SEX,

GENDER
AND
SEXUALITY
HOW CAN YOU
DIFFERENTIATE
SEX, GENDER
AND
SEXUALITY?
SEX
 refers to physical or physiological
differences between males and
females, including both primary sex
characteristics (the reproductive
system) and secondary characteristics
such as height and muscularity.
INTERSEX
 a group of conditions in which there
is a discrepancy between the
external genitals and the internal
genitals (the testes and ovaries).
(disorders of sex development)
 SYMPTOMS
•Ambiguous genitalia at birth
•Micropenis
•Clitoromegaly (an enlarged
clitoris)
•Partial labial fusion
•Apparently undescended
testes (which may turn out to
be ovaries) in boys
•Hypospadias (the opening of the
penis is somewhere other than at the
tip; in females, the urethra [urine
canal] opens into the vagina)
•Delayed or absent puberty
•Unexpected changes at puberty
 EXAMS AND TESTS
•Endoscopic exam (to verify the
absence or presence of a vagina
or cervix)
•Ultrasound or MRI to evaluate
whether internal sex organs are
present (for example, a uterus)
Can intersex people have babies?
In many cases, intersex people are infertile. That said, whether
an intersex person can reproduce depends on their specific
situation.6Intersex people can—and do—have children.
If you’re a person who is intersex, your ability to conceive a
child depends on your reproductive anatomy. Many people who
are intersex can have families through assisted reproductive
technology (ART). This may involve in vitro fertilization (IVF),
using donated eggs, sperm or embryos, or having a gestational
carrier (surrogate).
GENDER
 a term that refers to social or
cultural distinctions and roles
associated with being male or
female.
FEMININE/MASCULINE
GENDER IDENTITY
refers to how your feel inside, regardless
of the binary male or female label you
were assigned at birth. It can influence
how you choose to present yourself
through your appearance and behaviors.
CISGENDER
 individuals who identify their gender with the gender
and sex they were assigned at birth
TRANSGENDER
 individuals who identify with the gender that is the
“opposite” of their biological sex
TRANSGENDER MAN -are individuals who were assigned
the sex ‘female’ at birth, but have such a strong
emotional and psychological connection to the forms of
masculinity in society that they identify their gender as
male.
TRANSSEXUAL
 transgender individuals who wish to alter
their bodies through medical interventions
such as surgery and hormonal therapy — so
that their physical being is better aligned
with their gender identity
SEXUALITY
refers to a person’s capacity for
sexual feelings and their emotional
and sexual attraction to a
particular sex (male or female)
SOCIAL LIFE SEXUALITY
(1) Sexual orientation (attraction to a particular sex);
(2) Sexual identities (such as straight, queer, butch,
femme or genderqueer);
(3) Sexual practices (the type of sexual activity engaged
in or fantasized);
(4) Sexual social forms (such as monogamy, polyamory,
pornography, sexual rites of passage, purity balls, laws of
adultery, age of consent).
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
 heterosexuality, the attraction to individuals of the
opposite sex;
 homosexuality, the attraction to individuals of one’s
own sex; (lesbians, gays)
 bisexuality, the attraction to individuals of either sex;
and
 asexuality, no attraction to either sex
APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), nature and
nurture play a complex role in shaping our sexual orientation.
Homosexuality and heterosexuality are part of the human sexuality and
is a large part of the human experience.
Identifying as a heterosexual, lesbian, bi, gay, or transgender is a
deeply personal process, so it may be difficult for others to ‘come out’ or
for them to become comfortable enough with their sexuality that they
feel safe to share it with other people. For others, it comes early in
adolescence while for some, it may take time to understand and
discover themselves.
 According to the Psychological Association of the
Philippines, “we can only truly tell if the person is gay, lesbian, or
bisexual if the person shares with us his or her experiences and
feelings of attraction towards them”. That is why it is important for
everyone to feel safe as they share their sexuality since it is a
personal and sensitive topic. We can do that in an environment
where we do not feel judged and discriminated upon. People who
experience prejudice and discrimination suffer negative
psychological effects (APA), so we must work towards an inclusive
environment where everyone feels safe.
 GENDER AND
SEXUALITY
ACROSS TIME
PATRIARCHY
a system based on the control and oppression of women wherein they are
perceived to be the weaker sex.
It is a structure that upholds male supremacy in the law, at home, in the
work place and in society.
Patriarchy is from the Greek word Patriarkhes which means “the rule of the
father”.
It is a social system where men primarily hold power in the political and
private spheres.
This means that in this social system, society is organized and
maintained in a way that men rule over women and their children.
In the social, legal, political, and economic spheres, men are
expected to lead while women are expected to obey and are
relegated to house chores, bearing children and child care.
only men can inherit property and the family name
Women were left with no inheritance and expected to marry a
man who can support her economically.
 In fact, women are not allowed to go to schools, or even vote,
because they are viewed as a weaker sex and should not
concern themselves in learning science and politics.
