INTRODUCTION TO
GENDER STUDIES
By
ZAHOOR ELAHI (CSP)
COMMERCE AND TRADE
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Zahoor.elahi.gov@gmail.com
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REASONS FOR OPTING
GENDER STUDIES?
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Reasons for opting gender studies
• Easy
• Scoring
• General subject
• Less time consuming
• Short syllabus
• Helpful in essay
• Overlapping with other disciplines
• More linked with current affairs
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QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 1 OF GS
• CSS 2016: Write a note on the status of women’s studies in Pakistan and give
your views on the autonomy/integration debate in Women Studies.
• CSS 2017: Define and discuss the discipline of gender studies and also
differentiate between women studies and gender studies?
• CSS 2017: Write a comprehensive note on autonomy versus integration debate in
gender studies.
• CSS 2018: What are the fundamental differences between gender studies and
women studies? Substantiate your arguments with examples. Highlight the
current status of women studies in Pakistan.
• CSS 2018: Write short notes on the following;
– Gender strategic needs and Gender Practical Needs
– APWA AND WAF
• CSS 2019: How do you differentiate the discipline of Gender Studies from that
of Women Studies? Historically trace the need for the establishment of Gender
Studies as a distinct discipline and its scope and significance with especial
reference to Pakistan.
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Introduction to Gender Studies
• sustainability and equality.
– Rela,onship between humans/gender quali,es e.g asser,on by
e.gMichel Foucault: ‘Thought’
– Antagonism?
– Q of "naturalness" of gender?
– Gender be acknowledged as a structure enabling us to
encounter each other/be subjected to gender
• learn gender roles
– ‘Boys will be boys’
• gender role encompasses
• Gender studies …
• Gender Roles
– Gender Differences…
Inter/Intra Differences
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Introduction to GS
• INTRA DIFFERENCES are based on
– class,
– race,
– sexuality,
– ethnicity,
– religion,
– age,
– (dis) ability to power,
– ci,zenship,
– na,onality etc.
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Introduction to GS
• INTER DIFFERENCES
i. Cultural Differences
ii. Biological Differences:
– Chromosomes,
– genitals,
– gonads,
– hormones,
– secondary sex characteris,cs
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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEX AND
GENDER?
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Introduction to GS
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEX AND GENDER
No. Sex Gender
1 Biological Cultural
2 Natural Social constructed
3 Narrow Wider
4 Universal Changes
5 Policies are wro physical body Policies are wro stereotype and tradi,onal role
6 Generally fixed May not be fixed. Gender roles are flexible and ever-changing. They vary across ,me and
place and from one social group to another.
7 Divided into Male, female and she- May not divided
male
8 Iden,ty Role
Male: ac,veness, intelligence, courage, aggression, determina,on, violence, obs,nacy,
and selfishness
Female: passiveness, emo,ons, notably lust, excessive passion, shrewishness, and
laziness.
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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
WOMEN STUDIES AND
GENDER STUDIES?
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Introduction to GS
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WOMEN & GENDER STUDIES
WOMEN STUDIES GENDER STUDIES
1960s 1980s
Off shot of 2nd wave of feminism Off shot of 3rd wave of feminism
Specific to women’s studies Women, men and third sex studies
Criteria and method of assessing women status Women studies and queer theory
Teaching and research on women’s issues to break down Cross cultural studies of gender
hierarchies
Women’s parWcipaWon in men’s trade Overcome social differences and sex differences
Lack of freedom in sexual orientaWon Freedom in sexual orienta,on
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Introduction to GS
History of Women Studies
– First course developed in late 1960s, USA. San
Diego State University, California 1969
– (Based on 54 pages work “A Changing Political
Economy as it affects women” created by Mary
Ritter Beard in 1934).
– First MA in University of Kent, UK 1980.
– PHD in Emory University, Georgia, USA 1990
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MULTIDISCIPLINARY/TRANSNATIONAL NATURE OF GENDER STUDIES
– Every aspect of life
– Transfer of theories and ac,ons from one context to another
• e.g. an Arab/Muslim context? Western monopoly on theories?
• Linking post-structuralism (essen,alism) to mul,cultural feminism
with historical materialism. Knowledge and experience?
• challenged mul,ple hegemonic discourses?
– Gender Studies offers new ways of understanding gender as a
socio-cultural, ethical and poli,cal process
• The Iliad (epic) -Greek poet Homer -gendered forms/lives e.g. The
strong-armed men and fragrant-breasted women
• preiy faces of women are the objects through which men struggle
with each other for status
• Hector notes that he has "learned how to be brave, how to go
forward always and to contend tor honor," so that he feels shame at
the thought of avoiding baile
• Seriousness: the woman taunt is never serious about women, though
it may become a serious cri,cism of a man.
• Generaliza,ons: "Frailty, thy name is woman"
• Ethical realm: long hair is degrading to man, but pride for woman
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MULTIDISCIPLINARY/TRANSNATIONAL NATURE OF GENDER STUDIES
– trans-disciplinary area of study
• gender and sexuality studies, ethnic and race studies,
area and postcolonial studies.
