Gender Equality in Public Administration

The 2021 global report on Gender Equality in Public Administration (GEPA) provides an overview of key trends and analysis on women’s participation and leadership in public administration around the world.

The report is the product of six years of collaboration between researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UNDP. At Pitt, the effort was led by GIRL Co-Directors Melanie Hughes and Müge Finkel.

How to Cite:

Finkel, Müge Kökten, Melanie M. Hughes, and Joanna Hill. Gender Equality in Public Administration. United Nations Development Programme and University of Pittsburgh.

The report finds:

  • Although there has been progress on women’s representation overall in public administration, persistent gaps remain.

  • Women continue to hit glass ceilings and glass walls that stop them from advancing to positions at the highest levels of power and influence, including in organizations tasked with COVID-19 response.

  • Gender intersects with disability; race, ethnicity, and indigeneity; age; and other social categories to shape inequalities in public administration.