CHAP # 1

NIMRA KHAN
PREREQUISITES OF A GOOD ANSWER IN
GENDER STUDIES
◦ Using glossary of the subject in your answer
◦ Quotes of the feminists
◦ Graphs, charts, and graphical presentation of the data in answers
◦ Facts and latest statistics in your answers
◦ Headings and sub-headings to facilitate the examiner
◦ Examples and case studies
◦ Critical analysis in the end of the answer to strengthen your argument
INTRODUCTION

• This unit introduces students to foundational

concepts in the study of gender and critically
engages with questions of identity, sexuality,
family, the body, cultural practices and gender
norms in light of contemporary gender
theories.
 INTRODUCTION
• Basic concepts
• Sex vs Gender
• 1.Patriarchy--A system of society or government in
which men hold the power and women are largely
excluded from it
• 2.Matriarchy--A system of society or government in
which women hold the power and men are largely
excluded from it
• 3.Gender Mainstreaming--Gender mainstreaming
means integrating a gender equality perspective at
all stages and levels of policies, programmes and
projects. ... It is therefore a tool for achieving gender
equality.
• 4.Gender Discrimination--Gender discrimination is
unequal or disadvantageous treatment of an individual
or group of individuals based on gender
• 5.Gender Roles -- A range of behaviors and
attitudes that are generally considered
acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for people
based on their biological or perceived sex
• 6.Gender Identity -- It is how you feel inside and
how you express your gender through clothing,
behavior, and personal appearance. It’s a
feeling that begins very early in life
• 7.Gender Socialization -- Gender Socialization is
the tendency for boys and girls to be socialized
differently. Boys are raised to conform to the
male gender role, and girls are raised to
conform to the female gender or role.
• 8.Objectification -- involves viewing and/or
treating a person as an object, devoid of thought
or feeling.
• 9.Feminism – movement for the advocacy of
women's rights on the ground of the equality of
the sexes.
SOME USEFUL JARGONS
ANDROGYNY a combination of masculine and feminine traits
MISOGYNY dislike or hatred towards women
PATRIARCHY rule of men
MATRIARCHY rule of women
HETROSEXUAL with other gender
HOMOSEXUAL with in the same gender
TRANGENDERS gender identity is different from birth sex.
GENDER VS SEX

GENDER SEX

CULTURAL (different in diff societies) BIOLOGICAL

SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED NATURAL

MAY CHANGE UNIVERSAL

WRO STEREOTYPE, TRADITIONAL ROLES WRO PHYSICAL BODY

GENDER VS SEX

• Robert Stoller in the 1960 has drawn a distinction between the two
• Gender refers to the attitudes, feelings and behavior that a given
culture associates with a persons biological sex.
• Gender refers to socially constructed behaviors.
• Sex refers to a persons biological status as a male or a female.
• Sex has numerous indicators such as chromosomes, gonads,
reproductive organs and genitalia.
 WOMEN STUDIES
WOMEN STUDIES IS THE STUDY OF WOMEN AND GENDER IN EVERY FIELD.

• Women studies was an offshoot of second wave of feminism.

• Women studies is older than gender studies
• Women studies will favor women for the most
• Limited scope as speaks of ‘women liberation only’ and women centric approach (Single
entity)
• Ignores the power structures of society as well the masculinities in the surroundings
• Women study concentrates:
1. Subjects include race, ethnicity, science and technology, health ,education and need of
networking within women organization
2. Pinpointed the language biasness for only women 1. Weak ,sensitive,emotional
WOMEN STUDIES VS GENDER STUDIES
WOMEN STUDIES GENDER STUDIES

Political in nature Apolitical in nature

Off shoot of 2nd wave of feminism Off shoot of 3rd wave, reaction to women studies

Emerged in 1960s Emerged in 1980s

Narrow scope Wider Scope

Conservative Liberal

not a multidisciplinary subject Multidisciplinary subject

It led to WID WAD approaches It led to GAD approach

NEED AND ORIGIN OF WOMEN
STUDIES
• Women's absence from position of power, policy and decision-making has
intensified the need for women to establish an academic platform.
• Initiated with second wave of women's movement in the late 1960's
• By 1969 formal education program were launched in US at San Diego
State University California, USA.
• In Pakistan, Institute of Womens's Studies Lahore (IWSL) established in
1986 and resulted in creation of Women's Division in Pakistan.
• This division funded Women Studies Centre's at five universities in
Pakistan.
GENDER STUDIES

