Why the United Nations Needs Psychology
Psychology is essential for an interconnected world.
Updated May 29, 2026 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma
Psychological research on gender is a highly interdisciplinary and contested field. This globally expanding area examines how gender interacts with different domains of experience—culture, biology, technology, economics, politics , and development— across diverse societies. Moving beyond earlier frameworks focused primarily on women’s rights and inequality (first and second wave feminism), contemporary scholarship increasingly emphasizes intersectionality (third wave), global and postcolonial perspectives (fourth wave), masculinity studies, digital media, AI , and developmental systems approaches that link social environments with neuroscience , epigenetics , and cultural change. The field is also shaped by major debates over identity , populism, family structures, and the impact of technological transformation on human relationships and social institutions (fifth wave and beyond).
Identity development is a complex process, and our identities transform as our sense of self evolves with the changing times. Currently, at the forefront of politics, Indian and American female leaders have risen to global leadership . Both of these women, Kamala Harris and Droupadi Murmu, with diverse racial backgrounds, navigate their identity differently. While some openly discuss their heritage, others choose to address it more subtly, focusing primarily on their policies and achievements without emphasizing their race. The diversity in identity formation reflects how female politicians approach gender and feminism through a global intersectional lens.
In a chapter titled, Dreams from their Mothers , in the new book, Global Perspectives on Gender , my colleagues Britt Romagna, Zara Lowenthal and I attempt to conceptualize women’s lives in the context of global feminism, consisting of different waves of feminist movement: the first wave from 1848 onwards, which began at Seneca Falls; second wave, from 1963 with the publication of the Feminine Mystique; third wave, from 1992 concerned with intersectionality; and fourth wave, from 2013 onwards driven by online digital feminism. Indian women, while working for the suffrage movement in Britain, began to gain the right to vote in 1921 in Chennai and Mumbai, and with Indian independence became full citizens in 1947. While ahead of the world in some ways, in terms of fighting practices such as Sati and child marriage , Indian feminists lag in key measures of progress as they face larger inequities and barriers in their sociocultural environment. (Sati is a Hindu practice in which a widow would immolate herself on her deceased husband's funeral pyre.)
In this context, my colleagues at Fordham University—Melissa Malley, Elaine Congress, and others—who are focused on the work of the United Nations, have organized a special volume on gender perspectives from around the world. Here, Elaine Congress, professor and associate dean of social work, offered some insights about the book.
Dinesh Sharma: Do you think gender issues really divide the world?
Elaine Congress: People in different countries may have different ideas about gender, but because of the internet and international travel, beliefs about gender are becoming more homogenized worldwide. In general, we, the editors of Global Perspectives on Gender, believe that the concept of gender is changing and becoming more fluid.
DS: Why did you decide to write this book in 2026 on the 80th anniversary of the UN’s founding?
EC: Gender has been an important issue at the UN since its founding in 1946. The UN promotes the belief that women's rights are human rights. A woman, Eleanor Roosevelt, played a major role in the formation of the UN; throughout its history, UN organizations, including the Committee on the Status of Women and now UN Women, have been influential. We wrote Global Perspectives on Gender to demonstrate the continued focus and importance of gender at the UN. Two of the UN sustainable development goals —on gender equality and reducing inequalities—focus on women's issues.
DS: Given that the discipline of psychology tends to be heavily focused on the experimental method, how do you think psychologists will take on this global approach posited in your edited book?
EC: Global Perspectives on Gender is not a research book, but it would be possible to develop both quantitative and qualitative studies to understand different approaches to gender better.
DS: How do you think psychologists can fit into the UN structure, given that it is run by diplomats, economists, and lawyers?
EC: Psychologists can have expertise in mental health and family issues. There needs to be a way this information is shared more regularly with ambassadors at the UN.
DS: Are you proposing a universalistic approach or a culturally relativistic approach to the gender based challenges we face?
EC: A culturally relativist approach, as we have to be sensitive and respectful of the many different ways that people and countries consider gender. As a lifelong feminist, I cringe when I think about restrictions in dress and behavior that women in some countries face; however, I believe it would be inappropriate to insist that all women be treated in terms of a Western model.
DS: Do you envision social psychology, as a discipline, covering the UN in the coming decades, including gender issues and challenges?
EC: Yes, I am very confident that social psychology can provide needed support and guidance to the UN in the years to come. In fact, social psychology, the discipline that focuses on people in their environment, can be especially helpful to the UN in understanding, negotiating, and advocating for gender equity in the future.
DS: It was said, when it was founded in 1945, "The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell." Do you think the UN has met that objective in the preceding 80 years?
EC: Where would we be without the UN? It is the only place where 193 countries meet together. If we didn't have the UN, where would the world be? There would be no efforts to improve living conditions for all. The UN is far from perfect, but its continued presence and actions help to improve the welfare of all!
Malley, M. E., Gibbons, J. L., Congress, E. P., and Gielen, U. P. (2026). Global Perspectives on Gender. Emerald Insight Publishing.
PCUN. Psychology Coalition of NGOs at the United Nations, Having Consultative Status with ECOSOC. https://psychologycoalitionun.org/ ; Also see https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kalyani-gopal-664a9716/
Sharma, D., Romagna, B., and Lowenthal, Z. (2026). Dreams from their Mothers: Gender and Feminism in India and the U.S. In Global Perspectives on Gender. Emerald Insight Publishing.
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Dinesh Sharma, Ph.D. , is Director and Chief Research Officer at Steam Works Studio, an education-tech venture in Princeton, New Jersey.
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