LESSON 28 : GENDER AND

OTHER CROSS-CUTTING

ISSUES (EDUCATION ,
GENERAL HEALTH, MENTAL
HEALTH)
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
This lesson discusses the intersectionality between Gender
and other cross –cutting concerns such as access to education
and health services.
At the end of the lesson , learners should be able to :

1.discuss how and why gender lens is necessary in

understanding other social issues and
2.show appreciation of the intersectionality between gender ,
education , and health (especially mental health)
GENDER AND EDUCATION
The UNICEF (2011) report on adolescence show that while there is already an increase in
access to education for all genders , there remains to be many girls and women who are
unable to go to school .

However , interesting trends can be observed from the 2013 Functional Literacy ,
Education , and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS). This study showed that there are more
males (4.6 in a 1000) children aged 6 to 14 who are able to attend school compared to
females (2.4 in a 1000) . However , for people aged 15 to 24 , there are actually more
females ( 24 in a 1000) who are able to go to school compared to males (11.2 in a 1000)
(Philippines Statistic’s Authority 2015) . This may mean that while there are more males
who are able to receive basic education , there are more females who are able to proceed to
higher education .
GENDER AND HEALTH
Another basic social services we all need is Health Service . Health
, according to World Health Organization , does not only mean
absence of diseases but a state of well-being. The Department of
Health of the Philippines follows a cluster approach in health ,
wherein there are more primary cluster : (a) public health , (b) water
sanitation & hygiene , (c) nutrition , and (d) mental health and
psychosocial support.
GENDER & MENTAL HEALTH
One of the most prevalent issues facing adolescents nowadays is
mental health . The changing environment also brings also forth
stressors that are not existing before . People are challenged to pay
attention not only to their physical health , but also to their
psychological wellness.
In the context of Gender and Sexuality ,some issues faced by
humans related to their sexuality and to the roles they assume in the
society are mental/psychological in nature .
Some of these issues are as follow :
• Coping with sexual and reproductive health issues (teen pregnancy
, STD/HIV, and confusion and doubt ) .
• Psychological impacts of SOGIE – related concerns and gender
roles and expectations;
• Psychosocial concerns emerging from intimate /romantic
relationships ; and
• Psychological trauma from Gender Based Violence (GBV).

Hence , there is also a need to establish systems so people would

have access to services that address these issues . In schools , for
instance , there are counselors (trained professionals who has a
master’s degree in counseling and have seated and passed a licensure
in counseling ) who deal with student’s mental health concerns .
 In some other schools and workplaces , there are
also psychologists (trained professional who has a
master’s degree in psychology and have seated and
passed a licensure in psychology) , social workers
( trained professionals with license social work ) , and
psychiatrists ( a medical doctor with specialization in
psychiatry who are able to provide additional and more
specialized help .