Revisiting Research on Gender Equality and Sustainability Multi‐Stakeholder Initiatives: A Scoping Review

Concerns about the slow progress in gender equality, both globally and within corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, prompt a critical assessment of “gendered CSR,” that is, women's empowerment programs and partnerships driven by the private sector. Sustainability multi‐stakeholder initiatives (MSIs), such as Fairtrade International and the Rainforest Alliance, are prevalent channels and initiators of trainings, leadership seminars or “women‐produced” marketing programs. While MSIs aim to improve working conditions, occupational safety, and labor rights—especially for women—the scope and impact of these interventions remain insufficiently assessed. To map the growing evidence for more concerted action in favor of SDG 5, gender equality, we bring the diverse literature on sustainability MSIs into a conversation with feminist perspectives by means of a systematic scoping review. Informed by feminist organization studies, we analyze problem definitions, organizational challenges, and solution pathways, focusing on the experiences of women workers and producers in the Global South. Our findings reveal a broad range of gender‐related efforts, often based on the assumption that empowering individuals leads to the claiming of rights. While some studies highlight structural inequalities perpetuated in the global economy, others point to women's alternative organizing and resistance in the context of sustainability MSIs. We contribute to the academic debate by broadening the notion of gendered CSR and identifying a middle ground between women‐centered approaches and systemic critiques. Practically, the review helps clarify how gender issues are framed and addressed at different levels of intervention while also acknowledging tensions between empowerment initiatives and the persistent inequalities embedded in the global economy.