Rese eT mT) feminist discourse deals with question lt a Cae aT Cee or eee mee ese Deer ence a as See ca) KAMA BHASIN worked with the Freedom From Huge! ere aOR ae ne or Sea ‘on women; and on sustainable written many songs on all Ce nc era these issues! eer a Rs 85 Dene ie) adaUnderstanding Gender KAMLA BHASIN UNLIMITEDUnderstanding Gender ‘vas originally published in 2000 by Kali for Women "This edition published in 2005 by ‘Women Unlimited (an associate of Kali for Women) 7/0, Fest Floor, Sarvapriya Vihar ‘New Delhi - 110016 ‘© 2000, Kamla Bhasin Reprinted, 2004 Reprinted, 2005 Reprinted, 2008 Reprinted, 2009 Reprinted, 2010 Reprinted, 2011 Reprinted, 2012 Reprinted, 2013 Reprinted, 2014 All rights reanvud ISBN: 81-88965-19-7 Dasige ond grapes, Bindia Thapas Cover design: Una Mohsin Printed at Raj Press, R-3 Inderpusi, New Delhi - 110012 Ithough we have known the word gender in gramrmat, obvioutly itis being used differently now. Can you explain this new meaning ? TT word gender js now being used sociologically or as a con ceptual category, and it has been given a very specific meaning, In its new incarnation gender refets to the socio-cultural definition of man and woman, the way societies distinguish men and women and assign them social roles. It is used as an. analytical tool to understand social realities with regatd to women and men, ‘The distinction between sex and gender was introduced to deal ‘with the general tendency to attribute women's subordination t0 theit anatomy. For ages it was believed that the different characteristics, roles and status accorded to women and men in society, arc determined by biology (.e., sex), that they are natural, and therefore not changeable. In a way women, and women’s bodies, were and are held responsible for their subordinate status in society, Once this is accepted as natural, there is obviously no need to address the gender inequalities and injustice which exist in society.