WHAT CONSTITUTE

SEX?
The sexual self
The menstrual cycle

Hormones secreted by the ovaries and a small gland in the brain called the pituitary gland control the
menstrual cycle. The average menstrual cycle is around 28 days.

After a period, rising levels of the hormone oestrogen help to thicken the lining of the womb (the
endometrium). At mid-cycle, an egg is released from one of the ovaries (ovulation). If the egg is fertilised
on its journey down the fallopian tube, it lodges in the womb lining.

If the egg is unfertilised, falling levels of the hormone progesterone make the womb lining come away.
This is called a period, or menstruation. The cycle then repeats.

When you want to have a baby you can improve your chance of getting pregnant if you know about
ovulation and the ‘fertile window’ in the menstrual cycle. Read more on ovulation and the fertility
window.
Reproductive Responsibilities
Women are the child bearers and are mostly responsible for nurturing and caring of the children. The
reproductive role also extends to care of other family members such as the husband and the elderly members.
This role is often seen as either “normal work” or not a “real work” and thus has a negative impact while
talking about work and leisure time for women.

For example, when men get back from work, they can rest as their work outside the home is justified as “real
work”. Women, on the other hand, are involved in carrying out all the domestic chores throughout the day but
their work is not recognized as “real work”. Thus, they not only end up working longer but are often the last
to get into bed after all the housework is done[2]. Because of the high importance of the reproductive role,
women are likely to choose flexible works that allow them to look after their family esp. children and elderly
members. The reproductive role also restricts their mobility and they are likely to look for work near their
homes.
◦ Gender Needs of Women
◦ As mentioned above, men and women have different roles and responsibilities in society and thus have
different interests or needs called gender needs. Gender needs of women depend on their position in
society and are influenced by the socioeconomic, cultural and religious factors. They are broadly
categorized into two needs: Practical Gender Needs and Strategic Gender Needs[4].
◦ As you know, men and women have different reproductive organs and also differ in other aspects of anatomy and characteristics such as facial hair. These differences define a person’s sex, but
they do not define their gender.

◦ You may think that the terms gender and sex are the same and can be used interchangeably, but this is not the case. Sex is a biological category based on physical differences and different
reproductive functions. Gender is not defined by biology but is based on the roles in society, both in public and private life, that are associated with being male or female. It refers to the social
and cultural attributes and behaviours that we tend to assume are typical of men or women. The Training Manual on Gender Planning in WASH (MoWIE, 2017) lists some examples of gender-
related assumptions including:

◦ Girls are gentle/boys are tough

◦ Men have the power/women do not
◦ Men are logical/women are emotional
◦ Women are shy/men are not
◦ Men should work outside the family/women should work within the family
◦ Men are leaders/women are not.
◦ These attributes are not predetermined but arise from traditional expectations of individuals and society, which assign these roles and relationships to men and women. From early childhood,
girls and boys learn that these are their expected roles and there is often considerable social pressure to conform to these norms. However, it is important to note they are not fixed and can be
changed.

◦ These gender-related assumptions about men and women give rise to the traditional roles they are expected to play in society. Typically, men are expected to earn money for the family but not to
undertake domestic tasks such as cooking, cleaning and washing clothes, or to help with childcare. If they have community roles, these tend to involve management and leadership.

◦ Women’s roles are more complex. They have the main responsibility for looking after the children and home, and possibly the care of older, sick or disabled relatives. In addition, they undertake
paid work or other activities to provide an income, and they frequently participate in community organisations and activities. This combination of responsibility is described as women having a
triple role (Moser 1995, cited in Coates 1999). The three roles are:

◦ reproductive role – childbearing and caring for children, unpaid domestic tasks to sustain the home (cooking, fetching water, cleaning, washing clothes, etc.)
◦ productive role – work done to produce goods and services for consumption or trade
◦ community role – tasks and responsibilities carried out for the benefit of the community, usually voluntary and unpaid.