MODULE 2: GENDER CONCEPTS

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of this lesson the students will be able to:
1.Know the different gender concepts discussed;
2.Properly discuss the understanding of these concepts
and;
3.Apply the knowledge in real life situation when
addressing gender related issues
BASIC CONCEPTS IN GENDER
 Introduction
It has been recognized that gender is one of the
major forms of social differences. There were
many approaches, policies and practices all over
the world to improve gender issues.
Activity 1
Observe young boys and girls within your
neighborhood. Take note of some of their
distinct activities and acts that are distinctive of
the role as a girl or a boy.
GENDER ROLES:
How “masculine” or “feminine” an individual
acts. Societies commonly have norms regarding
how males and females should behave,
expecting people to have personality
characteristics and/or act a certain way based
on their biological sex.
According to Blackstone (2003), Gender roles are based
on the different expectations that individuals, groups,
and societies have of individuals based on their sex and
based on each society's values and beliefs about
gender. Gender roles are the product of the interactions
between individuals and their environments, and they
give individuals cues about what sort of behavior is
believed to be appropriate for what sex. Appropriate
gender roles are defined according to a society's beliefs
about differences between the sexes.
 Gender roles are learned behavior in a given society,
community or other social group. Their condition,
activities, tasks and responsibilities are perceived as male
and female. Gender roles are affected by age, class, race,
ethnicity, and religion, and by the geographical, economic
and political environment (Pavlic & Sam-Vargas, 2000).
Gender roles and power relations directly influence
who has access to and control over which resources and
opportunities, and who makes decisions.
CULTURE
The distinctive patterns of ideas, beliefs,
and norms which characterize the way of
life and relations of a society or group
within a society.
Culturally determined gender ideologies define rights and
responsibilities and what is ‘appropriate’ behaviour for
women and men. They also influence access to and control
over resources, and participation in decision-making. These
gender ideologies often reinforce male power and the idea of
women’s inferiority. Culture is sometimes interpreted
narrowly as ‘custom’ or ‘tradition’, and assumed to be natural
and unchangeable. Despite these assumptions, culture is
fluid and enduring.
 Dominant cultures reinforce the position of those
with economic, political and social power, and therefore
tend to reinforce male power. Globalization also has
implications for the diffusion of culture, particularly of
western culture.
The defense of ‘culture’ and ‘tradition’ is often used
by men to justify practices that constrain women’s life
chances and outcomes.
Activity 2.
List down at least 5 culturally determined gender ideologies
in the Philippines.
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GENDER ANALYSIS
• The systematic gathering and examination of
information on gender differences and social relations
in order to identify, understand and redress inequities
based on gender. Gender analysis is a valuable
descriptive and diagnostic tool for development
planners and crucial to gender mainstreaming efforts.
The methodology and components of gender analysis
are shaped by how gender issues are understood.
• The ere different approaches to Gender Analysis but the most
commonly used among organizations and institutions is the
Gender Roles or Harvard Framework. The Gender Roles
framework focuses on describing women’s and men’s roles and
their relative access to and control over resources. The analysis
aims to anticipate the impacts of projects on both productive
and reproductive roles.
• Other Gender Analysis Tools commonly used are the Social
relations Approach, the Moser/DPU Framework, the Longwe
Method/Women’s Empowerment, Framework; and Levy’s Web
of Institutionalisation.
GENDER DISCRIMINATION
Facts and Figures by J. Seager, 1997
• women work 67% of the world’s working figures
• 2 out of 3 of the world’s illiterate people are women
• women’s earnings range from 50-85% of men’s earnings
• globally women make up just over 10% of representatives
in national government
• The systematic, unfavourable treatment of individuals on the basis
of their gender, which denies them rights, opportunities or
resources. Across the world, women are treated unequally and less
value is placed on their lives because of their gender. Women’s
differential access to power and control of resources is central to
this discrimination in all institutional spheres, i.e. the household,
community, market and state.
• Within the household, women and girls can face discrimination in
the sharing out of household resources including food, sometimes
leading to higher malnutrition and mortality indicators for women.
The usual cause of gender discrimination is culture.
People who do not conform with the society’s
traditional gender expectations are affected the most
especially those come from middle to low income
groups. Moreover, those that are discriminated
because of their gender have higher possibilities of
experiencing gender violence.
 Types of Gender Discrimination (Tolibas, F., Gallinero, W.,
Dumanlag, S., Ramos, A., Oregines, Q., & Salinas, E., 2020):

