Social justice for
equality and health
Guiding Ideals
Justice
Margaret shines a light on gender and age inequalities and creatively uses research to show that making change is desirable and doable.
Collaboration
She works with similarly passionate people across the world to create a just and caring world where gender and age inequalities are no longer obstacles to health and wellbeing.
Innovation
She generates knowledge around age and gender inequality that supports institutions via creative collaborations, helping them understand how to be most effective in reaching their own goals by incorporating these perspectives.
About Margaret
Margaret E. Greene is a senior researcher and thought leader with a passion for social justice.
She has dedicated her professional life to shining light on gender and age inequalities across the globe. She is motivated by her vision of a just and caring world where these inequalities no longer stand in the way of health and wellbeing. To that end, Margaret's mission is to generate knowledge and promote understanding of the unnecessary blocks these issues pose.
She brings her expertise and deep understanding of gender, age and other intersecting inequalities to help partner institutions incorporate these perspectives into their goals and strategies. By conducting and mobilizing research creatively, her work demonstrates that change is desirable and achievable. Margaret's collaborative, humble, and relentlessly positive approach has undergirded creative collaborations and empowered organizations to make a real difference in the lives of people affected by these inequalities.
Through her work, Margaret seeks to work alongside others to contribute to global social justice movements that are working to make the world a more equitable and caring place.
Latest News
Program and Policy Analysis to Inform Institutional Investments
GreeneWorks has conducted gender analyses to inform the institutional commitments of many organizations including MARS, Save the Children, UNFPA and USAID - India, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Yemen, and now Madagascar.
Drawing on relevant research and best practices, and on institutional priorities, GreeneWorks has helped numerous organization translate their values and commitments into concrete policies and programs.
The Child Marriage Research Database
The Child Marriage Research Database created by GreeneWorks over the past four years has become a public resource. Covering research on child marriage from 2000 to the present, the database now contains over 1700 studies in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. GreeneWorks offered the core data to Girls Not Brides making it searchable via GNB’s online Atlas of Child Marriage. GreeneWorks is also a lead partner with UNICEF’s Innocenti Center, synthesizing research for reports and country briefs to inform Phase III of the Global Programme to End Child Marriage.
Research: Journal of Adolescent Health
With support from the Kendeda Fund, GreeneWorks coordinated a special Journal of Adolescent Health supplement highlighting diverse Global South practices and perspectives on child marriage worldwide. The rigorous Call for Papers yielded 75 abstracts, and GreeneWorks ultimately guided 14 author teams with patience and compassion through the peer review, which coincided with the height of the COVID pandemic. We also generated a popular version of the supplement to ensure the accessibility of the research findings in plain language for advocates and implementers.
Focus Areas
Men, Boys and Positive Masculinities
Engaging boys and men in promoting gender-equitable masculinities is crucial for achieving gender equality. By challenging harmful stereotypes and embracing roles based on respect and partnership, men can contribute to breaking cycles of discrimination. Encouraging boys and men to support shared responsibilities in households, leadership, and decision-making fosters healthier relationships and more equitable societies. Inclusive gender equality efforts must address men as allies and agents of change to dismantle systemic inequalities and promote mutual wellbeing.
Gender Dynamics in Relationships, Focus on Child Marriage
Gender dynamics in relationships often reinforce power imbalances that disadvantage women and girls. Child marriage in particular limits girls' autonomy, forcing them into early caregiving and domestic roles while curtailing education and economic opportunities. These unequal unions, rooted in patriarchal norms, perpetuate cycles of dependency and inequality, leaving young wives vulnerable to abuse and poverty. Shifting societal attitudes, empowering girls, raising awareness among boys and men, and enforcing policies that protect their rights and futures can all contribute to more equitable relationships in which women and men can thrive.
Informed and Healthy Sexual and Reproductive Lives
Promoting informed and healthy sexual and reproductive lives is vital for individual well-being, gender equality, and sustainable development. Access to accurate information, healthcare, and rights-based education empowers people to make safe, informed decisions about their bodies and futures. It reduces risks of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and gender-based violence while fostering autonomy and healthier relationships. Ensuring these rights enhances quality of life, particularly for women and marginalized groups, and strengthens communities overall.
Partners and Collaborators
I work with various individuals and organizations to advance gender equality, social inclusion, and reproductive health. My partners include Equimundo, where I’ve contributed to research on masculinity and gender justice; Iris Group, supporting policies and programs on intersectional inequalities; and UNFPA, collaborating on gender equality strategies and research. I also engage with collaborators like the Lancet caregiving & health working group and the CEFMU & Sexuality Working Group, advocating for adolescent girls’ rights and addressing patriarchal control over their sexuality.