Gendered innovations : how gender analysis contributes to research

Abstract

Opinion polls suggest that women are less interested in innovation than men. The explanation surely lies elsewhere: do today's innovations really respond adequately to women's needs and expectations? In too many cases they do not. Thirty years of research have revealed that sex and gender bias is socially harmful and expensive. Gender bias also leads to missed market opportunities. Gendered innovations offer sophisticated methods of sex and gender analysis to scientists and engineers. This publication includes case studies as concrete illustrations of how sex and gender analysis lead to new ideas and excellence in research in several fields such as health & medicine, environment & climate change, food & nutrition, transport and technological development