GE 11: Gender and Society

12 Gender Issues Affecting • Since sex refers to biology, women

Woman Around the World and men differ in their Sex
1. Lack of Access to Educa1on Dimension.
2. Equal Pay for Equal Work • Because of the differences
3. Genocide between the sex of men and
4. Early Marriage women, there are designated
5. Early Pregnancy sex/biological roles that are
6. Poverty dis1nctly applicable to them.
7. Sex Trafficking • Sex Roles are essen1ally
8. Domes1c Violence biologically determined and refers
9. Depression to the paYern of behavior and
10. Women and Poli1cs thought related to sex organs and
11. Women and the Media procrea1on.
12. S1gma Against Feminism
DEFINITION OF GENDER
10 Examples of Gender Inequality in the o the socially differen1ated roles,
World characteris1cs and expecta1ons
1. Lack of Mobility aYributed by culture to women
2. Freedom of Marriage and men.
3. Discriminatory Divorce Right o the characteris1cs, a^tudes,
4. Ci1zenship feelings and behavior that society
5. Frontline Combat expects in females and males
6. Custody Right which iden1fies masculinity and
7. Violence femininity.
8. Professional Obstacles o created, produced, reproduced,
9. Restricted Land Ownership and maintained by social
10. Access to Educa1on ins1tu1ons, a process otherwise
referred to as the social
Difference Between construc1on of gender.
Sex and Gender o Gender is dictated by socio-cultural
beliefs, refers to differen1ated
DEFINITION OF SEX social roles, behaviors, capabili1es
o “natural dis1nguishing variable and intellectual, emo1onal and
based on biological characteris1cs social characteris1cs aYributed by
of being a man or a woman” culture to men and women, also
o primarily refers to biological refers to feminity, and ascribes to
aYributes, hence, it is biologically women and masculinity, ascribed to
determined by genes and men.
hormones • Since gender is only created,
o as a natural aYribute that a person produced, reproduced and
is born with, sex is same across all maintained by social ins1tu1ons, it
cultures and race, and cannot be is therefore not biological as it is
changed something that is learned and
o Sex is purely the biological genetic acquired. Hence, gender changes
and physical identity of a person, from country to country and varies
refers to the maleness and through 1me.
femaleness of human beings.
GE 11: Gender and Society
• Both sex and gender affect men’s
and women’s characteris1cs and
roles.
Definition Of Terms
GENDER
- refers to culturally/ socially
constructed differences between
females and males. Or: Belief with
practices of feminity and
masculinity.
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
- Violence against women based on
their perceived subordinate status
(e.g.) physical abuse, sexual assault,
psychological abuse, trafficking)
GENDER EQUALITY
- Equal power and opportuni1es for
men and women.
o Gender Inequality is an obstacle for
economic progress and the human
development because it creates
crimes against women.
GENDER GAP
- Discrepancy between men and
women in the areas of health,
educa1on, poli1cal empowerment,
and economic empowerment.
GENDER ROLES
- are roles which are classified by sex,
where this classification is social,
and not biological.
o For example, if child-rearing is
classified as a female role, it is a
female gender role, not a female
sex role since child-rearing can be
done by men or women.
SEX ROLES
- may therefore be contrasted with
gender roles, since sex roles refer to
an occupation or biological function
for which a necessary qualification
is to belong to one particular sex
category.
GENDER ROLE STEREOTYPING
- is the constant portrayal, such as in
the media or in books, of women
and men occupying social roles
according to the tradition gender
division of labour in a particular
society. Such gender role
stereotyping works to support and
reinforce the traditional gender
division of labour by portraying it as
“normal” and “natural”.
GENDER DISCRIMINATION
- means to give differential
treatment to individuals on the
grounds of their gender. In many
societies, this involves systematic
and structural discrimination
against women in the distribution
of income, access to resources, and
participation in decision making.
GENDER ISSUES
- arise where an instance of gender
inequality is recognized as
undesirable, or unjust.
GENDER DIVISION OF LABOUR
- means an overall societal pattern
where women are allotted one set
of gender roles, and men allotted
another set.
UNEQUAL GENDER DIVISION
OF LABOUR
- refers to a gender division of
labour where there is an unequal
gender division of reward.
GE 11: Gender and Society
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN
- means that women get most of the
burden of labour, and most of the
unpaid labour, but men collect
most of the income and rewards
resulting from the labour.
GENDER SENSITIVITY
- is the ability to recognize gender
issues, and especially the ability to
recognize women’s different
perceptions and interests arising
from their different social location
and different gender roles.
- often used to mean the same as
gender awareness, although gender
awareness can also mean the extra
ability to recognize gender issues
which remain “hidden” from those
with a more conventional point of
view.
- But here we define gender
sensitivity as the beginning of
gender awareness, where the latter
is more analytical, more critical and
more “questioning” of gender
disparities.
GENDER AWARENESS
- means the ability to respond to
problems arising from gender
inequality and discrimination, even
if these are not very evident on the
surface, or are “hidden”—i.e are
not part of the general or
commonly accepted explanation of
what and where the problem lies. In
other words, gender awareness
means a high level of gender
conscientization.
GENDER ANALYSIS
- means a close examination of a
problem or situation in order to
identify the gender issues.
Sex And Gender Roles
SEXUALITY
- central aspect of being human
throughout life and includes gender
identities, roles and sexual
orientation.
HUMAN SEXUALITY
- the way in which we experience
ourselves as sexual beings. It is an
integral part of our personality.
ACTUAL GENDER
- is the main factor that develop our
sexuality.
BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
- deals with human reproduction and
the physical means which carry it
out, it is the aspect of sexuality,
heredity and hormones and gender.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS
- focus on psychological influences
that affect social behavior.
EMOTION
- deals with intense emotions
associated with social bonds.
PHYSICAL
- Physiological, sociological
psychological aspect of human
behavior.
SEX
- Biological and anatomical
differences between man and
woman. Including the primary sex
and the secondary sex.