GEC 11: GENDER AND

GENDER EQUALITY
SOCIETY

AND
SOCIETY
Prepared by:
APRIL R. VERA BSAB 2A
 Objectives:
After the discussion, students should be able to:

1.Define what is Gender Equality and Gender Equity.

2. Sociolinguistic Differences Between Men and Women

3. The relationship of Gender and Linguistic behavior.

4.The Ten causes of Inequality.

5.What is the importance of Gender Equality.

Gender Equality
• Gender equality is based on the idea of equality of opportunities. It entails
the concept that all human beings, both men and women, are free to
develop their personal abilities and make choices without the limitations
set by stereotypes, rigid gender roles, or prejudices.
• Gender equality means that the different behaviors, aspirations and needs
of women and men are considered, valued and favored equally. It does
not mean that women and men have to become the same, but that their
rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they
are born male or female
Gender Equity
Gender equity denotes equivalence of life outcomes of women and men.
Gender equity recognizes women and men have different needs, preferences
and interests and may require different treatment of men and women or it
means fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their
respective needs. This may include equal treatment or treatment that is
different but considered equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations
and opportunities. In the development context, a gender equity goal often
requires built-in measures to compensate for the historical and social
disadvantages of women.
 Gender Inequality: Sex Discrimination in
Employment
Gender equality is about equal opportunity for men and women to
identify their individual potential. One must be able to benefit from their
participation in society and contribute to the economic and social
development of their country (Australian Government. 2009). Through
multiple reviewed literature on gender inequality, the overall concept
within many sociological readings was the way gender inequality socially
relates to employment and careers.
 There are three separate themes that intersect
within the written literature that will be discussed.

Gender differences in historical social roles have created stereotypes on

the contemporary outlooks of the social attitude.

Through beliefs and values, career pathways and choices have become
gendered from factors of culture and society.
Occupational segregation within the workforce is still dominant, but
more equality is breaking through for the future. In this research, I will
identify the factors that inter-link gender within different parts of
society
 Sociolinguistic Differences Between
Men and Women

Morphological variations in these words are gender markers: actor versus actress,
congressman versus congresswoman, policeman versus policewoman, comedian versus
comedienne, etc. In conclusion, when trying to understand the effects of language one
will find that it can serve as the structure of a society as well as determine the ways in
which individuals are viewed and valued within that society. In this case, the social
construction of gender are responsible for the differences in women's linguistic behavior
and how it relates to their secondary place in the male-dominated world. Because of
such distinguished roles, different linguistic strategies are acquired by female and male
subcultures in culture and social organization.
 The Relationship of Gender and
Linguistic Behavior
Among the major social determinants of linguistic variation, gender is widely
considered to be one of the most significant ones. According to research on a range of
linguistic features, gender may even be the dominant factor. The relationship of gender
and linguistic behavior is a compelling topic which is getting more and more attention
since it is closely related to gender studies. It is widely agreed that men and women use
language differently in most speech communities, though to various extents (Holmes,
2001). Many works on the topic indicate that gender-specific linguistic behavior is a
social practice which is based on gender identities and power relations (Eckert &
McConnell-Ginet.
 Ten (10) Causes of Gender Inequality

Over the years, the world has gotten closer to achieving gender equality. There is
better representation of women in politics, more economic opportunities, and
better healthcare in many places of the world. However, the World Economic Forum
estimates it will take another century before true gender equality becomes a
reality. What drives the gap between genders?
Here are Ten causes of gender inequality:

1. Uneven Access to Education

In education, the term access typically refers to the ways in which educational institutions
and policies ensure or at least strive to ensure that students have equal and equitable
opportunities to take full advantage of their education.

Universal access to education

Universal access to education is the ability of all people to have equal opportunity in
education, regardless of their social class, race, gender, sexuality, ethnic background or
physical and mental disabilities.
2. Lack of Employment Equality
Equality in the workplace ensures people are equal opportunities, equal pay, and are well
accepted for the differences. It is creating an inclusive and conducive environment where
employees feel secure and happy.

Only six (6) countries in the world give women same legal work rights as men. If you're a
woman and want to be on an equal footing with men, it's best to live and wr in Belgium,
Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg Sweden.

In fact, most economies give women only ½ the right of men. Studies show that if
employment became a more ever playing field, it has a positive domino effect on other area
prone to gender inequality.
3. Job Segregation
Occupational segregation is the distribution of workers across and within occupations,
based upon demographi characteristics, most often gender. While a job refers to an
actual position in a firm or industry, an occupation represents a group of similar jobs
that require similar skill requirements and duties.

