SEX AND GENDER

The concepts "sex" and "gender" may be defined as follows: 

"Sex" refers to the biological differences between women and men. They are generally permanent and universal. 

"Gender" refers to the socially constructed roles and responsibilities of women and men, in a given culture or location. These roles are influenced by perceptions and expectations arising from cultural, political, environmental, economic, social, and religious factors, as well as custom, law, class, ethnicity, and individual or institutional bias. Gender attitudes and behaviors are learned and can be changed. 

What are some of the situations in which we see gender differences? 

Social: Different perceptions of women's and men's social roles: the man seen as head of the household and chief bread-winner; the woman seen as nurturer and care-giver. 

Political: Differences in the ways in which women and men assume and share power and authority: men more involved in national- and higher-level politics; women more involved at the local level in activities linked to their domestic roles. 

Educational: Differences in educational opportunities and expectations of girls and boys: family resources directed to boy's rather than girl's education; girls streamed into less-challenging academic tracks. 

Economic: Differences in women's and men's access to lucrative careers and control of financial and other productive resources: credit and loans; land ownership. 


COMMON GENDER STEREOTYPES 

Below are lists of common female and male stereotypes. 

Women are: - Men are: 
Dependent - Independent 
Weak - Powerful 
Incompetent - Competent 
Less important - More important 
Emotional - Logical 
Implementers - Decision-makers 
Housekeepers - Breadwinners 
Supporters - Leaders 
Fearful - Brave 
Peace-makers - Aggressive 
Cautious - Adventurous 
Flexible - Focused 
Warm - Self-reliant 
Passive - Active 
Followers - Leaders 
Spectators - Doers 
Modest - Ambitious 
Subjective - Objective 
Soft-spoken - Out-spoken 
Secretaries - Bosses 
Nurturing - Assertive 
Gentle - Strong 
Cheerful - Forceful 
Caretakers - Achievers 


GENDER ROLES 

The biological differences between men and women do not normally change; people are either male or female. However, the characteristics they are perceived to have, and the roles and responsibilities assigned to them, differ among societies, cultures, and historical periods. 

Gender roles are the activities ascribed to men and women on the basis of perceived differences. "Division of labor" is a term used in gender literature to mean the roles and tasks assigned to women and men on the basis of perceived gender characteristics and attributes, instead of ability and skills. 

Men's Roles 
Today, in the world's more industrialized countries there are few lines of demarcation between men's and women's occupations. However, in many less industrialized societies men have more visible and recognized roles than women, largely because men are paid for their productive work and women are not. In these societies, men's roles usually involve jobs which are assessed and counted in national censuses and accounting systems. Men do not usually perform domestic or household tasks. 

If they have community management roles, these tend to involve political organization and leadership. Women handle community organization and hands-on activities. 


Women's Roles 
Women's roles in most societies fall into three categories: productive (relating to production of goods for consumption or income through work in or outside the home), reproductive (relating to domestic or household tasks associated with creating and sustaining children and family), and community management (relating to tasks and responsibilities carried out for the benefit of the community). Women must balance the demands of these three different roles and should be recognized for their contributions. 

The tasks women usually perform in carrying out their different roles do not generally earn them an income. Women are often defined exclusively in terms of their reproductive roles, which largely concern activities associated with their reproductive functions. These reproductive roles, together with their community management roles, are perceived as natural. But because these roles do not earn income, they are not recognized and valued as economically productive. Women's contributions to national economic development are, therefore, often not quantified and invisible. 

In many societies, women also carry out productive activities such as maintaining smallholder agricultural plots in farming systems. These tasks are often not considered work and are often unpaid. Women may also perform many roles which attract wages in both the formal and informal economic sectors. But women's economically productive roles,
in contrast to men's, are often undervalued or given relatively little recognition. 

Gender roles and responsibilities vary among cultures and can change over time. For example, in India, unskilled labor is considered "women's work" while in Africa it is "men's work." In Europe and the United States, the contribution men make to domestic activities is becoming increasingly important and visible. 


GENDER EQUITY & EQUALITY 

Gender Equity is the process of being fair to men and women. To ensure fairness, measures must often be put in place to compensate for the historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men from operating on a level playing field. 

Equity is a means. Equality is the result. 

Equity: The distribution of rewards in society according to some criterion of merit, i.e., procedural justice and fairness. Outcomes reflect individual contributions. 

Equality: Giving the same reward to all, regardless of their contributions. 
Gender inequality is still very evident in this respect, as indicated by the following United Nations statistics: 
Women perform 2/3 of the world's work 
Women earn 1/10 of the world's income 
Women are 2/3 of the world's illiterates 
Women own less than 1/100 of the world's property 

Constitution of India 
Article 14 Ensures gender equality. 
Article 15 Prohibits discrimination on grounds of sex. 
Article 16 Provides for equality of opportunity in public employment. 
Article 15 (3) Permits the State to make special provisions for women and children. 
Article 39 Enjoins the State to provide an adequate means of livelihood to men and women. 
Article 51 A (e) Makes it a duty of every citizen to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women. 
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