditional-conditioning relationship with an archaic structure.

COVID-19 vaccine side effect: age and gender disparity in adverse effects following the first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine among the vaccinated population in Eastern Ethiopia: a community-based study.

Objective: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major threat to community health, and vaccinations are a safe and effective way to reduce disease loads around the world. This study aimed to assess the age and gender disparity in adverse effects following the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine among the vaccinated population in Eastern Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 832 randomly selected individuals from December 1st to 20th, 2021, in eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a pretested structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the SPSS V26. Descriptive summary statistics were done. A chi-square test statistic was computed to assess the difference in adverse effects between age groups and both genders. Result: Out of 832 study participants who had taken the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine, 96.3% of them felt at least one adverse effect. The magnitude of adverse reactions was higher among male participants. The reported adverse reactions were significantly higher in the age group of 50-60 years with comorbidity than those of <50 and >60 years of age. Conclusion: Overall, there is a significant age and gender difference in adverse effects following the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, adverse reactions were higher among people with comorbidity in the age group of 50-60 years. The Harari Regional Health Bureau should provide training for frontline healthcare workers on early recognition and response to adverse effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, information and education should be provided to the community as a whole regarding recognition and the appropriate measures to be taken.

Trends in Cognitive Function Among Chinese Elderly From 1998 to 2018: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of age, period, and cohort (APC) on trends in cognitive function among the Chinese elderly, and to explore how gender gaps in cognitive function change with age, period, and cohort. Methods: This study used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 1998 to 2018, and included 90,432 participants aged above 65 years old. The measurement of cognitive function was the score of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Cross-classified random-effect models were used to investigate age, period, and cohort trends in cognitive function. Results: Mini-Mental State Examination scores decreased with age at an increasing rate. While the cohort effect was nearly stable, the period effect demonstrated a downward trend from 1998 to 2002 followed by a nearly flat line. Females were associated with lower MMSE scores than males. When age increased, the gender gaps in MMSE scores further increased. The period-based gender gaps in MMSE scores diverged throughout the 20 years, while the cohort-based gender disparities in MMSE scores converged with successive cohorts. Conclusions: Age, period, and cohort had different and independent effects on cognitive function among the Chinese elderly. The effect of age was stronger than that of period and cohort. Gender disparities in cognitive function increased with age and period, and decreased with successive cohorts.

(#WomeninDDW) Persistent Speaker Gender Gap at the Premier Digestive Disease Event.

BACKGROUND: Over the last few decades, advances have been made regarding gender equality starting from medical students to trainees, to leadership in academics. The female representation in specialty academic conferences not only reflects the existing gender disparities in that specialty but also can influence young female trainees to join that field. Digestive Disease Week (DDW) is the premier digestive disease event. We aimed to calculate the proportion of female representation among speakers and moderators at the DDW meetings held from 2018 to 2020. METHODS: The data for DDW 2018-2020 were collected via the online web-based planner. The gender of speakers of presentations and moderators of sessions were identified by a google search. We further categorized the data by each participating society (AGA, ASGE, AASLD, and SSAT), by presentation track, by session track, and total overall representation in each year. RESULTS: Despite the subject of the gender gap being in focus, the proportion of female moderators and speakers was low in DDW in the last 3 years. The female speakers constituted 31.6% in 2018, 33.8% in 2019 and 34.6% in 2020. There was slightly improved female representation in sessions of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Stomach, and Small Bowel Disorders, Microbiome in GI & Liver disease, and Basic Science over the last 3 years. CONCLUSION: Based on our study and those referenced in this article, we believe that strategies to promote the inclusivity of female moderators and speakers at DDW provide a huge opportunity to influence gender equity within GI.

Gender disparity in telehealth usage in Bangladesh during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Telehealth allows healthcare workers to see patients virtually in locations that were not accessible previously, which has reduced cost and time and saved lives. The research aims to examine gender disparity among telehealth usage during the pandemic in 2020. This study will leverage a timely national experiment to evaluate the users of telehealth across the Bangladeshi population. METHODS: We obtained de-identified data for 200 patients among outpatient telehealth visits from Global Health Data Exchange as it captured telehealth use throughout Bangladesh. RESULTS: The analysis showed that male patients had a higher dependency on telehealth than female patients. 14% of the female patients opted for telehealth visits only with 57% cases of missed doses of medication, compared to males with 20% of them choosing telehealth visits and 29% missing their doses of medication. We found that the youngest age group, 16-25, had the highest dependence on telehealth compared to any other age group, and the lowest dependence was among the oldest age group of 45 years and above. CONCLUSIONS: There was a strong association between telehealth use and gender disparity with p value â€‹= â€‹0.02 â€‹< â€‹0.05. Longitudinal and geographical data are needed to understand more about the gender disparities and impact in telehealth utilizations.

Gender disparity in publication records: a qualitative study of women researchers in computing and engineering.

