I Unit

The biological difference between men and women, boys and girls – the
physical attributes with which we are born.

Gender : Culturally and socially constructed roles, responsibilities, privileges,

relations and expectations of women, men, boys and girls. Gender is not another
word for women. Gender is also not another word for sexual difference.

A working definition of Gender : People are born female or male or

transgender, but are forced to learn to be girls and boys who grow into women and
men. They are taught appropriate behaviour and attitudes according to defined
gender roles and activities. This learned behaviour is what makes up gender identity,
and determines gender roles.

Gender refers to the learnt roles, norms and expectations on the basis of
one’s sex. It is a sociocultural definition of a boy and a girl, of a man and a woman.
Not only their responsibilities are set by the society but also norms/values, dress
codes, attitudes, opportunities, rights, mobility, freedom of expression, priorities and
even dreams are determined by the society (Bhasin Kamala). It varies from society
to society and can be changed.

Gender roles
Gender roles : The different tasks and responsibilities and expectations that society
defines and allocates to men, women, boys and girls. These are not necessarily
determined by biological differences and therefore can change with time and in
different situations.

Gender stereotyping : The assignment of roles, tasks and responsibilities to a

particular gender on the basis of preconceived prejudices. For instance the
assumption that masons can only be men or that nurses are necessarily women.

Gender Role Perception : Gender is a dynamic concept. Gender roles for women
and men vary greatly from one culture to another ; and from one social group to
another within the same culture. Race, class, economic circumstances, age — all of
these influence what is considered appropriate for women and men. Furthermore, as
culture is dynamic and socio-economic conditions change over time, so gender
patterns change with them. Different roles and characteristics are assigned to people
not only on the basis of their gender, but of their race, caste, class, ethnic
background and age. Our social analysis becomes finer, our social interventions
more finely tuned, when we are aware of all the complex ways in which society slots
people into different categories and roles, and of the ways these roles can be the
basis of both cooperation and conflict. For neither women nor men form a
homogeneous group in any society. Women may come into conflict with each other
because of racial difference, or women of different nationalities or class groups may
find solidarity in their gender identity.

Gender gap : Differences between men and women in levels of achievement or

access. This could for example be access to education or health care and treatment
services or differentials in wages paid to women and men. These differentials may
result from customary practices, religious biases, social assumption, myths or
taboos, among others.

Gender discrimination: Where one gender is favoured and the other becomes
disadvantaged e.g. sex selective abortion. Gender oppression: Where one gender
dominates the other unjustly or even cruelly. For instance, domestic violence, rape,
sexual harassment.

As the worst fall out of disparity and mind blocks in the area of role
perception, comes the vice of gender discrimination. The three most prominent
facets of sexual discrimination are

Societal Perpetration;
Domestic Violence and
Sexual Harassment at Workplace.
There are socially accepted expressions like “boys are boys” and norms supporting
dowry, still prevalent in society. They highlight the unfortunate social approval
towards sexual discrimination. So far as domestic violence is concerned, even after
a decade since the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act was passed in
2005, there is no significant change in the crime rate against women. As per data
published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), dowry death was 0.3% of the
total number of crimes, as defined under Indian Penal Code (IPC), in 2013. The
figure remains the same in 2014. In fact, crime against women as percentage of total
number of crimes committed in India has increased from 11.7% in 2013 to 11.9% in
2014. However, perhaps the most unreported amongst these crimes are the ones
amounting to "sexual harassment at workplace". For one, there was no clear law on
the subject before 2013 and for the other, many women used to desist reporting.
Even now, it is believed that a good number of them don‘t report incidents of sexual
harassment for reasons ranging from love to terror.

Gender bias : An approach that treats boys and girls differently. For instance
differential treatment seeking behaviour in case of illness.

Gender equity : An approach that results in just/ fair treatment of women and men,
and recognition and appreciation of both women‘s and men‘s potential. For instance
giving bicycles to girls to enable them to travel to a distant school and thereby
reduce gender gaps in the drop-out rate.
Gender mainstreaming : The process of assessing the implications for women and
men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in any area
and at all levels. It is a strategy for making the concerns and experiences of women
as well as of men an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal
spheres, so that women and men benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetuated.
The ultimate goal of mainstreaming is to achieve gender equality.

Gender neutral : An approach to planning and policy making that assumes that the
impact on women, men, girls and boys as if they were part of one homogeneous
group. For instance, although men are usually taller than women, fixing the height of
the podium in conference halls on the basis of the height of men.

Gender needs
Practical gender needs : Needs which are related to satisfying basic and material
needs of women and men, girls and boys for their day-to- day survival, and which do
not change gender patterns. For instance public provisioning of water inside the
home or providing access to creche facilities at the workplace.

Strategic gender needs : Needs that are related to changing the situation of
marginalised people, especially women. Strategic needs may include training women
to become Mates at MGNREGA worksites or giving registering land in the name of
women and men as with joint pattas or addressing issues of domestic violence, legal
rights, equal wages, and women‘s control over resources.