Women's Policy Agencies and Institutional Architecture in Comparison : Building Blocks for Equal Gender Relations

This dissertation analyses women's policy agencies (WPAs) and their institutional architecture within different states. In other research often referred to as women's policy machineries, the institutional architecture encompasses the combination of all WPAs per state designated to promote women's empowerment and gender equality. They are the building blocks for equal gender relations. These new institutions and state infrastructures are of interest for comparative research, diffusion literature and state feminism. My research questions focus on the peculiarities of WPAs and institutional architecture and the explanation of the later. The global comparison covers the current situation (2007-2010) in 151 states worldwide. I tested the characterisation of WPAs developed by Berkovitch as standard features of modern statehood.

The dissertation employed an integrated mixed-methods approach. An inductive, secondary analysis of cross-sectional text data supplied a new definition of WPAs, a new classification system and two typologies. States perceptions of WPAs were derived from UN DAW survey data. Information on existing entities was processed qualitatively by iterating through coding entities, conceptualizing relevant dimensions and entities, and developing graphical representations in a non-linear way of theorizing. Hypotheses testing using aggregated data explained variations of institutional architecture. One hypothesis was tested visually on a world map.

The newly developed classification of WPA forms distinguishes WPAs by setting and scope of action (Chapter 1-2, and 5). States currently employ a wide range of WPAs forms (Chapter 7) and have created varying institutional architecture worldwide (Chapter 6 and 8). However, specified state capability remains limited presently. My tested hypotheses explain the variety of institutional architecture found in part (Chapter 3 and 9). The recurrent attribute of present-day specified state capability is heterogeneity, which is found in WPA forms, types of institutional architecture, and countries involved. The depiction of all 151 states is made tangible using a 3D-model visualising institutional complexity.