SESSION 1

GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT

Gender and Development (GAD)

— Refers to the development perspective and process that is

participatory and empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from
violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self- determination
and actualization of human potentials. It seeks to achieve gender
equality as a fundamental value that should be reflected in
development choices and contends that women are active agents of
development, not just passive recipients of development.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ON APPROACHES TO DEVELOPMENT

Women In Development (WID)

— Sees that women are ignored and excluded from development

programmes; it therefore requires the implementation of ‘separate’ or
‘integrated’ projects for women.

Women And Development (WAD)

— Argues that women are already integrated into the development

process; the problem is that planners hold inaccurate assumptions
about women’s specific activities and this led to the neglect of their
real needs and over-exploitation of their labor.

Gender And Development (GAD)

— Advocates not only for “adding women” into the development process,
but a rethinking of develop- ment concepts and practice as a whole
through a gender lens.

GENDER MILESTONES

Gender Neutral/Blind — lack of recognition of gender as an essential

determinant of life choices that are available in society.

Gender Aware — recognition of gender inequality; that there are differences

between men and women in terms of access to and control over resources,
including opportunities for development.

Gender Sensitive — recognition of the underlying and hidden cause of

gender inequality. Differences are felt undesirable and unjustifiable. Problems
resulting from inequality and discrimination are identified.

Gender Responsive — presence of programs, projects and processes that

systematically incorporate or address gender concerns and issues.

Gender Fair/Equity — society where women and men equitably share in the
responsibilities, power authority and decision-making and enjoy the benefits.

Gender Accountable — gender equity is viewed as the key commitment of

the organization; it assumes responsibility to make gender an integral part of
what the organization is and what it does.
GENDER SENSITIVITY

— The ability to recognize gender issues and especially the ability to

recognize women’s different perceptions and interest arising from their
different social location and different gender roles.

SEX VS. GENDER

Sex — biological characteristics of being a female or a male (kasarian).

Physical attributes pertaining to a person’s body contours, features,
hormones, genes, chromosomes and reproductive organs (genitals).
Generally permanent and universal. Attributes are equally valued.

Gender — refers to set of qualities, differentiated roles or responsibilities,

attitudes, expectations, held about the characteristics, aptitudes, and likely
behaviors of both women and men. It is • socially constructed, categorize as
feminine (pagkababae) and masculine (pagkalalaki), time and place bound,
changing, attributes are marked by inequality.

AGENTS OF GENDER SOCIALIZATION

FAMILY — the process of VERBAL APPELLATION (telling children what they are
and what is expected of them), CANALIZATION (people direct children’s
attention to gender appropriate objects), and MANIPULATION (people handle
girls and boys differently even as infants.)

SCHOOL — gendered lessons, unequal treatment of teachers to female and

male students and textbooks, computer softwares and teaching styles
perpetuate gender bias.

MEDIA — TV, prints and cyberspace, influence of pornography, media and

societal violence.

CHURCH — the position of women in the church and portrayal of women in

the bible. There are texts and verses that glorify sufferings, oppression and
subordination. Gender differentiation and inequality between women and
men is preached and conveyed in religious doctrines and symbols.

WORKPLACE — unequal pay. Conflict between family life and work. Power
relations as well as access to and control over resources. Sexual harassment
and other forms of discrimination persist.

GENDER AND POWER RELATIONS

Expression of Power/Power Relations

Power to — one’s ability to act on his/her own, the unique potential of every
person to shape his/her life and world.

Power with — one’s ability to cooperate with others to accomplish

something. It multiplies individual talents and knowledge.

Power within — related to the person’s sense of self-worth and self

knowledge. It includes the ability to recognize individual differences while
respecting others.
Power over — one’s ability to dominate others, to make them do what they
want.

Gender Relations — are power relations. Often what it means to be a

‘woman’ is to be powerless (quiet, obedient, accommodating). A ‘real man’,
by contrast, is powerful (outspoken, in control, able to impose his will),
particularly in relation to women. These gender roles tend to perpetuate the
power inequalities that they are based on.

