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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.

Spotlight

Join Us to Celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month

From our signature International Women’s Day breakfast to insightful panels and seminars, we've compiled a comprehensive list of women- and gender-focused events happening this month at Harvard, both on campus and online. Our goal is to honor the achievements of women and gender-diverse individuals, while fostering meaningful conversations about how we can continue to empower these groups and reduce barriers across all areas of life. Find the full list here.

 

In their new book 'Make Work Fair,' WAPPP co-director Iris Bohnet and senior researcher Siri Chilazi draw on behavioral science research and real-world experimentation to prove smart system design—not just good intentions and not changing individual mindsets—is the key to unlocking workplace equity.

 

A new study co-authored by Iris Bohnet published in the academic journal Science, ‘Behaviorally Designed Training Leads to More Diverse Hiring,’ finds that certain kinds of diversity training can make a concrete difference in the actions of hiring managers, increasing the diversity of people hired.

 

 

Our virtual seminar series explores what workplaces that work for everyone might look like, based on ideas from Iris Bohnet and Siri Chilazi's book 'Make Work Fair.' Seminars focus on research related to the framework outlined in the book— to make fairness count, make it stick, and make it "normal."

Research & Programs

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.

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. 

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.

GAP is an online collection of research evaluating the impact of specific policies, strategies, and organizational practices to advance gender equity.  

The fellowship's mission is to support and advance academic and practitioner-scholars in their gender-related research.

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

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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 .