Every year, the World Economic Forum releases a Global Gender Gap Report. It’s not the only organization that gathers information on gender equality and women’s issues, but it gives us a good idea about the state of things. In 2021, the report concluded that it will take 135.6 years to close the global gender gap. This is an increase by almost 100 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Studying women’s rights, gender issues, and female leadership is more important than ever, even for those who aren’t working specifically in gender equality. It’s an intersectional issue with far-reaching implications. These ten top-rated courses from Coursera cover topics like international women’s health, human rights, gender analytics, gender-based violence, childbirth, and much more. Courses can be audited for free, though for full access to graded assignments, there’s usually a course fee. If you intend to take multiple courses, it’s worth subscribing to Coursera+.
#1. International Women’s Health and Human Rights (Stanford)
#2. Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change (Case Western Reserve University)
#3. Women in Environmental Biology (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
#4. Gender Analytics for Innovation (University of Toronto)
#5. Confronting Gender Based Violence: Global Lessons for Healthcare Workers
#6. Feminism and Social Justice (University of California Santa Cruz)
#7. Diversity and Inclusion in Education (University of Glasglow)
#8. Gender and Sexuality: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace (University of Pittsburgh)
#9. Childbirth: A Global Perspective (Emory University)
#10. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives (University of Michigan)
#1. International Women’s Health and Human Rights (Stanford)
This beginner course focuses on women’s health and human rights issues. It examines different stages of life, including issues faced during childhood and adolescence, reproductive health, violence, war, poverty, and aging and end of life. The course was co-created by Consulting Professor Anne Firth Murray (Content Director of the course) and Kevin Hsu (the Design Director).
What you will learn (excerpt)
- Understand the basics of women’s rights and human rights
- Define refugees and discuss women in war and refugee settings
- Explore issues related to women’s quests to escape poverty, including economic empowerment, sex trafficking, and sex work
- Examine positive interventions related to women’s health and human rights
How you will learn
The course is divided into 10 weeks of study. It takes about 58 hours total to complete. Coursework consists of videos, readings, practice quizzes, and assignments. Assignments include peer-graded thought questions, learning checks, graded quizzes, and two “Engage Your Community” peer-graded assignments. For peer-graded assignments, you must also review three of your peers’ work to receive your grade. It appears that the assignments are accessible even if you’re on the audit track, so you don’t need to pay for a certificate to fully participate. At the time of writing, the course had a 4.9/5 rating.
#2. Women In Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change (Case Western Reserve University)
This course is part 2 of 5 courses in the Inspired Leadership Specialization. Its goal is to inspire and empower men and women to engage in career development and leadership for important causes. Through this course, students will understand more complex issues related to professional women and work. They’ll also increase their self-knowledge of their own vision, values, and skills as leaders, managers, and team members. The challenges, opportunities, trade-offs, and organizational dynamics that women experience in work organizations will also be explored. Dr. Diana Bilimoria, Keybank Professor and Chair of Organizational Behavior, leads the course.
What you will learn (excerpt)
- Understand the current representation and status of women in senior leadership positions and governments across the world
- Discuss the “gender confidence gap” and what self-confidence really means
- Examine leadership skills for effective negotiation
- Explore purpose-driven career development
How you will learn
This course is divided into 5 weeks of study. With 1-3 hours of work per week, you can expect to complete the course in 12 hours. Coursework includes videos, readings, discussion prompts and forums, and graded assignments. All the graded assignments – including a final peer-graded Praxis paper – are only accessible if you’re paying for the certificate. On the audit track, you can see the assignments, but can’t submit for a grade. At the time of writing, the course had a 4.7/5 rating.
#3. Women in Environmental Biology (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
This beginner course explores questions like how humans relate to each other, what you need to know to understand current environmental problems, and how much of the knowledge and research has been led by women. Students dive into environmental biology concepts, biodiversity, and how gender perspective plays into our understanding of the world, science, and environmental biology. A team of women researchers designed and developed the course.
