Category: IGEPS Experience During the 2022-2023 Academic Year

My work with IGEPS has primarily focused on a project with the United Nations, which resulted in three UN reports and one academic manuscript, “Gender Equity in a Global Context: Examining Legislation and Policies Promoting Women’s Access to Leadership Positions in the Public Sector”. The UN project highlighted policies globally related to the Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equity. I assisted in finding relevant literature and policies related to various policies related to SDG 5, as well as, coding each document using Atlas.ti to highlight relevant information for the manuscript. Through this process, I learned the nature of working on a comprehensive publication with a team of researchers. Although difficult at times, it is rewarding to be able to be a part of a project that can inform future policy work as it relates to gender equity. 

I have also been given the latitude and support to write a Scholars Strategy Network policy brief that is still in progress related to the impact of felony murder laws on youth in the criminal justice system. Examining gender from different facets as it applies to the public sector has been fascinating and informative. Although some of the issues may be more commonly talked about (i.e. the gender pay gap), it is interesting to explore these issues as it applies to the public sector and continue to make these issues relevant in timely conversations.  

The opportunities IGEPS provides  will continue to support my career progress through academic research and allow me to see the world through a more equitable and intersectional viewpoint. Many of the issues that arise around gender equity also cross into the criminal justice field. Through the lens of gender equity, I am more conscientious of issues related to gender in both public administration and criminal justice. As a woman, it is imperative that I continue to highlight issues that could affect myself and all genders in multiple sectors and society at large. 

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I am a career civil servant with over 20 years in the public sector, and it has been easy and comfortable to relegate myself to a simple cog in the machine. Before enrolling at John Jay, I had long abandoned any fantasy of creating impactful and lasting change, choosing instead to remain focused on surviving the years of service required to collect a pension. I was generally satisfied to complete my job duties with little to no consideration of the struggles facing my diverse group of coworkers. The real struggles, that is. I was well-versed in the vapid water cooler gossip which dominates many office settings.

Now halfway through this Master’s program, I am more observant of my surroundings, and rather than allowing the routine and habitual sights and sounds fade into the background, I have become more mindful. And, more importantly, I’m starting to ask questions again. Questions which signal to me, at least, that instead of a progression towards equity, many public agencies remain stagnant or may have actually experienced a regression. I observe a dearth of women currently employed in leadership positions, for example, and have noted an absence of BIPOC men benefiting from recent promotional opportunities. I wonder if there is bias in the civil service system, if there are biases in the actual civil service examinations, or are there processes within public sector agencies themselves which benefit white, cishet men at the expense of all others? And I wonder how many opportunities I missed to bring awareness to disparity… How many overlooked chances to promote equity slipped by… How many times have I failed to stand up for others because I simply wasn’t paying attention?

It is, therefore, very humbling to be invited to contribute to the work of an organization such as IGEPS. Collaboration with IGEPS Directors, Fellows, and Assistants on projects such as Gender Inclusion in the Workplace. I’ve been tasked with writing the text’s introductory chapter, which will introduce students to key concepts and definitions regarding gender, will contextualize the role of gender in employment, and will orient readers to the importance of prioritizing and promoting gender equity in working environments. Concurrently, I have begun work on an individual fellowship project, a research brief on the topic of obstetric violence which I will submit for publication to the Scholars Strategy Network. The goal of this project is to illuminate this facet of gender-based violence and to serve as a basis of discussion for possible policy action.

I hope that my work with IGEPS will assist me in expanding my awareness of gender bias in the workplace so I can continue to question the status quo. I am confident I will gain insight into the importance of gender equity in the workplace, will understand how far the local, state, and federal governments are from workplace equity, and will be prepared to offer solutions to stakeholders who are committed to change. I specifically hope to leverage knowledge and experience gained to assist my agency in becoming a local model for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the public sector.  

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Prior to this project, I had not conducted such in depth research into the history of gender in the United States. The project has given me a better understanding of how even policies not directly related to the workforce can dramatically impact women’s ability to work and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in the workforce. I also had the opportunity to explore SOGIE representation and ways to promote inclusive workplace policies. As this project has developed, I have presented on the importance of understanding the history of women in the workforce and SOGIE policies at John Jay College’s Graduate Symposium and the Northeastern Conference on Public Administration. I have also worked with my colleagues at IGEPS on a project for the UN that analyzed policies around the world that concerned women in the workplace. Specifically, this project sought to understand what countries have done to work towards Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5), Gender Equality. There was a quick turn around for this project, and it was exciting to work on something so fast paced. When the project was finished, I presented our findings with my IGEPS colleagues at the American Society for Public Administration Conference. Working with IGEPS has given me insight into how broad gender issues can impact gender equality in the workplace.

