Conversation questions :

 Should a good mother give up her job to stay at home with her children?
 Are the responsibilities of a mother the same as the responsibilities of a father to their families?
 What are the responsibilities of a father / mother to his / her family?
 Are fathers capable of carrying out the duties of a mother and vice versa?
 In you home, who does the cooking, cleaning and household chores?

 Are there different expectations for sons and daughters?

 Should boys and girls be brought up differently? Should boys and girls be treated differently by parents?
 What habits and behaviors are deemed as appropriate for men but inappropriate for women?
 What jobs are deemed as appropriate for men but inappropriate for women?
 Are more nurses female or male in your country? Are more truck drivers female or male in your country
 Are men and women equal in ability and intelligence?
 What things can either men or women do that the other cannot do and why?
 What type of clothing do men wear? What about women?
 Can men wear women's clothing or can women wear men's clothing? Why or why not?
 Is it OK for men to cry? Is it OK for women to cry? What do people think of men or women crying?
 What would people think of a man who backs down from a fight? What would people think of two women
involved in a fist fight?
 Is it compulsory for men and women to join the army in your country?
 Do women swear a lot?
 Are there more male or female managers and executives? Why do you think this is?
 Who is regarded as the head of the family?
 Do men/men friendships differ from women/men or women/women friendships? How?
 Who do you think has life easier, girls or guys? Why?
VOCABULARY SHEET:

Topic: “ GENDER”
Nouns Verbs Adjectives
 a housewife  to go on maternal leave  unfair
 a career woman  to compete with men  disgraceful
 the household chores  to achieve financial  determined / strong-willed
 pregnancy independance  ambitious
 motherhood  to be hired  gifted
 balance  to be on flextime  part-time ± full-time jobs
 to climb the corporate ladder
 pressure  discriminated against
 to struggle to the top
 a challenge  non-conformist
 to fight / stand up against ±
 a feminist for
 a male chauvinist  to achieve equal rights
 sex-discrimination  to claim one's rights
 gender gap  to bridge the gap
 sexual harassement  to succeed in + V-ing
 a salary gap  to share
 the glass ceiling  to grant sb. sth.
 a male preserve  to march / demonstrate
 a rewarding career
 a sense of fulfillement
Phrases:
 There is still a gender gap in the workplace.
 Women generally earn less money than men.
 Moreover, very few women manage to reach executive positions
 They have to find a balance between their family and their career.
 It's a shame men and women don't share the household chores!

Essay topics:

1) Can a woman be as successful in life as a man today?

Men and women don't have the same strengths and weaknesses. Women tend to be more understanding and patient
than men while men are often more ambitious and opportunistic than women.
I think a woman can be as successful as a man today but she has to work harder to achieve it.
I don't think a woman can be as successful as a man in terms of salary : a woman chief executive won't get the
same salary as a man for the same job/ the same qualifications.
Women still have to prove what they are worth.
It is harder for women to become as successful as men since they also have to deal with pregnancies and maternity
leaves, whereas men can focus/ concentrate more on work.

2) Do you think the gender gap still exists today or has gender equality finally been achieved?