INDEX

•Certificate
•Acknowledgement
•Introduction
•Topic include
→Learning objective
→Gender Based Violence/Violence Against women
→Abduction
→Devastating effect on child, family and the community.
→Sex differences in education
→WOMEN’S Movements Over the Last 100 Years

→Addressing gender inequality at home & public

→How Can We Stop Gender Discrimination?
Learning outcomes
•Bibliography
 CIRTIFICATE

This is to certify that this project

has been made by _______

of class 12”

On the topic Gender issue under

the guidance of our English teacher
and have been
completed it successfully......

Yours truly
___________
 Introduction
The presence of dynamic interaction between gender, health
and Development, create a growing concern by national and
international Governments and communities. Gender based
and Violence are to stay unless there is long term
commitment and shared Action among various sectors
including at the community level. Thus It is timely and no
wonders for making the gender issues information Available
at the grass-roots level where the Health Extension Workers
Will be posted.

The gender issues depicted here are not only the review of
literatures But also the result of observations of Gender
based issues in real Situations and continuing effort for better
ways of addressing it at the Grassroots level.

In this note we tries to highlight gender Issues Including

gender discriminations and hope that it will help the Health
Extension Workers (HEW) to aware and initiate the
community to Standby the elimination of gender based
discrimination. Since most Of the Ethiopian communities are
residing in the rural areas this Material will provide better
information to bring an attitudinal change Gender Based
Discriminations
Learning Objectives:

• Define violence against women

• Recognize different forms of gender based discrimination.
• Identify the different forms of Gender based violence
• List the features of gender discrimination in rural society
• Recognise the effect of Gender based violence on health and
development.

Gender Based Violence/Violence Against women

Definition:
The United Nations Declaration on Elimination of violence against

women (1993) defined Violence Against Women (VAW) as:

"… any act of gender based violence that results in physical sexual
and psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of
such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether in
public or private life” .

Forms of Violence against women:

1. Physical violence
Kicking, punching, choking, burning, stabbing, pouring Boiled water, setting on
fire, homicide, gun shot…etc.

2.Psychological violence / mental harm:

Repeated verbal abuse Spitting on.
Confinement and deprivation of physical, financial And personal resources.
Constant humiliation.

3.Sexual Violence:
Coerced sex through threats, intimidation or Physical force.
Rape (Forced unwelcome sex).
Abduction
The Burden and Magnitude of Violence Against Women Gender based violence
to which women are the major victims is one of Gravest obstacle to any
country’s socioeconomic development. Women who are under violence can
not use their creative mind and potentials.
It is also a major public health problem and:
♦ It happens throughout the women's life cycle

♦ In Ethiopia too, it is practiced on a large scale.

♦ It is also undermining the human rights.

♦ Many, including pregnant women and adolescent girls, are

subjected to severe and repeated attacks.
♦ VAW has been estimated as a serious cause of morbidity, mortality
and incapacity among women.
♦ Victims of survivors reported that the ongoing psychological
violence (emotional torture, with mental stress or living under terror
is often unbearable than the physical brutality that can lead to
suicidal attempts.
♦ Women under torture can not lend their productive mind, potential
and not be effective in their life.
The Health consequences of Gender based Violence
Against women
→Physical Health
→ Physical Injury (Loss of vision, hearing, and disfiguring)
→Unwanted pregnancy
→ STIs and HIV/AIDs
→Abortion
→ APH (Ante partum haemorrhage)
→Chronic PID (pelvic inflammatory diseases)
→ Irritable bowl / syndrome
→ Self injurious behaviour (smoking, unprotected sex…etc)
→Mental Health
→ Depression
→Fear
→Low self esteem
→Sexual dysfunction
→Poor appetite
→PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)
→Fatal outcomes
→Suicide
→Homicide
→ Death
Harmful Traditional Practices
In the Ethiopian traditional societies there are a number of harmful
practices among others; Female genital mutilation, early marriage
and abduction will be discussed here

Devastating effect on child, family and the community.