What you will learn (excerpt)
- Understand biodiversity and the different types of living things (plants, insects, vertebrates, etc)
- Identify the different ecosystems and how they interact
- Explore the connection between the environment and human health
- Learn about sustainability and eco-feminism
How you will learn
This course is divided into four weeks of study and takes about 10 hours total to complete. Coursework consists of videos, readings, discussion prompts and forums, and four graded quizzes. Each is worth 25% of your grade. It appears that the quizzes are accessible to everyone, even if you aren’t taking the paid certificate track. To pass a quiz, you must score 80% or higher. At the time of writing, the course had a 4.6/5 rating.
#4. Gender Analytics for Innovation (University of Toronto)
This course is the introductory course in the 5-course Gender Analytics Specialization. Students will build the foundation needed for Gender Analytics by becoming familiar with key terms and concepts, as well as how policies, products, services, and processes can unintentionally lead to gendered outcomes. By the course’s end, students will uncover their own assumptions, evaluate their skills, and begin their own Self Development Plan. Sarah Kaplan (Distinguished Professor & Director, Institute for Gender and the Economy) leads the course.
What you will learn (excerpt)
- Define Gender Analytics and understand why it’s a useful tool
- Understand the Gender Analysis Competency Framework
- Define key terms like gender, sex, gender identity, intersectionality, and more
- Explore how Gender Analytics can lead to inclusive innovation
How you will learn
This course is divided into four weeks of study and takes about eight hours total to complete. Coursework includes videos, readings, practice exercises, and graded assignments. There are four graded assessments, which are only available to students paying for the certificate track. To pass, you’ll need to score an 80% or higher. With the audit track, you can see the assignments, but can’t submit anything. At the time of writing, the course has a 4.8/5 rating.
#5. Confronting Gender Based Violence: Global Lessons for Healthcare Workers
This course introduces gender-based violence (GBV) from a global perspective. Students will explore the global epidemiology of GBV, health outcomes, seminal research, and clinical best practices for prevention, support, and management. Students will also learn through specific examples and programs from around the world. This is a beginner course, but it’s designed for participants from the healthcare sector. Michele Decker (ScD, MPH, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health) teaches the course.
What you will learn (excerpt)
- Understand what GBV is and the forms it takes
- Identify ways to address GBV within healthcare, including safety planning, harm reduction, and psychosocial support
- Learn about clinical assessment, medical, and forensic examinations
- Describe the WHO guidelines for GBV response, as well as challenges
How you will learn
The course is divided into four weeks and takes 22 hours total to complete. Coursework consists of readings, videos, discussion prompts and forums, practice quizzes, and graded assignments. Assignments are peer-graded, so you will also need to review three of your peers’ work to receive a grade. The course has an Honors curriculum, which includes separate graded quizzes. To receive grades in either the regular track or the Honors, you’ll need to pay for the certificate. If you’re auditing, you can see the assignments, but can’t submit them. At the time of writing, the course has a 4.8/5 rating.
#6. Feminism and Social Justice (University of California Santa Cruz)
This course examines three major events in the history of feminism and social justice: the Empire Zinc strike of 1951, the 1971-1972 trial of Angela Davis, and the Me Too movement. Taught by Distinguished Professor Bettina Aptheke, it’s an online adaptation of her long-running course at UC Santa Cruz. Through the lens of these events, students will dive deeply into the definition of “feminism.”
What you will learn (excerpt)
- Understand Professor Aptheke’s working definition of “feminism”
- Explore the 1951 Empire Zinc strike, including its causes and outcomes
- Study the trial of Angela Davis, including the movement that supported her
- Discuss the #metoo movement and its contributions to feminism and social justice
How you will learn
The course is divided into four weeks and takes about eight hours total to complete. Coursework includes readings, videos, discussion prompts and forums, and graded quizzes. Each quiz is worth 25% of your grade, but grading is only available to students on the paid certificate track. To pass, you must score an 80% or higher. At the time of writing, “Feminism and Social Justice” had a 4.8/5 rating.
#7. Diversity and Inclusion in Education (University of Glasgow)
Student diversity (in ability, socio-economic background, ethnicity, race, cultural background, etc) is becoming more common in education systems across the globe. This is good news considering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 4 speaks about ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, as well as lifelong learning opportunities for everyone. Many challenges remain, however. In this course, students will learn the concepts and assumptions around diversity and difference, how to identify barriers to inclusive education, and how to develop inclusive educational spaces. Ines Alves (Lecturer in Inclusive Education at The University of Glasgow) leads the course.
