Call for papers
Population, Gender Equality, and Public Policies: Current Issues and Proposed Solutions
Guest editor:
Ankica Šobot | Institute of Social Sciences, Belgrade
The relationship between demography and gender runs through every aspect of population studies. In the early 21st century, the field of population science underwent a transformation, shifting its focus toward understanding the complexities of population phenomena. This shift deepened demography's integration with related disciplines that study society and population dynamics. Strengthened interdisciplinarity has brought greater recognition of the multifaceted nature of populations and the interconnectedness of demographic and social dimensions. Exploring behaviour at the micro level and addressing individual needs and circumstances provide the foundation for examining populations in all their complexity. Demography’s interdisciplinary approach reflects its openness to diverse theoretical frameworks, methodological tools, and issues tied to population phenomena, as well as the varied needs and realities of different population groups. Moreover, demography has firmly established itself as a applied scientific discipline. Generating insights into population dynamics by identifying challenges and proposing actionable solutions underscores its practical relevance. This applicability stems from demography’s interdisciplinary perspective and its commitment to knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Based on the aforementioned, the idea for this special issue was conceived. The interdisciplinary nature of demography provides a solid basis for introducing a gender perspective as a conceptual framework and gender equality as a central issue in public policies addressing population phenomena, as well as the needs and circumstances of the population. This special issue is far from a pioneering step in highlighting the interdisciplinarity of population studies and the importance of the gender dimension in population phenomena. The groundwork for this approach in domestic demography, sociology, and anthropology was laid decades ago. Academician Miloš Macura defined demography as a discipline with a clear anthropological character. Žarana Papić introduced the gender perspective as a heuristic tool essential for a comprehensive understanding of society and social phenomena. Marina Blagojević Hughson positioned gender equality as a central focus in the study of parenting practices and reproductive behaviour in Serbia. The integration of the gender dimension into demographic research is evident in studies of fertility, mortality, migration, and the educational, economic, and marital structures of populations. These studies examine the specificities of gendered behaviour patterns and the influence of gender roles as determining factors. However, there is both a need and an opportunity for even closer alignment between demography and issues of gender equality as a focal point of inquiry. A more direct incorporation of gender equality as a reference point involves not only examining gender differences and the specificities of relevant behaviours but also considering the effects of demographic phenomena on gender equality. At the same time, it creates space for approaches and topics emerging from feminist theoretical perspectives and gender studies.
Gender equality is established as one of the goals for sustainable social development outlined in the 2030 Agenda. As such, it represents an indispensable issue in policies concerning population and population development. Gender equality encompasses a wide range of issues: social and economic status, legal rights, quality of life, social inclusion, political participation, unequal distribution of roles across different spheres of life, the social reproduction of gender roles, unpaid domestic labour, domestic violence, femicide, and workplace discrimination, among others. Some of these aspects are more closely and directly connected to demographic phenomena and processes, while others are not as immediately apparent. Nevertheless, each holds significance as a determinant of the status of specific segments of the population, potentially carrying demographic implications or influencing certain demographic phenomena and processes. Ultimately, these considerations are relevant from the perspective of the status and quality of life of specific population groups.
This special issue welcomes researchers from various scientific disciplines that address a broad range of questions related to population phenomena, aiming to define guidelines or recommendations for potential solutions. Both theoretical and empirical papers are invited, particularly those that outline specific guidelines and recommendations concerning the issues discussed within them, as well as papers focused on analyzing relevant policies from the perspective of gender equality. Additionally, contributions that enrich the interdisciplinary dialogue on "demographic" topics through the lens of gender equality are highly encouraged.
The topics of interest to the thematic issue:
- Gender perspective in demographic research: Fertility, reproductive health, reproductive rights, health care, and lifestyle as predictors of morbidity and mortality; marriage and divorce; traditional and contemporary household forms and intra-household hierarchies; family structures; causes of migration and characteristics of migrant populations; education, economic activity, and employment.
- Examination of population policies and demographic approaches from feminist theory and gender studies perspectives: A critical review of population policies; analysis of population policies through the lens of feminist and gender theories and critiques; contemporary contributions of feminist and gender theories to demographic research; the importance of demographic science for addressing gender and gender equality issues.
- Gender equality and population phenomena: The effects of migration; issues related to the status of older populations across different life stages; intergenerational solidarity; family life and gender equality issues; health care and gender stereotypes; childbirth and parenting; well-being and life satisfaction as factors and outcomes of demographic processes; the gendered perspective on life courses.
- Policies and population phenomena from the standpoint of gender equality: Policies addressing low fertility, family policies, parental leave policies, health policies, social equity and inclusion policies, economic inequality and well-being policies; policies for older populations; labour market and employment policies.
Submission guidelines:
We invite authors to send an abstract of up to 200 words in English for consideration to the thematic issue via the submission form by February 3rd, 2025. Guest editors will inform all authors about the outcome of the selection of abstracts no later than 15 April 2024. Guest editors will inform all authors about the outcome of the selection of abstracts no later than February 14, 2025. The selected contributors will be invited to submit full-paper manuscripts through the journal’s submission system. For detailed instructions see the Author guidelines. All manuscript types are acceptable – research papers, short communications, review articles, scientific critiques and polemics, reviews and reflections. Submitted manuscripts will be subjected to a regular peer review process.
Submission deadlines:
- Abstracts by February 3, 2025
- Full papers by Jun 3, 2025