Types of Marriage Arrangements:
1. Promissory marriage.
1.1 Child marriage: Usually the girl is under the age of 10
Years. It may be of two types:
• 'Madego' - the girl is given to in-laws after wedding
ceremony to serve until maturity. This is worse
because of sexual and physical abuse.
• 'Meleles'- The girl does frequent visits to in-laws to
serve till maturity.
2. Early Adolescent marriage: age of the girl is 10-15 years of
age. After the ceremony the bride is taken to the groom's
house. If she is not virgin, she will be returned to her parents the
same night and the marriage is dissolved.
N.B. Legally early (child) marriage is banned by national and
International laws but it is violated. However, in Ethiopia especially in
the Northern part marriage could take place as early as 7 years.
Causes of Early marriage are:
• Security for the future- while parents are young
• Competition to find in-laws who has family status
• Conformity-conform to tradition/stigmatized "Kuma Kerech"
• Ensure virginity
• Fertility-many children, grandchildren means security
• Material benefit- access to livestock, land, dowry
• Others- marry before menses, fame of ceremony and service
of son-in-law and fear of abduction.
Health related Problems in early marriage are
• Sexual abuse- vaginal & perineal tear
• Early pregnancy- child bearing & unwanted pregnancy
• Maternal morbidity (fistula) & mortality
(Haemorrhage, obstructed labor etc.)
Social Impact of early marriage:
• Denied education and own choices
• Illiterate mother more often raise illiterate child
• Increased rural to Urban migration
• Fistula patients, avoided by the husband and society
• Psychological trauma from the 1st sexual experience
• Many children (early pregnancy).
• Scarcity of resources

Abduction: Definition: It is defined as unlawful kidnapping or carrying away

a Girl for marriage. In almost all case rape follows it. Parents tend to Keep their
daughters from school for fear of abduction. Abduction Is a civil offence in
Ethiopian law.
Reasons given for abduction may be:
• Fear of rejection by the bride’s family
• Dowry is too high
• Presence of rival-another man may marry the girl
• Avoid wedding ceremony- for high cost
• Status Difference (e.g. man from upper family wouldn’t stand Before low
class parents)
• Voluntary abduction, the girl agrees to go with the man
• False sense of power Process of Abduction
• Prepare Collaborators to carry away the girl
• Find her alone (Usually walking to or from School, market,
Fetching water…etc)
• Make it as quiet as possible
• Then abductor sends for reconciliation to her family
• Compensation given to her family and marriage.
If not, i.e. if her family rejects the abductor:

• Family report to police and conflict between families arise, or

• Abductor may force her to sign her consent for abduction

Consequence of abduction:
•Psychological trauma
• Low self esteem
• Feel rejected
• Feel humiliated
•Reproductive Health Risk
• Risk of STD and HIV /AIDs
• Unwanted pregnancy and abortion
• Vaginal and perineal tear from sexual
intercourse (if the girl is young)
• Obstructed labor.
Socio- economic
• An abducted mother does not send her daughter to school
for fear of abduction
• Weak family formed without love and affection, which
leads to the formation of weak community.

Preventive measures of HTP:

• Educational sensitization campaign through
different media
• Legislative measures for the HTP practitioners
• Alternative income generation schemes for HTP
practitioners
• Promote girls Education
• Establish RH/anti HTP clubs in the schools
• Incorporate the issue in to the school curricula
• Train community workers and agents to eliminate
HTP
• Create advocacy group against HTP
• Involve community organizations, Edir, opinion
leaders, religious leaders...etc.
Features of gender based discrimination in rural society
In rural community society females are highly disadvantaged and
dominated.
The following are some of the features.

♦ In some cultures of our community, during monthly period

(menstrual period) women have to stay out side their home for
minimum of 7-10 days

♦ Nutritious food such as egg, meat, and milk…are given to husbands

and boys, but mothers and girls are allowed to eat only left over
food.

♦ Boys are allowed to go to school while girls are initiated to learn

how to cook, how to give care for children and how to be a good
wife.