BACKGROUND: The current paper follows up on the results of an exploratory quantitative analysis that compared the publication and citation records of men and women researchers affiliated with the Faculty of Computing and Engineering at Dublin City University (DCU) in Ireland. Quantitative analysis of publications between 2013 and 2018 showed that women researchers had fewer publications, received fewer citations per person, and participated less often in international collaborations. Given the significance of publications for pursuing an academic career, we used qualitative methods to understand these differences and explore factors that, according to women researchers, have contributed to this disparity. METHODS: Sixteen women researchers from DCU's Faculty of Computing and Engineering were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Once interviews were transcribed and anonymised, they were coded by both authors in two rounds using an inductive approach. RESULTS: Interviewed women believed that their opportunities for research engagement and research funding, collaborations, publications and promotions are negatively impacted by gender roles, implicit gender biases, their own high professional standards, family responsibilities, nationality and negative perceptions of their expertise and accomplishments. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has found that women in DCU's Faculty of Computing and Engineering face challenges that, according to those interviewed, negatively affect their engagement in various research activities, and, therefore, have contributed to their lower publication record. We suggest that while affirmative programmes aiming to correct disparities are necessary, they are more likely to  improve organisational culture if they are implemented in parallel with bottom-up initiatives that engage all parties, including men researchers and non-academic partners, to inform and sensitise them about the significance of gender equity.

Patient gender does not influence referral to an orthopaedic surgeon by advanced practice orthopaedic providers: a prospective observational study in Canada.

BACKGROUND: The role of an advanced practice physiotherapist has been introduced in many countries to improve access to care for patients with hip and knee arthritis. Traditional models of care have shown a gender bias, with women less often referred and recommended for surgery than men. This study sought to understand if patient gender affects access to care in the clinical encounter with the advanced practice provider. Our objectives were: (1) To determine if a gender difference exists in the clinical decision to offer a consultation with a surgeon; (2) To determine if a gender difference exists in patients' decisions to accept a consultation with a surgeon among those patients to whom it is offered; and, (3) To describe patients' reasons for not accepting a consultation with a surgeon. METHODS: This was a prospective study of 815 patients presenting to a tertiary care centre for assessment of hip and knee arthritis, with referral onward to an orthopaedic surgeon when indicated. We performed a multiple logistic regression analysis adjusting for severity to address the first objective and a simple logistic regression analysis to answer the second objective. Reasons for not accepting a surgical consultation were obtained by questionnaire. RESULTS: Eight hundred and fifteen patients (511 women, 304 men) fulfilled study eligibility criteria. There was no difference in the probability of being referred to a surgeon for men and women (difference adjusted for severity = - 0.02, 95% CI: - 0.07, 0.02). Neither was there a difference in the acceptance of a referral for men and women (difference = - 0.05, 95% CI: - 0.09, 0.00). Of the 14 reasons for declining a surgical consultation, 5 showed a difference with more women than men indicating a preference for non-surgical treatment along with fears/concerns about surgery. CONCLUSIONS: There is no strong evidence to suggest there is a difference in proportion of males and females proceeding to surgical consultation in the model of care that utilizes advanced practice orthopaedic providers in triage. This study adds to the evidence that supports the use of suitably trained alternate providers in roles that reduce wait times to care and add value in contexts where health human resources are limited. The care model is a viable strategy to assist in managing the growing backlog in orthopaedic care, recently exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gender Disparities in Authorship of Invited Manuscripts During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: Women have historically been under-represented in medical literature, particularly prominent in authorship of invited commentaries. With the instantaneous change in work environment forcing Americans to adapt to working at home, many theorize that women will be more adversely affected due to traditional concepts of women being more responsible for the home in addition to work responsibilities. Objective: Understand how women contributed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) literature early in the pandemic. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of manuscripts published in three high-impact U.S. medical journals from February to May 2020 was performed. We used log-binomial regression to examine for an association between COVID-19 status and likelihood of having at least one female first author, and evaluated for effect modification according to whether the manuscript was invited. Results: Among 980 manuscripts, 313 (31.9%) listed at least one female first author, 203 were written on COVID-19 (20.7%), and 144 (14.7%) were invited. There was no association between COVID-19 status and having at least one female first author overall (adjusted risk ratio [RR] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72-1.19). The relationship between COVID-19 status and first-author sex was 0.23 (95% CI 0.06-0.92) for invited manuscripts and 1.04 (95% CI 0.81-1.35) for noninvited manuscripts (p for interaction 0.02). Discussion: We demonstrate that women were not less likely to be first authors on COVID-19 manuscripts but were less likely to be first authors on invited COVID-19 manuscripts. Early career female researchers are the most vulnerable for inability to meet metrics for promotion, accounting for the continued under-representation of women in senior academic roles. COVID-19 has the potential to exacerbate this disparity.