The Gender and Policy (GAP) Center at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government addresses a compelling area of interest in the fields of public policy and politics, and offers the opportunity for the Schar School to develop and promote its expertise in a field where scholarship, like its subject, is underrepresented and sorely needed.
With the GAP initiative, the Schar School is able to expand upon existing expertise and marshal its forces to questions of current public interest regarding the role of gender in public policy, particularly where disparities in outcomes or representation are evident. The GAP initiative tackles topics in the areas of women’s representation in elective politics and public authority; public affairs education; women’s health and wellbeing; gender-based violence; and gender disparities in areas such as immigration.
In the current polarized political climate, to the extent that we can differentiate our efforts and succeed in getting thought leaders and policy-makers with diverse views to come together to address gender-related issues, we can make a serious contribution to the public debate. The GAP initiative makes no attempt to side with any political or ideological perspective and instead seeks to engage different points of view in a balanced manner in order to address a diverse range of opinions and policy alternatives. There are varied perspectives on gender issues, as diverse as those associated with progressive feminism and those with religious conservatism. Our work will be strictly non-partisan and open-minded.
Globally, examining policy issues through a focus on gender and with an eye to gender-related disparities in outcome and representativeness has been prominent and in ascendance. As a preeminent school of policy and government, the Schar School should be prepared to contribute substantively to policy dialogues involving gender.
We look forward to sharing more information with you!
ABOUT THE SCHAR SCHOOL AND ITS PROGRAMS
As a Washington, D.C. area professional, interdisciplinary school that melds theory with practice, the Schar School of Policy and Government prepares undergraduate and graduate students to be leaders and managers who solve problems and advance the public good in all sectors and levels of government–in the United States and throughout the world.
Undergraduate Degree Programs:
- Government & International Politics
- Public Administration
Master’s Degree Programs:
- Biodefense
- International Commerce & Policy
- International Security
- Organization Development & Knowledge Management
- Political Science
- Public Administration
- Public Policy
- Transportation Policy, Operations, & Logistics
PhD Programs:
- Biodefense
- Political Science
- Public Policy
Visit schar.gmu.edu/prospective-students to learn more about undergraduate, master’s, and PhD programs at George Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government.