♦ Sleeping hours for a female is lesser than a male, it is culturally

forbidden to go to bed before the rest of the family members. Early

Sex differences in education
are a type of sex discrimination in the education system affecting both
men and women during and after their educational experiences.[1] Men
are more likely to be literate on a global average, although higher
literacy scores for women are prevalent in many countries.[2] Women are
more likely to achieve a tertiary education degree compared to men of
the same age. Men tended to receive more education than women in the
past, but the gender gap in education has reversed in recent decades in
most Western countries and many non-Western countries.[3]

A world map showing countries by gender difference in literacy rate. Blue refers to countries where
women's literacy rate is higher; red refers to countries where men's literacy rate is higher.

Since the 20th century, girls have been increasingly likely to attend school and college.

Women's
Movements Over
the Last 100 Years
Passage of the 19th Amendment
On August 18, 1920, Congress ratified the 19th Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution, declaring “the right to citizens of the United States
to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any
State on account of sex.” It was nicknamed the “Susan B. Anthony
Amendment” in honor of her work on behalf of women’s suffrage. In
theory, it granted the right to women of all races, but in practice it
remained difficult for black women to vote, especially in the South
until 1965.

Women Take Over

During World War II, women had to take over many of men’s roles in
order to maintain the economy. This time period was immortalized by
Rosie the Riveter and the iconic poster with the catchphrase, “We can
do it!” showing off her arm muscles. After World War II, women’s
lives changed drastically. Although there was tremendous growth in
the service sector, and women proved that they could do the same jobs
as men with the same efficiency, women’s roles in society were
restricted by cultural attitudes and legal precedents.

Mystique Movement
February 19, 1963, Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique came out
and sold over 3 million copies within 3 years. This phenomenon came
to be associated with the second wave of feminism. Unlike the first
wave which solely sought out legal rights for women, the second
wave sought not only equal rights, but also equal opportunities and
greater personal freedom for women. It’s goal was to change the way
society thought about women. The Feminine Mystique railed against
systemic sexism or “the problem that has no name.” It brought to
light that women are taught that their place was in the home and if
they were unhappy in this role, society deemed her broken and
perverse.
Friedman argued that the fault didn’t lie with women, but with a
narrow-minded society that refused to let women tap into their
creativity and intellect. It was not revolutionary in it’s thinking, but it
was revolutionary in it’s reach. 3 million readers now had justification
to be angry and were ready to rally for a unifying goal: social
equality.

This rally cry brought about systemic change both socially and
politically for women over the next 15 years. These include: passage
of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act which bars discrimination in
employment on the basis of race and sex, the founding of the National
Organization for Women (NOW) by a group of feminists including
Betty Friedan, and signing Title IX into law which gave women the
equal opportunity to education.
1963

Equal Pay Act

On June 10, 1963, John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into
law. It was a landmark piece drafted by Ester Peterson, head of the
Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor. It prohibited employers
from paying employees differently, on the basis of gender, for work
that required “equal skill, effort, and responsibility.” This was the very
first anti-discrimination law to address gender-based pay disparities.
President Kennedy acknowledged the bill would not solve all the
economic equality issues surrounding pay, but was an important first
step to affirm “our determination that when women enter the labor
force they will find equality in their pay envelopes.” Unfortunately as
the pay gap shows, over fifty years later and we still haven’t gotten
there.

A Woman’s Right to Choose

On January 22, 1973, the monumental Supreme Court 7-2 Roe v.
Wade decision, declared that the Constitution protects a woman’s
right to an abortion. The right of a woman to terminate a pregnancy
has always been controversial, primarily because of religious
concerns regarding the potential personhood of embryos and fetuses.
Prior to Roe v. Wade, abortion was illegal in America and many
women were forced to choose between untenable pregnancies and
potentially dying from dangerous procedures. The practice was so
unsafe that approximately 17 percent of all deaths due to pregnancy
were because of botched, illegal abortions. Now, it is estimated that
less than 3 percent of women experience any serious complications
due to abortion. In a later case surrounding abortion in 1992, the
Supreme Court noted, “the ability for women to participate equally in
the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their
ability to control their reproductive lives.” Access to safe, legal
abortions made it possible for many women to pursue employment,
educational and personal opportunities that were often impossible and
unreachable prior to Roe v. Wade.
The Third wave of feminism embraced all kinds of ideas, languages
and aesthetics that the 2nd wave rejected. There was no central goal
like the first two waves, and there were disputes as to when the third
wave began, whether it was 1991 or later. Overall, it can be defined as
queer, sex-positive, trans-inclusive, body-positive, and most of all:
digitally driven.