1.Discrimination in Education – the unequal

treatment in admission, financial adi, grading,
classroom assignment, counseling, guidance,
and/or academic programs and opportunities.
 Types of Gender Discrimination (Tolibas, F., Gallinero, W.,
Dumanlag, S., Ramos, A., Oregines, Q., & Salinas, E., 2020):
2.Discrimination in employment – there are four major ways in which people
are discriminated in the work place:
a.Hiring – biases regarding the work ethic of a gender.
b.Pay and benefits – men generally receive higher pay and given more
opportunities to grow career-wise.
c.Promotions – at work, there is a phenomenon called glass ceiling, a
metaphor used to describe an invisible but constantly present barrier that
prevents women and members of the minority sector from rising beyond
their level in a corporate hierarchy.
d.Firing – being terminated from a job due to prejudices against one’s gender.
 Types of Gender Discrimination (Tolibas, F., Gallinero, W.,
Dumanlag, S., Ramos, A., Oregines, Q., & Salinas, E., 2020):

3.Maternity and pregnancy discrimination – a

pregnant female can’t get a job because she is
pregnant while other got demoted or fired from work
because of pregnancy and other related matters in
connection with her pregnancy.
 GENDER DIVISION OF LABOUR
It is the socially determined ideas and practices which
define what roles and activities are deemed appropriate for
women and men. The gender division of labour tends to be
seen as natural and immutable. In the study of Perey in
2015 and Ipulan and Alameda in 2017, it was very notable
that majority of the household chores are done by woman.
Even at the work place, gender division of labor was found
to be eminent as stated by Casenas in 2016 and Sarep in
2017.
Roles typically designated to women are less
valued compared to those assigned to men
(Sarep, 2017). Men tends to be associated with
productive roles, particularly paid work while
women were mostly engaged in reproductive and
community roles.
 Household Tasks Father Mother Son Daughter Others
Activity 3. Do a survey (online or via
phone) with 10 households using the Changing bed sheet
Changing LPG tank
Cleaning bathroom
questionnaire below. Make a short Doing laundry

interpretation of the result. Dusting

Feeding pets
Fixing broken tables and chairs
Household tasks participation survey. Ironing

Ask your participants as to whoever Mending torn garments

Preparing the meals

among the family members does or in- Repairing leaking faucet

Taking out the trash
charge of the following activities at Tending the garden

home. Weeding the garden

Washing dishes
Cleaning of animal sheds
Preparing beverages
Purchasing household equipment
Child care
Buying Food item/s
Schooling of children
Purchasing of clothes
Preparation feast for holiday
Saving money
 GENDER EQUALITY AND EQUITY
• These two terms are often used interchangeably. Gender equality
denotes women having the same opportunities as men while
gender equity is more on reflecting the divergent understanding
of differences and the appropriate strategies to address the gap.
• Gender equality focuses on what is sometimes called format
equality and does not does necessarily demand or ensure equality
of outcomes. It assumes that once the barriers to participation are
removed, there is a level playing field. It also does not recognize
that women’s reality and experiences may differ from men.
On the other hand, Gender equity denotes the equivalence in life
outcomes for women and men, recognizing their different needs
and interests, and requiring a redistribution of power and
resources. The goal of gender equity, sometimes called
substantive equality, moves beyond equality of opportunity by
requiring transformative change. It recognizes that women and
men have different needs, preferences, and interests and that
equality of outcomes may necessitate different treatment of men
and women.
GENDER MAINSTREAMING
 GENDER RELATIONS
Hierarchical relations of power between women and men that tend to
disadvantage women. These gender hierarchies are often accepted as
‘natural’ but are socially determined relations, culturally based, and are
subject to change over time. They can be seen in a range of gendered
practices, such as the division of labour and resources, and gendered
ideologies, such as ideas of acceptable behaviour for women and men.
Most gender relations analyses focus on connections of men’s and women’s
lives, and to the imbalances of power embedded in their male-female
relations. They also emphasize the interaction of gender relations with other
hierarchical social relations such as class, caste, ethnicity and race. But
whether gender relations act to alleviate, or to understand other social
inequalities, depends on the context.
Activity 4.
On a separate sheet of paper,
share your insights on the
picture shown below.
Additional Activity:

Please watch Video on gender and Development

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQMoTjB4_80