Document Type : Survey
Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Management, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Introduction
Governance plays a key role in areas such as health, education, infrastructure, capital market regulation, macroeconomic stability, safety net provision, legal system, creation of a good business environment, and environmental protection, all of which are prerequisites and essential features of a developed economy (Pardehan and Sanyal, 2011). Good governance should be considered as a goal and a process that accelerates growth, equity, and human development potential for people and society (Pardehan and Sanyal, 2011). Good governance is closely linked to economic growth and development, as it enhances the capacity to implement sound policies and manage public resources effectively. Good governance is essential for achieving social justice because it ensures that policies and institutions are responsive to the needs of all citizens, including marginalized groups (Ndidi and Kaus, 2015). Gender justice is a human right and a fundamental prerequisite for economic and social development in a society. Good governance through gender justice and women’s participation can lead to sustainable development. Gender justice involves ensuring equal rights, opportunities and treatment for all genders, addressing discrimination and gender-based violence, and promoting women’s rights as fundamental human rights. This concept emphasizes the importance of gender mainstreaming in governance, which includes the active participation of women in decision-making processes and representation at various levels. Good governance is essential to promote gender justice, as it ensures fair treatment and equal opportunities for all genders. Principles of good governance, such as participation, rule of law, transparency, accountability, consensus and equality, directly support gender justice and provide a framework in which both men and women can participate in decision-making processes and access resources (Karkaba et al., 2017). Attention to women and social justice in governance is essential to reduce the gender gap in the country. And since gender justice is an integral part of good governance, this type of governance refers to the responsiveness of public policies and institutions to the needs of all citizens. Therefore, the country's policies and institutions must represent the interests of women and men, promoting equal access to resources, rights, and voices. Despite numerous studies in the field of governance and gender justice, there are many research gaps regarding indigenous models that are appropriate for Iranian conditions. By presenting a comprehensive and indigenous model for good governance that is consistent with Iran's cultural and social conditions, this research contributes to the scientific community and society by providing solutions to reduce gender inequality and strengthen women's participation.
Mothodology
The research is applied in terms of purpose and is exploratory in nature with a qualitative method. This method was chosen due to the complex and multidimensional nature of the subject to identify relevant indicators and patterns through an in-depth analysis of perspectives and experiences. The analysis approach is based on the content analysis method. Common methods in thematic analysis include format, matrix themes, theme network themes, and comparative analysis, which was used in this study. In the theme network developed by Atride Stirling (2001), themes are classified according to a specific process and in the form of basic, organizing, and overarching themes. The stages of the thematic analysis research based on the Brown and Clarke model (2006) are as follows: This step includes topic selection, research, problem statement, statement of research objectives and questions, selection of research design, determination of scope, community, and sample. The statistical population includes academic experts with experience in the field of good governance and gender justice, as well as activists in the field of women's rights. In selecting the experts, experience, assistant professor status for academic staff, suitability of the field of study, and familiarity with the field of good governance and women's rights were considered criteria. The relevance of this community to the purpose of the study is that these groups, as reliable sources of knowledge and experience, provide the necessary practical and specialized perspectives to identify indicators and design a governance model. For this purpose, 17 experts active in the field of public administration and law, some of whom had political, scientific, educational, and legal careers, were selected purposefully and using the snowball method. In this study, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 experts. From the 15th interview onwards, no new categories were created and theoretical saturation was achieved. In this study, the two-coder agreement method and test-retest reliability were used to measure reliability. To calculate the level of agreement, Cohen's kappa coefficient was used, which was obtained as.74, which indicates acceptable reliability. To examine the validity of the study, in addition to using the researcher's sensitivity strategy in the research process, the findings were provided to 3 academic experts and were approved by them.
Findings
The research results showed that good governance with an approach that focuses on women and gender justice is a complex and multifaceted process that requires comprehensive efforts and cooperation from all sectors of society to implement and realize. Gender justice is one of the main foundations of good governance and means equal rights, opportunities, and resources between women and men. In this study, 131 basic themes were extracted. Then, organizing themes and overarching themes were abstracted according to the basic themes. At this stage, an attempt was made to achieve more abstract themes by reorganizing the basic themes so that researchers can guide them to more comprehensive and central themes. At this stage, 8 organizing themes and 1 overarching theme were identified. Gender justice and equal opportunities in the model of good governance with a gender justice approach include four basic themes of legal, economic, social, and cultural justice. Labor laws, anti-discrimination laws, and an independent and impartial judicial system are the three basic themes of supportive laws and regulations. Transparency and accountability include two basic themes of responding to women's demands and transparency. Participation at different levels of decision-making, participation in the decision-making process, and political participation of women are the three basic themes of women's participation in decision-making and politics in the good governance model with a gender justice approach. Changing attitudes and beliefs in the good governance model includes four basic themes of education and awareness, changing organizational culture, changing attitudes towards the role of women in society, and changing beliefs about women. Creating and developing physical infrastructure and creating and developing economic and administrative infrastructure are the two basic themes of creating appropriate infrastructure. Inter-sectoral cooperation includes six basic themes of providing platforms for cooperation, developing joint work processes, private sector participation, participation of non-governmental organizations, providing joint financial resources, and promoting a culture of cooperation. Continuous monitoring and
evaluation includes the themes of strong and efficient monitoring institutions, effective evaluation system, and an effective reporting system.
Discussion and Conclusion
Good governance in Iran with an approach of paying attention to working women and gender justice is governance that seeks to create conditions in which women can participate in all areas of work in accordance with their needs, abilities, and interests, without discrimination, and with equal access to job opportunities. This will enhance the role and status of women in society and government, private, and non-governmental organizations. Based on the first research question, paying attention to women and gender issues in the field of good governance in Iran can be important from several aspects; first, eliminating gender discrimination in laws, regulations, and governance structures can play an important role in achieving social justice. second, women's participation in various political, economic, and social areas can lead to improved governance and policy-making efficiency. third, paying attention to gender issues and creating equal opportunities can play a role in achieving sustainable development and women's empowerment. One of the most important elements for achieving gender justice is the formulation and fair implementation of laws that address equal rights under the law, equal employment opportunities and working conditions, equal pay and benefits, as well as equal social security and welfare for working women. Labor laws should focus on equal rights and benefits for women and men, restrictions on working hours, and protection for working mothers. Responding to women’s demands, especially in the areas of gender discrimination and the wage gap, demonstrates the importance of implementing protective laws to promote gender justice in the workplace. The presence of women at the national, provincial, local levels, and even in non-governmental and private organizations demonstrates the importance of increasing their participation in management and macro-policymaking. Changing attitudes and beliefs is the beating heart of achieving gender justice. Without changing these attitudes, even the best laws and policies cannot fully achieve their goals. The development of physical and economic infrastructure, especially in the areas of public transportation, kindergartens, and health and medical centers, is a vital need to improve women’s living and working conditions. Training and developing women’s skills and creating an equal organizational culture are essential strategies for strengthening women’s position in the labor market. Establishing independent oversight organizations and strong and efficient institutions is one of the first steps in ensuring the effective implementation of policies and programs in the field of women’s rights. These institutions should be able to evaluate and monitor the performance of executive bodies and the implementation of laws and regulations related to gender justice.
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