One of the causes for gender inequality within employment is the division of jobs. In
most societies, there's an inherent belief that men are simply better equipped to handle
certain jobs. Most of the time, those are the jobs that pay the best. This discrimination
results in lower income for women Women also take on the primary responsibility for
unpaid labor, so even as they participate in the paid workforce, the have extra work
that never gets recognized financially.
4. Lack of Legal Protections
The most common civil rights are: the prohibition of discrimination based on race,
ethnicity, religion, and gender. the right to personal security, including protections for
persons accused or suspected of crimes; the right to vote and to participate in democratic
political processes; and freedom of expression, association, and religion.

According to research from the World Bank, over one billion women don't have legal
protection against domestic sexual violence or domestic economic violence. Both have a
significant impact on women's ability to thrive and live in freedom. In many countries,
there's also a lack of legal protections against harassment in the workplace, at school, and
in public. These places become unsafe and without protection, women frequently have to
make decisions that compromise and limit their goals.
5. Lack of Bodily Autonomy
Bodily autonomy is about the right to make decisions over one's own life and future. It is
about being empowered to make informed choices. These are universal values.
Governments everywhere have committed, in a variety of international agreements, to
protecting autonomy.

Many women around the world do not have authority over their own bodies or when they
become parents. Accessing birth control is frequently very difficult. According to the World
Health Organization, over 200 million women who don't want to get pregnant are not using
contraception. There are various reasons for this such as a lack of options, limited access,
and cultural/religious opposition. On a global scale, about 40% of pregnancies are not
planned and while 50% of them do end in abortion, 38% result in births. These mothers
often become financially dependent on another person or the state, losing their freedom.
6. Poor Medical Care
Medical care means the ordinary and usual professional services rendered by a Physician or
other specified Provider during a professional visit for treatment of an illness or injury. In
addition to limited access to contraception, women overall receive lower-quality medical
care than men. This is linked to other gender inequality reasons such as a lack of education
and job opportunities, which results in more women being in poverty. They are less likely
to be able to afford good healthcare. There's also been less research into diseases that
affect women more than men, such as autoimmune disorders and chronic pain conditions.
Many women also experience discrimination and dismissal from their doctors, broader the
gender gap in healthcare quality.
7. Lack of Religious Freedom
Religious freedom is a fundamental human right ar the first among rights guaranteed by the
Constitution. It is the right to think, express and act upon what you deeply belie according
to the dictates of conscience. When religious freedom is attacked, women suffer the most.

According to the World Economic Forum, when extremist ideologies (such as ISIS) come
into a community and restrict religious freedom, gender inequality gets worse In a study
performed by Georgetown University and Brigham Young University, researchers were also
able to connect religious intolerance with women's ability to participate in the economy.
When there's more religious freedom, an economy becomes more stable thanks to
women's participation.
8. Lack of political representation
Political representation is the activity of making citizens "present" in public policy making
processes when political actors act in the best interest of citizens.

Of all national parliaments at the beginning of 2019, only 24.3% of seats were filled by
women. As of June of 2019, 11 Heads of State were women. Despite progress in this area
over the years, women are still grossly underrepresented in government and the political
process. This means that certain issues that female politicians tend to bring up such as
parental leave and childcare, pensions, gender equality laws and gender-based violence -
are often neglected.
9. Racism
This word is commonly used to describe prejudice and discrimination based on race. Racism
can also be said to describe a condition in society in which a dominant racial group benefits
from the oppression of others, whether that group wants such benefits or not.

It would be impossible to talk about gender inequality without talking about racism. It affects
what jobs women of color are able to get and how much they're paid, as well as how they are
viewed by legal and healthcare systems. Gender inequality and racism have been
closely-linked for a long time. According to Sally Kitch, a professor and author, European
settlers in Virginia decided what work could be taxed based on the race of the woman
performing the work. African women's work was "labor," so it was taxable, while work
performed by English women was "domestic" and not taxable. The pay gaps between white
women and women of color continues that legacy of discrimination and contributes to gender
inequality.
10. Societal Mindsets
Social mind set is about focusing on people more than focusing on process and having a belief
that magic happens when: We create ecosystems where good people can thrive. People are
aligned to purpose and are clear about how their work contributes to larger objectives.