March for Women’s Lives

On April 25, 2004, 1.4 million participants took to the streets of
Washington D.C. The demonstration was led by seven groups:
National Organization for Women (NOW), American Civil Liberties
Union, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Feminist Majority,
NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Latina Institute for
Reproductive Health, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
The march was intended to address topics such as abortion rights,
reproductive healthcare, women’s rights, and others.

In 1992, NOW had organized the first March for Women’s Lives, with
a turnout of 750,000 participants. The second March for Women’s
Lives was organized with a broader coalition that included groups that
focused on LGBT rights, immigrant women, indigenous women, and
women of color. With a more inclusive movement, the turnout
surpassed expectations and showed the power of a new, more
comprehensive women’s movement.

Women’s March
On January 21, 2017, in response to numerous factors: continued
attempts by lawmakers to restrict access to abortions, persistent
employment disparities, and contentious comments made by President
Trump in a leaked video, among others, more than 200,000 people
rallied in Washington D.C. to protest and advocate for women’s
rights. Despite some ideological conflicts between event organizers
over inclusion and diversity, the nationwide protest was a huge
success with over 3 million participants across the nation, marking it
one of the largest and most peaceful protests in U.S. History.
That same year, the #MeToo Movement began as a response to sexual
assault allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
Although the term was first coined in 2006 by Tarana Burke, it gained
popularity when actress Alyssa Milano used the social media hashtag
in 2017. The focus of #MeToo is to bring attention to sexual assault
and harassment in the workplace and elsewhere.

The third wave of feminism has brought on a number of movements

much like the second wave. Other recent movements conceived and
propagated online include: #YesAllWomen, Mattress Performance,
#StandWithWendy, Slutwalks, and Time’s Up.

Addressing gender inequality at home &

public
At home
The issue is that the cultural and belief structure in India plays an
important role in gender disparity. You begin to consider the equal of
men and women, and many of India’s centuries-long cultural pride
must be reflected and reconfigured. Any suggestions of change or
addressing discrimination are seen as a strike at the heart of their
political, societal or ethnic culture for many Indian families practicing
sex discrimination.

In a more thorough analysis, gender inequality is largely linked to two

questions:
The transfer of surname, lineage and
Social security.
While the first question (where the son is called, but your daughter
doesn’t) is of interest to many Indians, there is a second question, of
more practical significance. Despite their old age, most Indians don’t
prepare well. A son is regarded as economic protection as an aged,
despite the social expectation of a child getting married and moving
to another home. The daughter-in-law is connected to the health of
food. In a country with a growing population and limited land, life
with the son and his family thus ensures sharing of resources. As you
get older, it ensures cultural, physical, nutritional and emotional
security.

Public

Employment

The lack of access for women to basic social

opportunities is an enormous challenge for women to
absorb a highly fragmented structured market which is
forcing most women to take up work in the informal
and unorganized sector. Moreover, the rate of
unemployment among young women (12-24 years of
age) has also increased substantially over the last ten
years.

The steady fall in the total participation rate of women

in the workforce reflects a macro-employment policy
failure. It should be noted here that most women in the
self-employed or unpaid categories of household jobs
are insufficiently calculated by labour productivity
metrics. This raises key questions regarding a gender-
based understanding of what we call “work,” which only
includes monetized aspects of work as employment in
traditional economic measures.

Healthcare

In observing patterns on health indicators such as

mortality rates, pregnancy levels for teenagers, female
lifespan and so on, India is still deteriorating in the
overall situation of women. Low-funded healthcare
systems and a limited system of social insurance make
it extremely difficult for higher spending, particularly
women, to be financed out of the pocket.