GENDER BIAS — is behavior that shows favoritism toward one gender over
another. Most often, gender bias is the act of favoring men and/or boys over
women and/or girls.

Gender Bias in Education

— Researchers have consistently found that teachers give more time,

effort, and attention to boys than to girls. Gender bias exists in
textbooks and instructional materials as well. Women are often
underrepresented in course materials and/or are presented in
stereotypical roles.

Gender Bias in the Household

— Patriarchal households are maintained through power and control in

the hands of men, particularly fathers, as the heads of households.
Specifically, gendered roles assigned as ‘‘breadwinner husband’’ and
‘‘homemaker wife’’ lead to unequal distributions of power within the
household.

Gender Bias in the Economy

— Women are likely to be unemployed, employed in temporary jobs, or

employed part time. There is a difference between the wages received
by women as to their male counterparts while performing basically the
same job.

GENDER ISSUES

Gender Discrimination — to give differential treatment to individuals on the

grounds of their gender.

Gender Subordination — secondary status of women in society, because of

this they have less access to and control over resources for development and
its benefits.

Gender Stereotyping — it is the tendency or attitude to ascribe particular

traits, characteristics and roles distinctly to men and particular traits,
characteristics, roles distinctly to women.

Multiple Burden — it refers to the situation where no matter what women put
in essentially the same working hours as men outside the home, households,
child care and wider breath of responsibilities are still primarily women’s
concerns.
Political Subordination — it refers to the perceived political notion and sexist
propaganda against women political candidates, insufficient support system
to increase women’s active involvement or participation in political parties,
factors that hamper women to join politics and other leadership roles.

Gender Issues of Men in the Family

— Wrong perception that men are only interested in sex. Discrimination

and lack of support for men who decides to stay at home. Unfair
expectation that men are supposed to be the breadwinners.

Gender Issues of Men in the Workplace

— Unrealistic expectations from male workers. More exposed to

dangerous jobs. Abusive working conditions.

Gender Issues of Men in the Society

— Toxic masculinity. Wrong depiction of men in media. Traditional

perception on how men should behave. Lack of support for men who
victims of abuse.

LEGAL MANDATES FOR GAD

1987 Philippine Constitution — Article II, Sec. 14 provides that the State
recognizes the role of women in nation- building, and shall ensure the
fundamental equality before the law of women and men.

Republic Act 7192 — Women in Development and Nation-Building Act laid the
groundwork for institutionalizing gender concerns in national development
efforts adopting the GAD approach in policies and programs.

MAGNA CARTA OF WOMEN

— Is a comprehensive women’s human rights law that seeks to eliminate

discrimination against women by recognizing, protecting, fulfilling and
promoting the rights of Filipino women, especially those in
marginalized sector. All government departments, including their
attached agencies, offices, bureaus, state universities and colleges,
government – owned and controlled corporations, local government
units and all other government instrumentalities shall adopt gender
mainstreaming as a strategy to promote women’s human rights and
eliminate gender discrimination in their systems, structures, policies,
programs, processes and procedures.

OTHER NATIONAL LAWS ON WOMEN

Labor Related Laws

— Anti-Discrimination Law (RA 6725)

— Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act (RA 8042)
— Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000 (RA 8972)
— 105 Days Expanded Maternity Leave (RA 11210)
Laws Addressing Violence Against Women

— Anti-Mail Order Bride Law (RA 6955)

— Anti-Sexual Harassment Law (RA 7877)
— Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act (RA 9262)
— Anti-Rape Law (RA 8353)
— Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and
Discrimination Act (RA 7610)
— Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313)

SESSION 2

SEXUAL ORIENTATION — physical, sexual and emotional attraction =/=

sexual preference.

GENDER IDENTITY — deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender.

May or may not correspond to sex assigned at birth. Often develop or
changes over time.

CISGENDER — a person whose gender corresponds to sex at birth. Prefix

“cis” means “on this side of”.

TRANSGENDER — umbrella term for people whose gender does not conform
to sex assigned at birth.

NON-BINARY — a person who does not conform to gender norms.

