PD Dr. Timur Sevincer 

Gender equality is currently a prominent topic. I examine in different cultures how much gender inequality women and men subjectively experience. Whereas previous work focused on the inequality women experience, I focus on the inequality that both women and men experience.

First, I examine the inequality women and men report they subjectively experience with the inequality they think other women and men on average experience. Comparing how much inequality people on average experience with how much inequality they think others experience, yields a proxy of how good people are in perceiving the subjectively experienced inequality in their society.

Second, I investigate the degree to which the inequality women and men subjectively experience corresponds with the inequality as indicated by various objective indicators of gender inequality (e.g., the Global Gender Gap Index, among others). Comparing how much inequality people subjectively experience with the inequality as indexed by indicators of inequality (e.g., educational attainment, political participation), yields another proxy of the accuracy of peoples’ subjective perceptions.

The project has implications for gender equality policies as it may help women and men learn about each other’s perspective and illuminate the factors (e.g., wages, education, health) that are most influential in guiding women’s and men’s subjective perceptions of inequality.