What you will learn (excerpt)
- Understand what inclusion is, including the core features of inclusion in education
- Identify the different approaches that analyze education contexts and responses
- Learn about students’ experiences with inclusion and exclusion
- Explore how to develop inclusive education
How you will learn
This intermediate course is divided into four weeks and takes about 18 hours total to complete. Coursework includes readings, videos, discussion prompts and forums, practice quizzes, and graded assignments. The assignments, which are end-of-week quizzes, can be only submitted if you’re taking the paid certificate track. They’re each worth 25% of your grade. To pass, you’ll need to score 80% or higher. At the time of writing, the course has a 4.7/5 rating.
#8. Gender and Sexuality: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace (University of Pittsburgh)
Terms like “sex,” “sexuality,” and “gender” have shifted and evolved over the years. This course aims to explore how these concepts impact culture and work. Through interdisciplinary concepts, tools, and methods, students will be introduced to the field of gender, sexuality, women’s studies, and LGBTQIA identities. Julie Beaulieu (Lecturer from the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies program) and guest lecturer Susan Marine (Assistant Professor and Program Director from Merrimack College) lead the course.
What you will learn (excerpt)
- Define key concepts about gender, sex, sexuality, and identity
- Understand the history and impact of gender theory and sexuality studies
- Learn how to create inclusive workplaces
- Examine the concept of “genderism” and how it impacts work and society
How you will learn
This beginner course is divided into four weeks and takes about 16 hours to complete. Coursework consists of videos, readings, discussion prompts and forums, quizzes, and peer-graded assignments. This means you’ll need to review three of your peers’ assignments before receiving a grade. Grading is limited to students taking the paid certificate track. At the time of writing, the course has a 4.7/5 rating.
#9. Childbirth: A Global Perspective (Emory University)
In low-income and transitional countries, more than 2.6 million infants are stillborn. Nearly 500,000 women die during childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications. This intermediate course tackles the challenges for maternal and newborn health in the developing world. Students will learn about topics like the epidemiology of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity; issues facing the global health workforce; community-based interventions to improve health in this area; and the sociocultural dynamics surrounding birth. Lynn Sibley (Professor at the Neil Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing) teaches the course.
What you will learn (excerpt)
- Discuss the global health implications of pregnancy and childbirth in the developing world, including causes of death and signs of progress
- Understand rising maternal mortality rates in the United States
- Describe the importance of well-trained health workers
- Define emergency obsetric care (EmOC)
- Examine the effectiveness of community mobilization for improving maternal and infant health
How you will learn
This course is divided into six weeks and takes about nine hours total to complete. Coursework consists of videos, readings, discussion forums, and graded assignments. There are five quizzes (each worth 15% of your grade) and a final peer-graded critical reflection focusing on a maternal care issue. It appears that assignments are available to all students, including those taking the audit track. At the time of writing, the course has a 4.7/5 rating.
#10. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives (University of Michigan)
Guided by the Socio-Ecological Model, this course walks students through how each level of the Model (individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy) impacts breastfeeding in the United States and abroad. Students explore topics like maternal and child short and long-term health benefits, economic and environmental impacts, health professional curricula on breastfeeding education, and breastfeeding practices in the LGBTQ+ community. By the course’s end, students will understand breastfeeding’s impact on public health and feel confident in their ability to identify barriers to successful breastfeeding practices. Olivia S. Anderson (Clinical Assistant Professor of Nutritional Science) teaches the course.
What you will learn (excerpt)
- Understand the application of breastfeeding practices to the Socio-Ecological Model
- Explore maternal self-efficacy, family, and community support for breastfeeding
- Describe the role of healthcare providers and employers
- Understand surveillance tools that monitor breastfeeding practices in the US and globally
How you will learn
This course is divided into four weeks and takes about 13 hours total to complete with 2-4 hours of work per week. Coursework consists of videos, readings, discussion prompts and forums, practice quizzes, and graded assignments. There are two peer-graded assignments, which require you to submit your own assignment and review three of your peers’ work. There are also two graded quizzes. All graded materials are only available to students on the paid certificate track.