QUEER — historical context: faggots, weird, strange. Reclaimed umbrella

term for people who do not conform to cisgender-heterosexual norms
(heteronormative society). A person who rejects “gender binary”. Maybe as a
sexual orientation, gender.

TRANSITIONING — gender-affirming acts. Altering one’s birth sex is not a

one-step procedure; it is a complex process that occurs over a long period of
time. Internal, social, legal, medical. You do not need to undergo all four.
Outdated term: sex change.

GENDER EXPRESSION — how a person express themselves. External

manifestations of gender. Appearance is not the same as gender.

GENDER NON-COMFORMING — a term used to describe some people whose

gender expression is different from conventional expectations of masculinity
and femininity. Transgender =/= Gender non-conforming.
CROSSDRESSER — “while anyone may wear clothes associated with a
different sex, the term cross-dresser is typically used to refer to men who
occasionally wear clothes, makeup, and accessories culturally associated
with women.” Typically identify as a heterosexual.

SEX CHARACTERISTICS

— Biological characteristics
— Primary – present at birth
— Secondary – develops during puberty
— Sex vs. Sex assigned at birth
— Based on external genitalia
— What if it does not fit the typical male and female?

INTERSEX — a person whose chromosomes, sex hormones, gonads, and/or

genitals doesn’t fit the female and male definitions. “Differences in bodies”.

DISCRIMINATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

— High tolerance because of the visibility of cross-dressing bakla.

Discrimination exists across a spectrum and social institutions.

FAMILY

— Family and neigborhood bullying and violence. Bakla as a derogatory

word. “Corrective rape.” Bugbugin! LGBT couple cannot sign consent
forms. Investments and properties. Cannot adopt as a couple. Cannot
be a beneficiary.

COMING OUT — process of voluntarily sharing one’s sexual orientation and/or

gender identity with others. This process is unique for each individual and
there is no right or wrong way to come out. Vs. Outing (making public the
sexual orientation or gender identity of another who would prefer to keep
this information

DEADNAMING AND MISGENDERING

— Deadnaming occurs when someone, intentionally or not, refers to a

person who’s transgender by the name they used before they
transitioned. “Birth name” or their “given name.”

MICROAGRESSION — everyday insults and snubs. Intentional or not.

RELIGION — against same-sex union.

THE YOGYAKARTA PRINCIPLES — are a set of principles on the application of
international human rights law in relation to sexual orientation and gender
identity. The Principles affirm binding international legal standards with which
all States must comply. They promise a different future where all people born
free and equal in dignity and rights can fulfil that precious birthright.” 29
Principles (Eg. The Right to the Universal Enjoyment of Human Rights, The
Rights to Equality and Non-discrimination, The Right to recognition before
the law, etc.)

RA 11313: SAFE SPACES ACT — penalizes gender-based sexual harassment.

SESSION 3

GENDER-BASED DISCRIMINATION — • Convention on the Elimination of All

Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW):

— Any distinction, exclusion or restriction.

— Made on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or
expression.
— Which has the purpose or effect of denying equal exercise of human
rights and fundamental freedoms in all fields of human endeavor.

GENDER EQUALITY — equality between men and women.” All human beings,
both men and women, are free to develop their personal abilities and make
choices without being limited by stereotypes, rigid gender roles and
prejudices.

GENDER-BASED DISCRIMINATION

— Action: that distinguishes, excludes or restricts a person.

— Basis: The sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation of the
person.
— Purpose or effect: Person discriminated is denied the equal exercise of
human rights and fundamental freedoms.

SEXISM IN LANGUAGE — use of language that devalues members of a sex,

sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and thus fosters gender
inequality.

GENERIC “MAN”

— All humanity is subsumed in the terms “man,” “father,” “brother,”

“master.”

THE PROBLEM:
— Confusion. “Man” is often associated with the adult male and it is
difficult to distinguish if it is used in the literal sense or in the generic
sense.
— Inequality. It reflects gender inequality because women are never seen
in terms of general or representative humanity.
— Othering. “Man” represents the universe and the human while woman
is the “other”.