It's less tangible than some of the other causes on this list, but the overall mindset of a
society has a significant impact on gender inequality. How society determines the differences
and value of men vs. women plays a starring role in every arena, whether it's employment or
the legal system or healthcare. Beliefs about gender run deep and even though progress can
be made through laws and structural changes, there's often a pushback following times of
major change. It's also common for everyone (men and women) to ignore other areas of
gender inequality when there's progress, such as better representation for women in
leadership. These types of mindsets prop up gender inequality and delay significant change.
Gender Mainstreaming
It is a strategy for making women's, as well as men's, concerns and experiences an integral dimension in the
design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and
social spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is
to achieve gender equality (UN- ECOSOC Definition (1997). Gender mainstreaming should be done in all areas
and at all mainstreaming
1. Gender levels in society.
discourse started in the 80's as opposed to Women's only discourse of 70's.
a. Beijing platform for action (1995) also stressed gender mainstreaming as key to women's empowerment
b. Instead of women only activities, inclusion of gender perspective is central to all policy making, research, advocacy,
development, implementation and monitoring exercises.
c. Women targetted activities will still be required

2. A process, not an end in itself

a. The objective of gender mainstreaming is to promote gender equality or the empowerment of women (MDG 3)
b. How to proceed depends on the level of analysis and action (e.g., National law or policy reform? Sector policy?
Organizational change? Program or project design?)
 Steps to Gender Mainstreaming
Step 1:
Assessment of linkages between gender equality and issue or sector worked on
Step 2:
Identify entry points/opportunities for introducing gender perspectives
Step 3:
Identify approach or methodology for incorporating gender perspective in these works
Gender Mainstreaming: Key Ingredients (for organizations)
1. Political commitment for change
2. Technical capacity to implement change
3. Supportive institutional structures and procedures
4. Adequate financial resources
5. Accountability and monitoring systems
Gender aware planning
Gender aware planning should be stressed during all phases of project cycles, right from
identification of project.

1. Relevant data on gender should be collected, baseline research on gender issues should be
conducted
2. Balanced distribution of project staff should be maintained
3. Training of both male and female project staff is necessary to ensure participation of both sexes.
4. Women and women's organization should be represented in all committees related to
development planning
Approaches
Gender-neutral approaches do not account for the differences between women and men and do not
consider how women and men may be marginalized and harmed or may not benefit from research,
programs and policy.

1. Gender aware(or responsive) approaches are designed to meet both women's and men's needs, ne
These approaches ensure that both women and men will benefit, and neither will be harmed by
research, programs and policy, such as, for example, by exacerbating their work burdens.

2. Gender transformative approaches actively strive to examine, question, and change rigid gender
norms and the imbalance of power as a means of achieving development goals as well as meeting
gender equity objectives.
 GAD versus WID
Gender and Development (GAD) Women in Development (WID) is an
Approach was developed in 1980s in approach that emerged in the 1970s,
response to perceived failings of the with the goal of integrating women
WID Approach. Rather than focusing more fully into the development
exclusively on women, this approach process. It includes strategies such
is concerned with relations between as women and the only projects and
women and men. It Challenges credit and training projects for
unequal decision-making and power women.
relations between not only men and
women but also between rich and
poor
 Shift in development approach:
WID vs. GAD Criteria

1. Women in Development (WID) Gender and Development (GAD) Approach

2. An approach which views women's lack of participation as the problem
3. An approach to people centered development
4. Focus Women Relations between women and men

The Problem
The exclusion of women (half of the productive resource) from the development process Unequal relations
(between women and men, rich and poor) that prevents equitable development and women's full
participation

The Goal More efficient, effective development

Equitable, sustainable development with men and women sharing decision-making and power
 WID vs. GAD-2 Criteria Women in Development (WID)
Gender and Development (GAD
1. The Solution Integrate women into existing structures
2. Empower the disadvantaged and women
3. Transform unequal relations and structures
4. The Strategies Women only projects
5. Women's component integrated projects
6. Increase women's productivity
7. Increase women's income
8. Increase women's ability to manage the household Identify/address practical needs determined by
women and men to improve their condition
9. At the same time address strategic gender needs of women and men
10. Address strategic needs of the poor through people centered development/
 Shift in development approach: WID vs. GAD
Criteria Women in Development (WID) Gender and Development (GAD

An approach which views women's lack of An approach to people centered

The Approach
participation as the problem development

women
Focus Relations between women and men

Unequal relations (between women and

The exclusion of women (half of the
men, rich and poor) that prevents
The Problem productive resource) from the
equitable development and women's full
development process
participation

