GENDER AND SEX

Gender is the physical and/ or social condition of being male or female.

All males and females considered as one group.

Gender is also used to refer to all characteristics related to being male or female biologically or socially determined. Gender also includes those role and characteristics which depend on the society which we belong and vary greatly from one society to another. Meaning gender can change.

Sex: the state of being either a male or female. There are two sexes: male or female. Which one we belong to depends on whether we produce or fertilize eggs and this is determined before birth. The term sex therefore refers to the characteristics and roles of women/girls and men/boys connected to their biological function of reproduction e.g. Breasts, breast feeding. Uterus, giving birth, vagina, penis.

Some examples of sex characteristic

·          Women menstruate while men do not

·         Men have testicles while women have not

·         Women have developed breasts that are  usually capable of lactating, while men have not

·         Men generally have more massive bones than women

Gender refers to the roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for women and men and which we learn as we grow up in that particular culture

Girls and women may be expected to

·         Be caring, gentle, passive, respectful and obedient

·         Be responsible for domestic chores and child care

·         Speak and dress modestly

·         Please and obey men

·         Control their sexuality, behave responsibly and not show their sexual feeding

Boy and men may be expected to

·         Be strong and not show that emotions

·         Marry and provide for their family

·         Girls and women are more likely to be subjected to violence, especially sexual violence and harmful traditional practices, such as genital cutting

·         Girls and women are not allowed to seek paid employment or do certain types of jobs and often receive lower pay for doing the same work as men

·         Women are under-represented In decision making bodies

·         The birth of a son causes more joy than birth of a daughter

·         Women expected to work and support their family and may have little time spend with their children

IN SUMMARY:

Definitions of gender equality and equity:

Gender equity means that women and men, boys and girls enjoy the same status. It means that women and men, girls and boys, have equal conditions for realizing their full human rights and potential to contribute to national, political, economic, social and cultural development and to benefit from the results. Gender equality is therefore the equal valuing by society of both the similarities and differences between men and women, boys and girls, and the varying roles that they play.

Gender equity: is the process of being fair to men and women, girls and boys. To ensure fairness, measures must often be available compensate for historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men, boys and girls, from otherwise operating on level playing field. Equity leads to equality.

Discrimination and stereotyping

Almost all societies discriminate against girls and women in various ways some more than in others.

They also have ideals of how both women and men should be and behave which lead to stereotyping both genders.

Discrimination: to treat one particular group of people less favorable than others because of the group, class or category to which that person belong rather than their individual merit. The consideration here is one sex or gender i.e. girls and women.

In the convention on the rights of the child non discrimination is a right but also a general principle which shows the importance attached. Non discrimination is also an important element in the universal declaration of human rights and convention of elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.

Stereotype: stereotypes are generalization about a group of people whereby we attributed a defined set of characteristic to this group. These can be positive of negative e.g., men are intelligent, women and kinds, women are stupid, and men are not good with children

Gender discrimination

Gender discrimination is any distinction, exclusion or preference based on sex that has the effect of nullifying or in paining equality of opportunity and treatment. Many society’s value boys and men more highly than girls and women which have bad effects and the well being of girls and women.

·         Girls often receive less food than boys and are less likely to receive health care.

·         Girls are less likely to go to school or complete school and their brothers are given priorities

·         Girls are expected to help with domestic chores in preparation for being wives and mothers. Women may not be allowed outside the house hold alone or at all.

·         Girls are married and become mother at a very young age in some countries

·         Girls who become pregnant often have drop out of school and may be rejected by their families, whereas boys who father children usually stay at school

·         Girls and women cannot own or inherit land or property or decide about divorce or obtain custody of children in some cultures.

·         Important family decisions, for example about household expenditures how many children to have

·         Take the lead in relationships and in sex