Gender and Culture Presenter :

Sensitivity Date :
Place :
What is Gender?

• Sex is what is biologically assigned to an individual and Gender is what a person identifies
himself or herself as.

• Gender is not binary; it is a spectrum.

• Sexual Minorities
Sex & Gender

“Sex” refers to the biological andphysiological characteristics that define menandwomen.

“Gender” refersto the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, andattributes that agiven society
considersappropriate for menand women.
Sex & Gender

Thus, whilesex is permanent and universal,genderconstruction variesfrom one society toanother.

To put it in another way, “Male” and“Female” aresexcategories,while “masculine” and “feminine” are
gender categories.
Gender Sensitivity

Gender sensitivity is the act of being sensitive to the ways people think about gender.
Gender Sensitivity
Gender Sensitivity

Gender sensitivity tries to ensure that people rely less on assumptions about traditional
and outdated views on the roles of men and women.
Stereotypes

Stereotypes are generalizations or assumptions that peoplemake about the

characteristics of all membersof a groupbased on an image (oftenwrong).
Exploring Gender Stereotypes

Men’s Women’s

Adventurous Patient
Brave Tolerant
Strong Forgiving
Virile Chaste
Hard, tough Motherly
Aggressive passive
Intelligent Obedient
Rational Beautiful
Decidesquickly Soft
Loving
More adjectives

Men’s Women’s
Manly Sacrificing
Bread winner Caring
Sexually active Cheerful
Handsome Quiet
Independent Sympathetic
Hard working Adjusting
Angry Cries easily
Conditioning

As a child, boys get toys like trucks, guns and super heroes while the girls are given dolls and
cooking sets.

This conditioning manipulates young minds into believing that they must act within their “given
place” in the society.
Challenges

Girlswho do not conform to stereotypical expectations canexperience criticism, ostracism and

even violence.

Thisalsoputs unwarranted pressureon boys who loveto read, dislike fighting, or dislike sports
Or mechanics.

Genderequality benefits both boysand girls.

Benefits

Allow boys to express their emotions, encourage them to beexpressive.Involve them in activities like
gardening and cooking

Expose girls to role models of women in business, especially those outside the stereotype, like
doctors, scientists and leaders.

These role modelswill help girls to see themselves in professionsoutsidethe normal stereotypes.
Patriarchy

A worldwide system that predates recorded history, the patriarchy is the most powerful force in the
world today, trumping other ideologies or political systems or religiousbeliefs.

Byits very nature, it is rooted in the subjugation of women.

Patriarchal cultures uphold the privileges of men based on gender, social structures, religious
practices, and legalcodes.
Patriarchy

Even though men are more privileged under patriarchy than women, somemen aremore
privileged than others.

Thesedifferences vary according to the culture with its particular class subsystems and,
of course, the castes basedon physical characteristics like skin color andsex that cannot
bechanged.

Thesesubsystems canalsobebasedon lineage, on religion, or on wealth. Women

within the subsystems, however, always occupyalower status than their male
counterparts.
Patriarchal Institutions

 Family
 Religion
 LegalSystem
 EconomicSystem
 PoliticalSystem
 Media
 KnowledgeSystem
 Masculinity

 is aset of qualities, characteristics or roles generally considered typical of,

or appropriate to,a man.
 Eg: being
aggressive, macho, angry, brave, virile, being in control.
 Expectation of what a‘real’ man should act and look like ….But no one
actually is.
 Biological factors, culturallyconstructed.
 Harmful Downside

 Relationship between masculinityand gender-basedviolence.

 Disempowerment and impoverishmentof women and the persistenceof gender

inequalities through men’sviolence.

 Lossof men'sdignity andselfesteemwhen they aretaught to behaveviolently.

Moving out of the box

 Womenarepushedbackinto conforming by various punishments …ridicule,

laughed at , contempt, verbal threats, intimidation, physical attacks,
violence including beating, assault,rape, murder.

 Men also face challenges …men who listen to their wives or display sensitivity or do
housework etc ….Labelled as joru kaghulam, chakka etc.

 Menalsohaveto beverystrong to breakout.

 Violence against Women

Concepts of
• Honour
• Chastity

 Acidattacks
• Rape as a weapon
 What is Sexual Harassment?

• Sexual Harassment includes:

a) Physical contact and advances
• b) A demand for sexual favours
• c) Sexually coloured remarks
• d) Showing pornography
• e)Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature
How to deal?

• Criminal Proceedings

• Disciplinary action

• Complaint Mechanism

• Complaints Committee

• Raise Awareness