Skip to page content

Female Populations

Featured

Around the globe, many women and girls face barriers to fully participating in society. These include gender-based and intimate-partner violence, sexual assault, unmet health needs, and discrimination. RAND research has examined the needs of women refugees and migrants, gender disparities in health care, the effects of homelessness on women, and the impact of stress and activity levels in girls.

Multimedia

Why So Many Military Women Think About Suicide

Nov 11, 2018

In this episode of Veterans in America, we discuss why women in the military face a much higher risk of suicide than civilian women. We meet two women who attempted suicide and learn how they found help.
Commentary

As Refugees, Syrian Women Find Liberation in Working

Feb 19, 2019

Syrian refugee women in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan want opportunities to work. But there are multiple barriers and challenges that limit them. Improving the chances of safe and dignified work opportunities for Syrian women in these countries could yield broad positive social benefits for both the refugee and host communities.

Explore Female Populations

Commentary

Stop Calling Us 'Women Experts'

To get to a place where a woman's expertise is valued as implicitly as a man's, women must be freed of the baggage of being “women scholars” and “women policymakers.” Instead, women must be given that most significant form of respect: Just call us experts.

Oct 11, 2019
Commentary

I Run Wargames. Too Often, I Am the Only Woman in the Room

Wargaming has long been a male domain and has significant barriers to entry, retention, and advancement. You can't learn by reading; you have to learn by doing. Failing to include women in all wargaming roles risks missing out on innovative strategies.

Sep 26, 2019
Essay

A Wargame at RAND Puts Teen Girls in Command

RAND analysts developed and hosted a wargame to help young women learn firsthand about national security. It's a lesson in strategy, in the hard realities behind news headlines, but also in agility and resilience. In that, it's not so far removed from the daily life of a teenage girl.

Aug 20, 2019
Commentary

Book Review: 'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone

'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone is the story of Elizebeth Friedman, the mother of modern cryptoanalysis and cryptography. She broke coded messages of organized crime, broke the Nazi Enigma cryptography machine, and deciphered, mapped, and monitored Nazi activities in South America, though it is her husband William who often gets credit.

Feb 19, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Gender- and Age-Varying Associations of Sensation Seeking and Substance Use Across Young Adulthood

Sensation seeking is a major risk risk factor associated with binge drinking and marijuana use for women but not men.

Jul 6, 2018
Commentary

Ending the 'Brogrammer' Culture: How to Close the Gender Gap

Despite recent progress, women are significantly outnumbered in technology, comprising only 30 percent of the workforce worldwide. It's up to society, governments, and technology companies to close the gap. Improving internet access, education, and career opportunities for women could help.

May 17, 2018
Commentary

Tackling Gender-Based Violence Among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Increased poverty and major shifts in traditional gender roles for Syrian refugees have worsened interpersonal tensions, increased the risk of domestic violence, and caused challenges for aid workers.

Mar 22, 2018
Commentary

Not All Returning 'Jihadi Brides' Are Dangerous

Since the fall of the ISIS caliphate in late 2017, Western societies have expressed concern about the possibility of returning foreign fighters. It is not just returning men that worry governments. The prospect of women, known as “jihadi brides,” returning to the West, often with children born under ISIS rule, is also a potential problem.

Feb 28, 2018
Journal Article

How Jakarta's Traffic Affects Labor Market Outcomes for Women and People with Disabilities: Results from a Baseline Survey

From the research reviewed and the existing data summarized, this report develops a theory of change for how labor market outcomes for females might be influenced by improvements to public transportation.

Dec 28, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

A Propensity Score Analysis of a Community Resettlement Programme for Women Prisoners

By evaluating a voluntary sector, community-based "through-the-gates" resettlement programme for women, we add to the limited evidence base on interventions for women offenders..

Dec 18, 2017
Commentary

Female Drivers Can Put Saudis on Road to Enhanced Growth

Allowing women to get behind the wheel will likely lead to significant long-term changes in Saudi Arabia's economy and the participation of women in the labor force.

Sep 29, 2017
Commentary

A Colombian Survivor's Crusade to Strengthen Punishment for Acid Attacks

Acid attacks, one of the most extreme forms of violence against women and girls, can have devastating consequences. Officials could address this problem by making it tough to get dangerous chemicals, punishing perpetrators, and helping survivors.

Jul 17, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Correlates of Electronic Cigarettes Use Before and During Pregnancy

Women of reproductive age were more likely to use electronic cigarettes than smoking cessation aids to quit smoking, suggesting an urgent need to understand the potential risks and benefits of e-cigarette use in this population.

May 19, 2017
Infographic

Infographic

Experiences of mobility differ between groups

This infographic sets out the existing evidence from the literature around experiences of international mobility among postdoctoral researchers, women and elite scientists.

May 4, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Attitudes, Practices, and Experiences with Implementing a Patient-Centered Medical Home for Women Veterans

Strengthening positive attitudes toward female veterans may matter more than changing women’s health practice characteristics alone.

Mar 14, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Maternal Weight After Childbirth Versus Aging-Related Weight Changes

For most women, pregnancy-related weight gain is not as big a factor in long-term weight gain or obesity in their childbearing years as previously thought.

Mar 14, 2017
Commentary

On 'Hidden Figures' and Being the Only Woman in the Room

RAND's Susan Marquis discusses the three brilliant African-American women depicted in the film Hidden Figures, the critical role of women in RAND's history, and more.

Mar 12, 2017
Commentary

To Increase Diversity in Tech, We Need to Rethink What 'Tech' Is

The tech sector is a driving force for high-skill, high-wage job creation in the United States, but too few women and minorities reap the gains. Rethinking what defines today's tech jobs, along with greater investment in public-private partnerships, could go a long way toward bridging the diversity gap.

Nov 17, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Substance Use Diagnoses, Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders, and Treatment Initiation Among HIV-positive and HIV-negative Women in an Integrated Health Plan

HIV-positive women with substance use disorders are less likely than their HIV-negative counterparts to initiate treatment for substance abuse.

Nov 9, 2016

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Next

RAND Topic:
Female Populations

Topic Synonyms:
Women