FROM STEREOTYPES TO STATISTICS: APPLIED DATA SCIENCE FOR REDUCING THE GENDER GAP IN NATIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

This article examines the gender gap in national security institutions as a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by both structural inequalities and discursive biases. While gender equality is increasingly recognized as a factor contributing to organizational effectiveness and institutional legitimacy, significant disparities persist, particularly at higher hierarchical levels. The study addresses how structural factors and public discourse interact in sustaining gender inequality within the security sector. The research applies a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative analysis of survey data (N = 128) from defense, law enforcement, and internal security institutions with computational discourse analysis of 148 media publications (2019–2024). The findings reveal statistically significant vertical gender segregation: women are less likely to occupy leadership positions and experience slower career progression. Gender remains a significant predictor of leadership attainment even after controlling for professional variables. Women also report greater exposure to stereotypical evaluations and limited access to informal professional networks, indicating persistent informal organizational barriers. Discourse analysis shows that women are more frequently represented as exceptional or defined by personal characteristics, whereas men are portrayed in neutral, professional terms. This symbolic “markedness” reinforces gendered perceptions of competence and normalizes male dominance in leadership roles. Topic modeling further identifies a distinct discursive cluster that frames women as a separate category, emphasizing challenges and gender-specific narratives. By integrating structural and discourse data, the study demonstrates a consistent association between institutional inequalities and patterns of public representation. The findings suggest that structural and symbolic factors operate as interconnected mechanisms sustaining gender inequality. The study contributes to the field by introducing an integrated analytical framework that combines data science methods with gender and discourse analysis in the context of national security, offering both theoretical insight and practical implications for policy and institutional reform.