There is ample evidence that public institutions are discriminating against clients. However, less is known about how experienced discrimination, by clients of the public sector, is affecting how they see public organizations. Specifically, the question arises as to whether and how discrimination experiences influence (1) employer attractiveness of public sector organizations and (2) person-sector fit. Differences in beliefs about system fairness have been shown to influence how individuals react to discrimination. Drawing from system justification theory (Jost & Major, 2001), it is argued that when clients justify the system as fair, they may legitimize discrimination experiences, and employment attractiveness of public sector organizations, as well as perceived person-sector-fit, remain unaffected.

To test these propositions, a large-scale online survey was conducted (pre-registered; n = 2,465). First, respondents were asked based on which characteristics they have been discriminated against in the public sector, and in which institution/organization in the public sector they have been discriminated. Afterwards, respondents answered items on client discrimination during public service usage (Klinner & Walsh, 2013). Second, respondents were randomly assigned to one of five scenarios referring to concrete public service areas and/or public sector organizations, in which they were asked to rate the attractiveness to work in those public service areas and/or public sector organizations ((1) public education, (2) public service points in administrative offices, (3) police, (4) public health services, and (5) public social services/social centers). After asking about employer attractiveness separately for each area/organization, person-sector fit was asked for the public sector (Van Loon et al.'s, 2017). Finally, general system justification beliefs were asked (Vargas-Salfate et al., 2018).

Findings indicate that clients’ perceived discrimination has a significant negative effect on public sector’s employment attractiveness and person-sector fit: Clients who report having experienced discrimination in a public sector service perceive the public sector organizations less attractive in terms of employment and see less of a fit between their personal values and the public sector. Findings also point to significant interaction effects of clients’ discrimination experiences and their system justification beliefs on employment attractiveness, and sector-person fit: Public sector organizations are perceived as less attractive in terms of employment when clients’ system justification beliefs are low (e.g., belief that system is unfair), and their discrimination experiences are high.

The literature on Public Service Motivation (PSM) has studied how public employees in serving public institutions are more likely to commit to values that represent their desire to benefit the public’s best interest (Perry and Wise 1990). Other studies have shown that these employees demonstrate more altruistic (Rainey 1997) and democratic attitudes (Blair and Garand 1995; Conway 2000) than employees from the private sector.

There is abundant research about the motivations that drive public employees’ desire to perform public and social service. However, there is scarce research on bureaucrats´ attitudes on gender issues. Considering that gender equality is a critical dimension of democratic consolidation (Ionescu 2018) we would expect that public employees defend public interest and democratic values by exhibiting attitudes that promote gender equality.

The article shows that bureaucrats’ attitudes on gender equality play a significant role in expanding the scope of the literature on public service motivation. Using data from the most recent wave of World Values Survey – WVS (2017-2020) covering 77 countries, this study compares the gender attitudes of public-sector workers against general gender attitudes. These attitudes include dimensions related to the labor market, politics, among others.

We also analyze that those attitudes are conditional on structural opportunities for women in the countries using the Gender Inequality Index using the UN data. Finally, we study the conditional effect of individual characteristics such as education, religion, and age. Findings show that public employees tend to have attitudes that favor gender equality. However, that effect is contingent on the gender inequality context in which public servants operate.

The theoretical contribution of this work is to enrich the literature on public service motivation, public administration, and gender studies by understanding how public employees can internalize and promote gender values that affect gender inclusion in democratic contexts.

Gender equality is undoubtedly a core value of European Union. As a consequence, European Institutions, and also Member States, have been promoting the diffusion of gender mainstreaming for almost 30 years.

Gender mainstreaming is a strategy which proposes the reorganization, improvement, development and evaluation of policy processes, so that a gender perspective is incorporated in all the policies by the actors normally involved in policymaking, including Public Administrations.

All the Public Administrations play (or should play) a proactive and driving role to ensure the application of gender mainstreaming, not only by encouraging gender-oriented policies, but also by implementing them throughout their organisation.

The achievement of these goals can be notably improved through the adoption of Gender Budgeting (GB), an analysis and planning tool that integrates gender perspective at all the stages of public budgetary process, in order to advance gender equality.

