Conceptual foundations of a gender equality index.

The article focuses on developing a theoretically grounded framework for Gender Equality Indexes (GEIs) that comprehensively measure gender inequality by incorporating intersectionality and multiple forms of disadvantage. It critiques existing GEIs for often treating all women as a homogeneous group and relying on limited indicators centered on income, education, and employment, thereby overlooking symbolic capitals such as caregiving norms, leisure time inequality, and gender-based violence. Drawing on feminist, intersectional theories and Pierre Bourdieu's social theory of capitals—economic, cultural, social, symbolic, as well as gender and racial privilege—the paper proposes a multidimensional set of indicators that reflect the complex, intersectional nature of gender inequality. This approach emphasizes that gender inequality cannot be fully understood or quantified without considering how it intersects with race, class, and other social factors, and calls for indexes that capture these diverse experiences to better inform policy and research.