– mul8culturalizing the curriculum
• Includes all iden,,es (LGBT)
– Gender Studies provides analyses the crea,on and
rejec,ng norms rela,ng to sex and sexuality.
– Requires rethinking of iden,ty designa,ons
• genders, sexuali,es, races, classes, na,ons, and even
con,nents which exist not as herme,cally sealed
en,,es but rather as part of a permeable interwoven
rela,onality.
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Introduction to GS
• AUTONOMY VS INTEGRATION DEBATE IN GENDER
STUDIES
AUTONOMY:
i. Independent Subject
ii. Self-lead (Self representation).
iii. Members of various sexes are true representatives of their
issues.
iv. “control over their own lives/self directive norms”
v. Independent struggle for every factor/initiative e.g.
education
vi. Independent struggle for every field.
vii. Independent struggle for each status of individual
viii. Independent struggle for every color of individual
ix. Independence in leadership and
x. “to manipulate (their) personal environment”.
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Introduction to GS
• AUTONOMY VS INTEGRATION DEBATE IN GENDER STUDIES
INTEGRATION:
i. Collaborating efforts. Participation of other entities esp.
men to empower women.
ii. Representatives (reflection) of all entities/sexes..
iii. Representatives (reflection) of all classes.
iv. Representatives (reflection) of all colors.
v. Combine in other disciplines as a course because it’s new
subject. Feminists opposed the idea of integrating the
subject into mainstream higher studies curriculum citing
the reason that the subject is still young and if integrated,
it will not develop.--
vi. Integrate strategies of women’s development in all fields
simultaneously.
vii. Education reforms and social movement for both male and
female.
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STATUS OF GENDER STUDIES/WOMEN
STUDIES IN PAKISTAN
ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE
i. Nighat Said Khan helped establish the Institute of Women’s
Studies Lahore (IWSL) in 1986 aiming to close the gap between
theory and practice in political and social movements.
ii. Five (5) departments were established in five universities under
Ministry of Women Empowerment (MoWD) in 1989
a) Quaid-i-Azam, University (QAU) – Women Studies Centre
b) Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) Rawalpindi –Women’s Research
and Resource Centre
c) Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) -- Women Studies Department
d) Karachi University – The Centre of Excellence for Women's Studies
(CEWS)
e) University of Sindh, Jamshoro -- The faculty of Institute of Women
Development Studies
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…Continued
Karachi University – The Centre of Excellence for
Women's Studies (CEWS)
i. The Centre conducted two certificate courses in 1992 and 1994 in
order to introduce the discipline of Women studies in Pakistan.
ii. The first 2-year M.A in Women’s Studies in Pakistan began in
1996 when students were enrolled.
iii. In 2002 Centre initiated M.Phil / Ph.D program.
iv. From 2004 the discipline of Women’s Studies was introduced as a
subsidiary course at First Year (Hons.) level.
v. From January 2007 BS (Hons.) 4 years program was launched
and From January 2010 M.A (Evening) program has also started.
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STATUS OF GENDER STUDIES/WOMEN
STUDIES IN PAKISTAN
POLITICAL INITIATIVES FOR GENDER ROLES
i. (PAWS) The idea for the Pakistan Association for
Women's Studies (PAWS) was first conceived in 1991
at the National Workshop on Women’s Studies.
ii. A Pakistani Perspective by the Centre of Excellence in
Women’s Studies at the University of Karachi.
iii. PAWS was formed in March 1991 in Karachi by
activists and academics with feminist consciousness to
acts as a catalyst to bring about the empowerment of
women, transforming a gender biased society into one
inclusive of gender equity and social justice.
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STATUS OF GENDER STUDIES/WOMEN
STUDIES IN PAKISTAN
POLITICAL INITIATIVES FOR GENDER ROLES
i. (PAWS) The idea for the Pakistan Association for
Women's Studies (PAWS) was first conceived in 1991
at the National Workshop on Women’s Studies.
ii. A Pakistani Perspective by the Centre of Excellence in
Women’s Studies at the University of Karachi.
iii. PAWS was formed in March 1991 in Karachi by
activists and academics with feminist consciousness to
acts as a catalyst to bring about the empowerment of
women, transforming a gender biased society into one
inclusive of gender equity and social justice.
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SCOPE OF GENDER STUDIES IN PAKISTAN
i. Taking genders as human being
ii. Granting identities to all genders
iii. Acknowledging their potentials
iv. Accepting their roles
v. Providing level playing opportunities
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SIGNIFINCANCE OF GENDER STUDIES IN
PAKISTAN
i. Making all genders as active participants of
society e.g. Marvia Malik is a Pakistani
transgender newsreader and media figure.
ii. Increasing efficiency
iii. Ensuring effectiveness
iv. Establishing rule of law
v. Promoting healthy competition
vi. Maintaining peace of society
vii. Making better life
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FACTOR BEHIND RECOGNITION/
ACCEPTABILITY OF WOMEN STUDIES/
GENDER STUDIES?
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CONCLUSION
INSTITUTES
ROLE OF MEDIA
LEGISLATION
ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY
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04/05/2020 ZAHOOR ELAHI (CSP)