Equitable, sustainable development with

The Goal More efficient, effective development men and women sharing
decision-making and power.
 Shift in development approach: WID vs. GAD-2

Criteria Women in Development (WID) Gender and Development (GAD

Empower the disadvantaged and

Integrate women into existing
The Solution women Transform unequal
structures
relations and structures

Identify/address practical needs

Women only projects • Women's determined by women and men to
component dintegrated projects • improve their condition • At the
Increase women's productivity • same time address strategic
The Strategies
Increase women's income Increase gender needs of women and men •
women's ability to manage the Address strategic needs of the
household poor through people centered
development
 Gender and Development (GAD)
Gender and Development (GAD) came into being as a response to the perceived shortcomings of women in
development (WID) programs. GAD centered approaches are essentially based on three premises:
1) Gender relations are fundamentally power relations;
2) Gender is a socio-cultural construction rather than a biological given;
3) Structural changes in gender roles and relations are possible. Central to GAD is the belief that
transforming unequal power relations between men and women is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable
improvements in women's lives.

The conceptual shift from "women" to "gender" created an opportunity to include a focus on men and boys.

Gender Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health (2016-2030)

This global strategy identifies adolescents as being central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).
 Human rights-based approach (HRBA)

This entails consciously and systematically paying attention to human rights in all aspects of
programmed development. This approach is a conceptual framework for the process of
human development that is normatively based on international human rights standards
and operationally directed to promoting and protecting human rights. The objective of the
HRBA is to empower people (rights-holders) to realize their rights and strengthen the State
(duty-bearers) to comply with their human rights obligations and duties. States' obligations
to human rights require them to respect, protect and fulfill women's and girls' rights, along
with the rights of men and boys. When they fail to do so, the United Nations has a
responsibility to work with partners to strengthen capacity to more effectively realize that
duty.
 Smart Economics
Advocated chiefly by the World Bank, smart economics is an approach to define gender
equality as an integral part of economic development and aims to spur development
through investing more efficiently in women and girls. It stresses that the gap between men
and women in human capital, economic opportunities and voice/agency is a chief obstacle
in achieving more efficient development. The Bank proclaimed that investing in women
"speeds economic development by raising productivity and promoting the more efficient
use of resources; it produces significant social returns, improving child survival and reducing
fertility, and it has considerable intergenerational pay-offs." Under smart economics, falls
the 'business case' for gender equality and the empowerment of women, by businesses and
enterprises which are interested in contributing to social good. A good example is the "Girl
Effect initiative" of the Nike Foundation.
 Women In Development (WID)

A Women in Development (WID) approach is based on the concept that women are marginalized in
development-oriented interventions, with the result that women are often excluded from the benefits of
development. Hence, the overall objective is to ensure that resources and interventions for development
are used to improve the condition and position of women.
Women in Development In the promotion of social and economic development refers to the recognition of
the important role of women in development and the promotion of development aid that gives
consideration to ensuring women's active participation in all levels of development, not only as the
beneficiaries of development.
The criteria for WID projects are carrying out opinion surveys of women, adopting strategies to promote
women's participation, the presence of women as active participants and the utilization of WID expertise.
 Women In Development (WID)
In the midst of the general movement, led by the United Nations, to improve the status of women, the WID
concept has gained international momentum, and in 1983 the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) adopted the "WID Guiding Principles",
which included the development of the structure to promote WID (the Guiding Principles were revised in
1989).

Revised Guiding Principles on Women in Development, 1989

1. Clear statement on the importance of WID in the official aid policy document.
2. Formulation and review of WID-related guidelines and procedures.
3. Establishment of a management structure to promote WID policies.
4. Securing of resources for promotion of WID in aid agencies.
5. Implementation of training on WID issues for staff members of aid agencies.
6. Implementation of gender analysis of target population of aid projects.
 Why is gender equality important?
Gender equality is intrinsically linked to sustainable development and is vital to the realization of
human rights for all. The overall objective of gender equality is a society in which women and men
enjoy the same opportunities, rights and obligations in all spheres of life. Equality between men
and women exists when both sexes are able to share equally in the distribution of power and
influence; have equal opportunities for financial independence through work or through setting
up businesses; enjoy equal access to education and the opportunity to develop personal
ambitions, interests and talents; share responsibility for the home and children and are
completely free from coercion, intimidation and gender-based violence both at work and at home.
Thank You