Access to basic financial services

Another important finding from the World Bank is the

low female-male ratio in accessing basic financial
services on gender access to Indian finances and
mobile accounts.

Representation of women in public sector

India is also lagging behind in terms of the percentage

of women listed on Board by SEBI, with at least one
woman on Board. Many Indian companies have not yet
appointed a single woman board director. Even some of
the top companies have women managers who only
fulfil their mandate. The role of female directors and
the effects of their membership of the board in
formulating the Corporate Strategies is unclear, with
only a few exceptions. Following SEBI ‘s 2013 mandate
in relation to women’s board leadership, there was an
Increasing representation of women on board. In Public
Sector Board women are just 8% compared to 92% of
Public Sector Board members.

Unequal pay

Women receive 49 cents relative to every $1 men

benefit, according to the Women’s Policy Research
Institute. Unlike other studies, the new data illustrates
the demand for and raising of children or other family
responsibilities by part-time workers and women who
have taken time off from work. For a minimum of one
year, more than half of women quit jobs, twice the rate
of men. Experts say new measures are required to help
mitigate this imbalance, including more paid maternity
leave, child care assistance, and other pro-family
measures.

Women are promoted less often than men

Although more educated than men and almost half of

the working population, women are promoted much
less often at work than men. It is recognised because
women constitute less than 5% of CEOs and less than
10% of women in the 500 S&P. Women of colour, as
both the S&P 500 and the Fortune 500 boards are
almost invisible, are even worse off.

The lack of female role models in the workforce is an

explanation of why more women don’t aspire to higher
executive positions. Catalyst.org says women can not
believe like it is literally unattainable to move to a
leadership position without a clear role model.
 How Can We Stop Gender
Discrimination?
Gender discrimination is the unequal treatment of people based
on their gender. That includes granting privileges to a certain
gender or marginalizing someone because of their gender
identity. Unequal pay, sexual harassment, and restricted or
eliminated access to rights like education and healthcare are
forms of gender discrimination. On an individual level, stopping
gender discrimination requires internal reflection and
willingness to change. As the data makes clear, however,
gender discrimination is a systemic issue. The World Economic
Forum estimates it will take 135.6 years to reach gender
equality. Here are some of the key ways to end discrimination:
Ensure equal access to education
There’s been significant progress in education equality, but
gaps remain. According to the Global Gender Gap Report in
2020, 88% of females had primary education compared to 91%
of males. The 2021 report stated that with current progress, it
will take just over 14 years to close the gap entirely. This is
good news, but as the report also says, there are quality
variations based on factors like income and ethnicity.

Empower women in the workplace

In most workplaces, there are more men than women in
high-level positions. The gender pay gap also persists in
many places and intersects with race and ethnicity.
Gender discrimination can be tackled by offering paid
leave and childcare, supporting more women in senior
roles, and reviewing salaries. It should also be
remembered that the Covid-19 pandemic had a big effect
on workplace gender equality. More women than men left
their jobs, often because women tend to do more
childcare. Oxfam International estimated that women lost
 more than 64 million (5% of the total jobs worked by
women) while 3.9% of men’s jobs were lost.
Helpful Resources: Facing Racism and Emotional Tax in
the Workplace (Course), Anti-Racism in the Workplace
(Course), Workplace Equity (Course

Student Learning Outcomes:

Show how critical analysis of gender and sexuality contributes to an

understanding of the historical and contemporary formations of
patriarchy, heteronormativity, and gender normativity;
Achieve a knowledge base about women’s and LGBTQ+ people’s role
in history — their contributions, oppression, and resistance;
Describe the manner in which race, class, gender, and sexuality
intersect;
Become aware of women’s and LGBTQ+ people’s experience in
cultural contexts, both nationally and globally, including
understanding the roles of gender and sexuality in social justice
movements around the world;
Define and describe a range of theories that underlie feminist and
queer analysis, understanding their similarities and differences;
 Bibliography
 Gender issue (jimma University notes )
 Wikipedia