A Proposed Research Agenda to Advance Equity for Women in L&D

This paper synthesizes a wide range of knowledge on the role of sex/gender in Learning and Development (L&D) and applies Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model to propose a research agenda for advancing women’s equity in L&D. The paper highlights how the learning and development of women are historically, culturally and socially constrained by gendered environments, norms, expectations, opportunities, and barriers. The analysis is based on a systematic-narrative hybrid literature review of a wide range of research and contributions on sex/gender in L&D. The paper argues L&D is part of a system that perpetuates inequities for women. The paper proposes a future research focus on the impact of women’s embodied transitions, the role of sex/gender in situated L&D proximal processes and outcomes, intersectionality and diversity within the category women and supporting women’s agency in L&D research and practice. The proposed research agenda is envisioned as a collaborative undertaking between scholars and practitioners.