This paper aims to provide a brief overview of the historical and conceptual origins of Gender Budgeting, in order to better understand how its effective incorporation within Public Administration can contribute to reduce existing gender inequalities.

GB can be defined as a specific application of gender mainstreaming in the budgetary process: it means a gender-based assessment of budgets, incorporating a gender perspective at all levels of the budgetary process and restructuring revenues and expenditures in order to promote gender equality.

First of all, GB enables the analysis, from a gender perspective, of political choices and economic-financial commitments that have already been adopted by Public Entities, in order to assess their impact in the pursuit of gender equality. Furthermore, this tool is also supposed to ensure that gender impact of past public decisions will be taken into consideration in order to program and plan the future policies of Public Authorities, effectively contributing to advance gender equality.

However, it is possible to notice that almost all the experimentations of GB, that have been carried out in Italy up to now, have only paid attention on the first step of the practise, while neglecting the second one.

For this reason, the paper offers a specific focus on the state of play of Gender Budgeting in Italy, emphasising the insufficient implementation of this practise in Italian Public Administrations, but also valorising the perspectives of reform that have been outlined after the diffusion of Covid-19 pandemic.

Indeed, National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) offered the opportunity to consolidate and strengthen Gender Budgeting, proposing a definitive integration of the strategic approach of gender mainstreaming into the budgeting process of State and Public Entities.

Starting from the 2024 Italian budget law, it will be required a classification of the items of Gender Budgeting, according to the criteria of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In conclusion, this decision to make GB structural could be the occasion to implement this practise as a permanent planning tool for Italian Public Administrations.

The fight against gender discrimination in Brazil has been a long-standing issue, both in the public and private sectors. The objectives of the study are to identify the main challenges faced by women in the Brazilian labor market, to describe the best practices adopted by public and private institutions to promote gender equality, to assess the effectiveness of these practices and the challenges Brazil faces in achieving SDG 5.

The preliminary study of the related literature indicates that the best practices to eradicate gender discrimination in Brazil include the promotion of equal pay for equal work, the implementation of quotas for women in leadership positions, the provision of parental leave and flexible working arrangements, the promotion of gender-sensitive policies and the implementation of training programs.

However, there are still significant challenges to be addressed, such as the persistence of gender stereotypes and biases, the lack of enforcement mechanisms for gender equality laws, and the underrepresentation of women in high-skilled and high-paying occupations. Hence, further research and policy interventions are needed to achieve gender equality.

Among the gender inequalities mentioned above, some draw attention, such as unequal access to education, employment, and healthcare, as well as high levels of violence against women. Brazil has one of the highest rates of femicide in the world. In the first semester of 2022 alone, 699 women were victims of feminicide, an average of four women per day. This number is 3.2% higher than the total number of deaths registered in the first semester of 2021, when 677 women were murdered .

The country also has a significant gender pay gap, with women earning on average 77% of what men earn . Women are also underrepresented in political and leadership positions, with only 15% of seats in the Brazilian Congress held by women .

To address these challenges, Brazil has implemented various policies and initiatives. These include affirmative action programs to increase the participation of women in politics, as well as efforts to improve access to education and healthcare. Brazil has also implemented legislation to address violence against women, including the Maria da Penha Law, which provides greater protection for women who are victims of domestic violence.

Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain. Implementation of policies to address gender inequality has been inconsistent, and many women still face significant barriers to accessing education, healthcare, and employment. Violence against women remains pervasive, and the gender pay gap persists. Further efforts are needed to ensure that women in Brazil are able to fully participate in all aspects of society and achieve gender equality in line with SDG 5.

The methodology adopted to implement these best practices has been a collaborative effort between government agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector. The Brazilian government has played a key role in promoting gender equality through the implementation of laws and policies, while civil society organizations have been actively advocating for women's rights and monitoring the implementation of these policies. The private sector has also been involved in promoting gender equality by implementing best practices and participating in public-private partnerships.

The research methodology adopted consists of a literature review of scholarly articles, reports, and official documents related to gender equality policies and practices in Brazil. The justification for this study is the persistent gender gap in the Brazilian labor market, which has a negative impact on the country's economic growth and social development.