1. Gender Bias in Policy Making

Abstract

The ways “we know” and the “consequences of bias in evidence”2 within these ways of knowing have been identified by researchers around the world as one of the main dangers to sound policy advice and good policy outcome. Experience with international impact assessments (IA) implementation suggests that not having any impact assessment might be better “than to have a bad one.”3 Sound public policy advice depends on many multifaceted, intertwined factors. Some argue that the current practice of policy advising in public administration is too reductive and fails to integrate a multiplicity of important perspectives and democratic obligations, i.e., a gender equality perspective. Others question its practicability and whether sound policy advice is even possible. This book is concerned with those tensions, and with the various ways of knowing and creating knowledge for and by public governance through impact assessment, with a specific focus on gender equality governance.