My time at IGEPS has supported my long term academic and career interests immensely. Much of my work and research in forensic psychology has been focused on cis men, and I rarely have opportunities to explore issues of gender in the field. My research interests have centered around terrorism and security policy, which is often focused solely on men. In fact, my most recent research for my Master’s thesis has focused on involuntary celibates (incels), or men who believe in an extremely misogynistic ideology. Working with IGEPS has helped me to expand my view of the issues I care about and to add a more nuanced perspective of gender to my work. This has made me more interested in how perceptions and experiences of gender roles can contribute to extremist ideology and action. As a woman, understanding how masculinity norms can contribute to violence against women is very important to me, and I hope to continue to explore this area of research to develop early intervention for those engaged with extremist ideology.

As a recent graduate from the Forensic Psychology MA program at John Jay College, I am looking for new opportunities to work in the field and bring the experience I gained at IGEPS into the field of psychology. My time at IGEPS has opened my eyes to gender issues that I had not fully explored previously. As I continue to pursue my interests in research on extremism and forensic psychology more broadly, I will take what I have learned from my experiences with IGEPS with me. I look forward to continuing my work at IGEPS and to continuing to grow through this research experience.

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I also had the exciting opportunity to assist my supervisors and coworkers on a UN project. Days, weeks, and months were dedicated to provide the UN with a quick turnaround on a report that assessed policies, legislation, initiatives, and laws internationally to understand how countries were working towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and specifically, SDG 5. With that project finishing in December, this spring semester has entailed continuing on the gender equity scholarship from the DeBlasio administration, along with assisting on a project focusing on Gender Inclusion in the Workplace. This work, and specifically my focus on the work-life balance and family friendly policies, has been evident in local scholarship from New York City, and internationally and from countries across the world from us, such as Australia. This reiterated gender disparities is not an isolated problem, and must be addressed on all levels. I have also recently been able to present findings related to the UN project and New York City legislation at the American Society for Public Administration Conference and the  Northeastern Conference on Public Administration, and was connected with an extremely talented group of individuals passionate about similar issues. Just recently, I was also given the opportunity and support to write an Op-ed. The first thought that came to mind was a personal, yet common, experience: being the victim of a sex crime while on the subway. The piece explored current initiatives and steps taken to address this issue, along with reiterating this is not a new problem. By being vulnerable, I hoped to humanize myself beyond my name under an article.

My experiences with IGEPS have greatly contributed to my future career success and have prepared me for whatever avenue I decide to pursue. As a woman, this is an issue that greatly affects my opportunities and myself due to the stereotypes surrounding my gender identity and my capabilities. Our research has backed up the fact that gender inequities are narrowing, but are still visible. In the meantime, I constantly worry I may be looked over for jobs I know I am qualified for because of my gender. In addition, as I am currently working in New York City, I understand legislation that protects those in the SOGIE community from discrimination. It has been eye opening to learn how things I think of as common courtesy or decency, such as providing feminine products to inmates in prison, was not discussed in legislation until DeBlasio.

 I recently graduated with my Master’s in Forensic Psychology, and have been on the hunt for jobs since earlier this year. I knew my psychology background provided me with the quantitative and statistical skills needed for research, but I was lacking in terms of qualitative data collection and analysis. IGEPS has exposed me to qualitative research and new programs used for research that I know will give me leverage for job opportunities, as some of my colleagues seem to have experience only in one or the other. I will also admit I was pretty unfamiliar with legislation, policies, and the workings of the public sector. After a year of working with IGEPS, I now feel comfortable searching for literature surrounding the public sector and legislation, explaining gender equity initiatives, and analyzing their impacts on certain communities. While on the hunt for work, I noticed many jobs within the psychology, investigative, legal, and criminal justice fields involve data analysis specific to policies in order to address what’s working and what isn’t, in order to provide suggestions to the government and write up policy briefs.

IGEPS has been, and will continue to be, an invaluable experience. From public speaking and gaining professional experience presenting at conferences and working with the UN, to understanding where my own City stands in protecting minorities, I learn and grow every day.

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