INTRODUCTION TO GENDER STUDIES

Gender studies is a field for interdisciplinary study devoted to gender identity and
gendered representation as central categories of analysis. This field includes women's
studies (concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics), men's studies and queer studies.
Sometimes, gender studies is offered together with study of sexuality.

Difference between gender and women studies

Essentially, there isn't any. Feminist activism during the 60s and 70s encouraged the
development of Women's Studies. As the scope of the discipline broadened and more people
wanted to include a feminist analysis of masculinity, many programs changed their name to
Gender Studies. But rest assured, most of the classes still focus on women and still adopt a
primarily feminist perspective.

Women’s studies since its inception in around the mid 20th century, was the study of the
particular issues about women. It concerned itself with the problems and struggles women used
to face and. Such studies led to development program like Women in Development (WID) in the
70s. Gender studies on the other hand studies the relationship between both men and women, and
also their relationships with their societies as a whole. How they are conceived and shaped, how
they presume their identity and their roles within those identities. it is a much more diverse type
of study than women’s studies.

Women's studies is a broad term - it can include information from several disciplines - history,
sociology, anthropology, psychology - but specific to women.

Gender studies can include information from all the disciplines listed above but it focuses on
gender - male and female for two. The term gender is not specific to women nor is it specific to
male and female. There are other concepts among them trans-gender and gender fluid that would
be included in a Gender Studies course.

Multi disciplinary nature of gender studies

Gender studies are an integral part of this interdisciplinary movement that offers theoretical and
methodological advantages in understanding multiply constituted social worlds and addressing
pressing global problems, such as the dynamics of migration, uneven global power geometries
and climate change. Not only are most of the big issues in the contemporary world underpinned
by social divisions including those based on sex and gender, but also the issues addressed by
sexual politics are often a key motor of activism and change. Gender studies are distinctive in
their engagement with interdisciplinarity, which have developed though a synergy between
thought and activism. This field of research and study draws upon the tradition of women’s
studies and feminist theories and activism, rather than being merely part of recent trends and
fashions, in a shift to interdisciplinary theory, which goes beyond multi- or trans-disciplinary
approaches. Gender studies have grown out of the need to address some of the big issues in
everyday life as well as on the global arena of international politics in which cultural, economic,
political and social inequalities are played out (Woodward, 2014). Gender awareness has become
integral to disciplinary fields as diverse as history, literature, science, sociology and economics,
as well as emerging as a field of studies, which goes much further than the mainstreaming of
gender. Sexual politics and gender studies have more recently engaged with some of the
dilemmas, which have been presented by diversity policies, for example, European Union
equality policies, which might be seen to have gone beyond gender or in which gender has been
marginalized (Agustin, 2013).

Autonomy vs. integration debate in Gender studies

The concept of “autonomy” in gender studies means a woman should be independent to lead her
life as per her choice. Self-directive modes and self-governing approach are the core ideological
crux of autonomy.

However, the concept of ‘integration” means that male and female cannot live separately. They
have been created for each other to fulfil their innate desires. There must be an understanding
and compromising attitudes from both sides to stamp out their differences and issues which
disturb male, female relation because of violence and male dominance. All types of resources
must be distributed equally among both sexes, and legal provision must be given to their
fundamental rights without any discriminatory and biased policy. Protagonists of the school of
thought -integration- further build their narrative that issues relating to women mobility, control
over earning, family planning decision and sharing gender roles must be dealt by the couple
through mutual understanding to lead a happy life.
The debate of autonomy versus integration is among most paramount and preliminary concepts
and theories of gender studies that sprouted in 1979 between participants of the National Women
Studies Conference. It refers to figure out gender-based issues between men and women.
Scholars, legislators, feminists and activists detect the major and minor causes under the
mechanism of gender analysis which play their role making ineffective man, woman relation,
women subordination, economic marginalization, gender-based violence, gender disparity and
ascendency of patriarchal family pattern.
Both groups developed their own lens to investigate women oppression and gender-based issues
by projecting their ideological foundations. The question about status of the subject Gender
Studies and Women Studies was also brought under consideration divergently in the conference.
Supporters of autonomy proclaimed to not merge women studies in gender studies. However,
followers of integration school of thought favored and floated the suggestion to deal both sexes
under one subject of Gender Studies to trace out both sided issues and flaws.

Status of gender studies in Pakistan

The emerging changes in women studies consider able for evaluating the status of gender studies
in Pakistan. Ironically, this is the same determinant that can decide status in Pakistan and same in
the whole world.

That approach is always in a trend that can provide facilitation towards women studies. The
facilitation that can lower gap between men and women. It is a pure outcome that women studies
want to achieve. The year when women started to grow was 1989. It was the year when Center
of Excellence in Women’s studies established by the ministry of Women Development.

After establishment, the first step was taken towards the goal of government to boost women role
in society. The center was the initial step and now there are many steps that have been taking by
the government since 1989. The center is liable to conducts research in women studies, gathers
information about the gender gap and suggests initial step to lower that identified gap.

The society is changing and this paradigm shift endorsed changes during the development of the
individual. This subject matter was consistent with change specifically from 1999 to 2007. This
is the principle in which the policy environment was penetrating at the platform of gender
studies. The socio-cultural context is the other mindset that was developed in the same manner
so that gender equality could monitor. The customary practices are also monitored during the
change from one level of study to another level. In the end, one can say that status of gender
studies in Pakistan that was initiated with boasted behavior still continues at the same pace.