• Gender studies is an interdisciplinary study

devoted to gender identity and
representation as central categories of
analysis. This field includes women's
studies, men's studies and queer studies.
 GENDER STUDIES
• A Multidisciplinary subject
• Offshoot of third wave of feminism
• Associated with Liberal feminism
• Provides solution to gender-related conflicts keeping in view ALL the identities.
• Gender studies has broader scope than that of women
1. Women studies
2. Men Studies
3. Queer Studies
4. Sexuality and sexual orientation
• Helps to overcome the sex and social differences against all genders
• Voices the gender based violence .
• Highlights the stereotypes of all genders .
• Liberal approach towards the acceptance of cultural norms and values .

• Takes Queer Theory along with it and sheds light on the neglected identity in women and men studies.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF GS
• Examines all scopes of life including family, media, culture, education,
personal rights, behaviors, non state actors and government
• Gender studies offers to learn about various contemporary issues of
the society
– 1. Sexual orientation
– 2. Gender roles in the society
– 3. The psychology of identity
– 4. Representation of gender in literature, pop culture, art, and music.
– 5. Human reproduction and social constrains
• Gender studies created by activists and their mission is to identify,
analyze, and correct social inequities both locally and globally.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF GS
• Wide range of disciplines (Anthropology, Sociology, Economics,
Pol. Science, Economics, Religion, Psychology, Literature, History,
Biology)
• Every aspect of life (fields).
• Gender/sex plays a role in almost all spheres of life.
• We read the world through gendered glasses, and media,
institutions, families, social networks and many other arenas
construct gendered distinctions and norms for "proper" gendered
behaviors and appearances.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF GENDER STUDIES
AUTONOMY AND INTEGRATION DEBATE: TO BE
OR NOT TO BE IS THE QUESTION!
AUTONOMY VS INTEGRATION DEBATE
IN GENDER STUDIES
• Autonomy is separatist approach of feminists for developing
women's education separate from other disciplines like Men's
studies and LGBT.

• Integration is a moderate strategy to transform academe in

every corner and every process rather than a single small
program focusing on woman.
AUTONOMY AND INTEGRATION DEBATE: TO BE OR NOT TO BE
IS THE QUESTION!
• Autonomy Debaters argue that: Radical Feminists
• Self-directive mode and Self-governing approach
• 1. Women studies is a separate and independent subject and therefore must not be integrated
with other subjects (Sandra Coyer, Gloria Bowles)
• 2. Women are responsible for the social awareness of women subjugation and moments and
must be separated
• from different academic disciplines (Renate Duelli Klein)
• 3. Women can present the feminist thoughts in their literature and art better the other thinkers of
different subjects (Peggy Mcintosh, Elizabeth Kammarck)
• 4. Integration would hamper the women liberation agenda. (Schuster, Van dyne)
• 5. Language and knowledge is gendered and relying on integration would end the aims and
objectives of women liberation agenda (Gloria Bowles)
• 6. There should independent struggle for women status, issues, and problems (Gloria Bowles)
• 7. Women studies is itself a independent subject and must be divided in other sub-branches
(Jean Fox)
AUTONOMY AND INTEGRATION DEBATE: TO BE OR NOT
TO BE IS THE QUESTION!
Integration Debaters argue that: (Liberal view)
◦ Women studies must be integrated with other disciplines as of the following reasons:
◦ Holistic understanding of the problems of all identities
◦ Society and women cannot be separated from each other and studies in isolation (just as same International
Relations from Political Science )
–
~ Howe
◦ Inthe favour of the concept Professor Kimberele presents the concepts of Intersectionality
• According to this concept male and female are factual realities and created to live together. The study of one
gender without the other gender is impossible.So there must be the element of intersectionlaity and
integration in their relation to deal all gender issues with mutual consultation.

