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Unveiling gender inequality in the US: Testing validity of a state-level measure of gender inequality and its relationship with feminist online collective action on Twitter

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  • Bruno Gabriel Salvador Casara
  • Alice Lucarini
  • Eric D Knowles
  • Caterina Suitner

Abstract

The Gender Inequality Index is a country-level measure of gender inequality based on women’s levels of reproductive health, social and political empowerment, and labor-market representation. In two studies, we tested the validity of the GII-S, a state-level measure of gender inequality in the USA. In Study 1, the GII-S was associated with objective and subjective measures of wellness among women, including life satisfaction, financial well-being, and perceptions of safety. GII-S was not associated with the Gini coefficient, a well-established measure of economic inequality, suggesting that gender and economic disparities represent distinct aspects of social inequality. Study 2 tested the link between GII-S scores and collective action—specifically, participation in the #MeToo movement promoting awareness of sexual harassment and violence against women. Analysis of geo-localized messages on the Twitter social media platform reveals that higher GII-S scores were associated with fewer tweets containing the #MeToo hashtag. Moreover, GII-S was associated with state-level political orientation: the more conservative a state, the higher its level of gender inequality. Results are discussed in terms of possible socio-cognitive processes underpinning the association between gender inequality and sensitivity to violence against women.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruno Gabriel Salvador Casara & Alice Lucarini & Eric D Knowles & Caterina Suitner, 2024. "Unveiling gender inequality in the US: Testing validity of a state-level measure of gender inequality and its relationship with feminist online collective action on Twitter," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(7), pages 1-13, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0306121
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306121
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    2. Ayça Özekin & Fadime Aksoy, 2026. "A regional gender inequality index: the case of Türkiye—a BWM–WASPAS-based approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 3265-3295, February.

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