Getting to know each other

Name
Sex
Daughter / Son of
One responsibility at home

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 Objectives
Understand the concept of gender
and related issues.

Understand gender mainstreaming in

the context of Local Governance

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 Why Gender Training?

 Because it concerns both men and

women

 It involves transformation of attitudes

and practices in all societies.

 Because when we work with

communities, it’s essential to be
sensitive to both men’s and women’s
needs and issues

 It touches all of us.

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 Difference between Sex & Gender

Sex refers to biologically

determined differences between
men and women that are universal.

They are established in nature.

They largely remain unchanged.

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 GENDER

 Gender refers to the social roles and

relations between women and men.

 Unlike the sex of men or women that is

biologically determined, gender roles of
women and men are socially constructed.

 Such roles can change over time and vary

according to geographic location and
social context.

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Gender roles are learned
behaviors in a given
society/community or other
social groups, that condition
which activities, tasks and
responsibilities are perceived as
male and female

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Gender
Gender is not “Sex”

Gender is not “Women”

Gender is a focus on
the unequal relations
between men and
women

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Statements about men and women
Role and Activity – Exercise
 Division of work
Same work - different value
Women Men
Stitching - at home outside + Money = Tailor
Cooking - at home outside + Money = Cook
Cleaning - at home outside + Money = Cleaner
Healthcare - at home outside + Money = Doctor
Story – 24 hours a day
Triple role of women

Productive
Reproductive
Community

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Practical gender needs &
Strategic gender needs
Practical Gender Needs: Facilitate in
managing effectively the current roles
more easily without changing the
position in society

Strategic needs are related to

changing the status quo

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 Gender Differences
Aspect Women Men
Roles and Work at home Go out to work for
Look after children money
responsibilities
Look after the sick Cannot be expected to
cook or clean

Access and control Does not own or inherit Property is in his name
property Inherits property
over resources
Choice of having More educational
sex/child –partner opportunities
Time decided by others Entitled to leisure

Behavioral Weak Strong

stereotypes Emotional Rational
Dependant Independent
Shy Tough
How gender works as a system
Beliefs in society about women and men

Gender norms

Gender roles for men and women

Sexual division of labor

Different activities and tasks for men and women

Differential Access to and control over resources

Differential decision making and power

Socialization

Socialization is a life long process

through which individuals acquire a
personal identity and social skills.
This is a process through which a
new born child is gradually
transformed into a knowledgeable
adult

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Agents of Socialization

Family, Peer, School, Community,

Media
Institutions- Religious, Political,
Legal,
Economic, Political and Social
Factors.

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Patriarchal values and gender relations : Some
Answers
Patriarchy explains:
How our societies function?
How it controls women
It is a control by men.
Patriarchy has its roots in religion
In family traditions
It involves the idea that within a family
there is a clear unwritten and unsaid
hierarchy of need
It leads to certain mindsets and
behaviour and this results in
inequality.

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Gender works against women and
men

Even though men usually end up having more

power and decision making ability through this
system they are also under pressure to follow
the pattern.
An individual man , though having more
power than a similarly placed woman has to
conform to behaviour, task, roles expectations
Situation of Women in the world
 Women form almost half of the population of our country
 Women work 2/3 of the world’s working hours, and produce ½ of the
world’s food, yet earn only 10 per cent of the world’s income, and own
less than 1 per cent of the world’s property. (UN)
 Two-thirds of children denied primary education is girls, and 75 per
cent of the world’s 876 million illiterate adults are women. Every extra
year a girl spends at school could reduce child mortality by ten per
cent. (UN, World’s Women)
 More than half a million women die in pregnancy and childbirth every
year: of these deaths,
 Women hold only 14 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide, and
only eight per cent of the world’s cabinet ministers are women.
 Domestic violence is the biggest cause of injury and death to women
worldwide. Gender-based violence causes more deaths and disability
among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents,
and war. (World Bank Discussion Paper)
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Mainstreaming is
 The word “Mainstream” as a noun means: ‘principal
current of a river; prevailing trends in opinions,
fashion etc’.As a verb, it indicates becoming part of
the ‘mainstream’.

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Gender Mainstreaming is
It is a strategy to ensure gender equality
It is an approach to governance that makes men’s
and women’s concerns and experiences an integral
part of the design, implementation, monitoring
and evaluation of policies in all sectors of society.

It is a strategy to promote strategic gender need

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 Equality and Equity

Equity is an
Equality is an ideal operational principle
value Equity requires
When the principle of making special
equality is applied to provisions for the
unequals, inequality powerless
usually increases Practicing gender
Gender equality is a equity is essential to
goal achieve gender
equality
 Gender equality
Absence of discrimination on the basis of a person's sex in
opportunities and the allocation of resources or benefits or in
access to services.

Gender equity
Fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits and
responsibilities between women and men. The concept
recognises that women and men have different needs and power
and that these differences should be identified and addressed in a
manner that rectifies the imbalance between the sexes.
Gender Mainstreaming is
Cont…….
It is a strategy not only for attaining gender
equality but for the sustainable
development of societies as a
whole.

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Mainstreaming requires
Awareness of Participants
Sensitization of Participants
Enhancement of Decision making
power of participants
Access to and Control of the participants
on the developmental activities
Supportive environment

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 Understanding Development
Development is committed to the
equality of all people.
Two Pillars of Development
Participation – Full involvement of people
which affects their lives, regardless of
gender, race , age , class or social disability.
Empowerment – Achieved by people
themselves, through their own effort.
 Power to, power with and power within women
is key to development than power over
Approaches to Women’s Devt
Welfare
Anti – Poverty
Efficiency
Equity
Empowerment
Possible Areas of Involvement
 Community Discussion
Decision Making  Agriculture
Finance in the  Water and Sanitation
Home  School / education
Education of  Neighbourhood /
Children Construction
Family Planning  Nationality
Contribution to  Political Representation
Health of Children  Political Involvement
Feeding of family  Employment outside the
Production of food Home
 Industry
for family
Consumption  Business
Production of food  Medical / nursing
for cash payment  Law
 service industries
Factors obstructing women’s involvement.
Lack of formal education
Limited involvement in community action/ discussions
Poverty
Malnourishment
Heavy domestic workload
Mobility requires permission form males in the household
Religious practices / beliefs
Inequality in national laws
Previous negative experience of development
Difficulty in recruiting female workers
Child rearing responsibilities
Government austerity programmes resulting in less time
and financ
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