-Renate Klein
INTEGRATION DEBATERS
WHY TO SUPPORT INTEGRATIONIST APPROACH?
1.Globalization has made it hard to separate the women studies from other disciplines
2. Interdependency: nothing is independent in the era of technology
3. Social structures: Family, society, institutions
4. Gender identities cannot be ignored at the expense of one gender identity- women
5. Liberal approach to neutralize the radical thought of women studies
6. Gender based violence happens with all identities
7. Politics, and governance cannot focus on the women in isolation without ignoring its relationship
with social forces and institutions.
‘’Feminism is all about winning equality rather than augmenting male-female differences’’
[Sharmin Obaid]
 Concluding Remarks:
According to Jean Fox O'Barr, Women studies ia both a discipline and an inter disciplinary
field.There is a need to bridge the gap between both the approaches.As man is a social animal who
cannot live alone ,so is the case of women studies.If it would be integrated then it would get more
exposure.Ways should be find out through consensus to help women practically rather than creating a
division within the supporters of the discipline.
STATUS OF WOMEN / GENDER STUDIES IN PAKISTAN
◦ Historical efforts to initiate Gender Studies in Pakistan
◦ Political
◦ In 1948 Begum Jahanra Shahnwaz protested for economic opportunities for women. Resultantly,
PM Khan intervened and passed ‘Muslim Personal Law of Sharia’ allowing Women to inherit property.
◦ Social
◦ In 1983, Women Action Forum was formed and voiced the first women academic discipline
◦ 1989, Women development division, government of Pakistan proposed the induction of women
studies in the country.
◦ Legal
Ministry of women development formed in 1989 and passed Centre of Excellence Act. Resultantly 5
Centre for Excellence for Women Studies formed in university of Lahore, Karachi (Canadian
International development Agency), Peshawar, Quetta, Islamabad.
◦ In 1991 Pakistan Association for Women Studies (PAWS) was formed.
◦Objectives; empowering women through education, social equalities, economic rights and social
justice
OBJECTIVES OF CEWS
◦ To Introduce and promote the subject of Women’s Studies in Pakistan
◦ To develop some introductory or foundation courses in Women’s studies
for university students
◦ To promote research on women in development
◦ To critically evaluate the factors responsible for women inequality.
◦ Identify, replicate, and translate curricula at the university and high school
levels to incorporate knowledge on women.
 STATUS OF WOMEN’S STUDIES IN
PAKISTAN
Allama Iqbal University introduced MSc. Women Studies as distant learning program
 Fatima Jinnah University made Women Studies as a compulsory course to be taught
in all departments.
 Institute of Women’s Studies Lahore (IWSL), established in 1986.
 KU University of Karachi offers a 4 years BSc. In Women’s studies
The Grammar school of Lahore incorporated women studies as course at intermediate
and secondary level in 1988.
STATUS OF GENDER STUDIES IN PAKISTAN
• Centre of excellence
for Gender Studies in
2004--->1989 Centre
of Excellence Act
STATUS OF GENDER STUDIES IN PAKISTAN
DISMAL STATE OF WOMEN OR GENDER STUDIES IN PAKISTAN
Lack of full-time director to oversee women / gender studies in the Centers of Excellence
for Women / Gender studies
Very few social sciences departments that have introduced a course in gender studies
Networking among the 5 centers of excellence for women studies is very weak
Lack of empirical knowledge and research on women / gender studies due to lack of
funds
Body of research produced from the NGOs is not up to the mark
Lack of public-private partnership in academic discipline
Bureaucratic hurdles in the way of Gender / women studies in Pakistan
Marginalized status of the ‘Ministry of the women’s development’
 Apathy of the NGO sector and CEW
Resistance from certain academics and patriarchal mindset of male directors ◦ A section
of society views Gender / women studies as western cliché
ROLE OF MEDIA

• Article in Dawn :
Gender Relation by
Amin valliani
• Women and children
issues by Rafia
Zakria
FUNDING

• MOWD
• HEC
• ILO
• UNICEF
• BRITISH COUNCIL
PROFESSIONAL
ACHIEVEMENTS OF WOMEN
STUDIEZS

• Pakistan women studies

association was formed.
• Idea conceived by Ms
Sabeeha Hafeez 1987
• Idea implemented by Ms
Tahira Aftab in year 1991
ADD ONS

• We are victims of evil customs ,

it is a crime against humanity
that our women are shut up
with in four walls of the houses
as prisoners. There is no
sanction anywhere for the
deplorable condition in which
our women have to live. M.Ali
Jinnah
ADD ONS

• To call women the weaker

sex is a libel, it is man's
injustice to woman.If by
strength is meant brute
strength then indeed, woman
is less brute than man. If by
strength is meant moral
power, then woman is
immearably man's superior.
Mahatma Gandhi
ADD ONS

•Man with the head and woman with the

heart, man to command and women to
obey, all else confusion.
(Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1842)
ASSIGNMENT
Q=Discuss in detail the autonomy and integration debtae in Gender
Studies has an important contribution to the development of the field
of the knowledge ?
[20 Marks]
THANKYOU