The UK government will publish a white paper on international development by the end of 2023. It will set out their approach to international development to 2030. How can they best support gender equality? I have 7 evidence-based suggestions - relating to jobs, climate, lead-poisoning, culture and migration.

By immersing ourselves in another person’s trials and tribulations, are we better able to recognise diverse perspectives and constraints? Might reading fiction, viewing plays and watching television have helped Americans become culturally looser - more open-minded and tolerant?

Egypt is one of the most patriarchal countries in the world. 90% of men say that ‘a woman should tolerate violence to keep the family together’. A new paper in Nature examines whether these attitudes can be changed through social media messaging. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01665-y?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nathumbehav My Substack: https://draliceevans.substack.com/p/can-social-media-undo-sexism

A new NBER paper by Barbara Fraumeni sheds light on how culture mediates gender gaps in education and employment. https://www.nber.org/papers/w31535 My Substack: https://draliceevans.substack.com/p/culture-and-job-in-asia

Why does the Middle East rank poorly for rule of law, trust, civil liberties and corruption? Waqfs and apostasy rules are the root causes, argues Timur Kuran This podcast reviews his new book, "Freedoms Delayed".

How has the CCP maintained control? - Coercive violence is outsourced to thugs, enabling the state to maintain legitimacy. - Respected social networks engage in ideological propaganda & persuasion (sometimes via shaming). Tremendous new book by Professor Lynette Ong Book: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/outsourcing-repression-9780197628768?cc=gb&lang=en

In “Putin vs. the People”, Samuel Greene and Graham Robertson suggest the annexation of Crimea triggered a groundswell of national pride. Russians rallied for the flag. They saw Putin more positively, turned a blind-eye to corruption, and even became more economically optimistic. This motivated wider conformity and social policing. Seizing on geopolitical glory and newfound loyalty, Putin then tightened the screws. Book: https://yalebooks.co.uk/page/detail/putin-vs-the-people/?k=9780300268362 My Substack: https://draliceevans.substack.com/p/putin-vs-the-people-by-greene-and?sd=pf

What led to the emergence of states? David Schönholzer and Pieter François have a fascinating new paper, arguing that states, cooperation and conflict all emerged more quickly and more typically in places with great farming and weak exit options. Their paper: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7c34efbpe1ezy67/OOS_web.pdf?dl=0 My substack: https://draliceevans.substack.com/p/the-origins-of-states

When states are under siege, they militarise. Frightened publics want bellicose leaders and higher military spending. Once in power, militarists entrench their institutional and cultural dominance. They fan fears, act tough, and secure public support. Conflicts change popular priorities, not least by reinforcing respect and reverence for macho leaders. Countries threatened by war and terrorism are thus more likely to be governed by men. Peace, therefore, is a hugely important pathway to gender equality.

Prisons may have far-reaching effects on culture, especially where incarceration is widespread. Russia has high rates of both imprisonment and homophobia. 66% of Russians don’t want gay neighbours. That’s increased from 58% in 1999. Almost everywhere elsewhere in Europe, homophobia has fallen. What explains Russian exceptionalism? An important new paper by Maxim Ananyev and Michael Poyker suggests that Russia’s prisons may have fermented homophobia. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4227900 Trigger warning: this piece discusses physical and sexual torture. Substack: https://draliceevans.substack.com/p/did-gulags-turn-russians-anti-gay