 Women's and gender histories
Women's historians and scholars have made the
differentiation between the term’s “gender” and “sex.”
Sex was determined to be the biological makeup of
an individual, while gender was determined to be the
chosen identity of an individual.
 Historical Views on Gender
Greek
Aristotle, Plato, and other Greek philosophers
viewed women as the inferior sex and are properties
of men whose only job was to obey their husbands,
bear children, and take care of the household. They
were forbidden to learn philosophy, politics, and
science.
 Egypt
Herodutus, a Greek Historian, observed the Egyptian civilization
citing that Egyptian women enjoyed higher social status than Greek
women because they can inherit property and engage in trade and
politics. However, Greek influence quickly spread Egypt through
the conquests of Alexander the Great across Asia and Africa.
 China
Confucianism has stringent written rules that dictate how
women should conduct themselves. The written documents titled
“Three obedience’s and four virtues “and “Precepts of women”
states that women should obey their father, when married she is to
obey her husband, and when widowed she is to obey her son.
 Gendered biases in ancient patriarchal societies
were very strict, heavily enforced, and often
violent. Imagine not being able to go to school just
because you are a woman, not being able to
express your opening important matters on even
when it concerns your future, and not being able to
say no to any harm.
 Women have come a long way since the ancient times through
the feminist movement, however, patriarchy has taken on subtle
forms of oppression that often go unnoticed such as:
• Sexism- prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination based on
sex;
• Gender pays gap-men earn more than women;
• Under presentation in politics, military, executive positions,
etc.;
• Rape on women and the stigma making women ashamed to
report the crime;
• Very conservative expectations on women on how they
behave;
• Unrealistic depictions of women in fiction, often very
sexualized
• Women do more housework and childcare;
• Boys were trained to be leaders while women were trained
to do house chores.
What is women’s empowerment?
Women’s empowerment can be defined to promoting
women’s sense of self-worth, their ability to determine
their own choices, and their right to influence social
change for themselves and others. It is closely aligned
with female empowerment – a fundamental human right
that’s also key to achieving a more peaceful, prosperous
world.
 To put simply, feminism demands equality. Here are few salient
points that feminism demands.
1. Women suffrage – women were not allowed to vote before
because they were viewed irrational and temperamental and
therefore, not able to make rational decisions. This changed after
World War I (1914 – 1918) wherein women were uprooted from the
household. They took on jobs and made significant contributions to
their country. Many countries soon started letting women vote since
they can no longer argue that women are “irrational and
temperamental”.
 2. Equality in politics and society – for hundred of years,
women’s voice were silenced, so society must make an
effort to restore their rights. Representation is very
important for women, so that their genuine concerns are
heard in politics and in society. Feminist have always
criticized that old, privileged men always make the
decisions for women at home and in politics.
 3. Reproductive right means the woman is in control of
her body, and she can decide for herself on what she sees
is best for her. Contraception, abortion, and other
reproductive options should be available to women because
it is their body.
 4. Domestic violence – such as marital rape and physical
abuse are often dismissed by society as part of a
“marriage”. Although we have RA 9262 or Anti Violence
Against Women and their Children, our culture still dismiss
such incidents as “away mag-asawa”.
 5. Sexual harassment and sexual violence – The
Center for Women’s Resources in the Philippines
estimates that one woman or child is raped every hour
mostly by someone they know.
6. Other rights include the right to divorce their
husbands, the right to make decisions on her
pregnancy, equitable wages, and equal employment
opportunity.
 GENDER AND
SEXUALITY AS A
SUBJECT OF
INQUIRY
 Gender studies
Social Research
Research approach
Ethics in research
Definition of terms
 Gender studies – a field of study concerned about
how reproductive roles are interpreted and
negotiated in the society through gender (a field that
promotes gender equality and combats discrimination against
women and other marginalized group)
 Social Research – the process of investigating
social realities
 Research approach – the orientation in understanding
social realities. This can be qualitative (interpretative),
quantitative (deductive) or both
 Ethics in research – these are considerations in
conducting research to make sure that the well-being
of the participants are ensured, and that the outcome
of the study is sound without undue harm to people
involved.
Gender role or sex role are “sets of
culturally defined behaviors such as
masculinity and femininity” according
to the Encyclopedia of Sex and
Gender (2019).
 In a binary system of viewing gender roles, we only see
the male and the female where men are expected be
masculine while women are expected to be feminine. This
is the norm or the accepted standards of how to behave
like a woman (mahinhin) or how to behave like a man
(matipuno/matapang). In gender studies, we are asked to
disrupt and question these kinds of social expectations,
gender roles, and gender norms.
 Gender studies is not just for women or all about women, it is about everyone.
It explores how our gender roles have change throughout our history and how it
created inequalities. One hundred years ago, women are not allowed to study at
universities since their role was only restricted to domestic or the household. This
repressed women’s potential in shaping the social and political landscape in the
past, but it also placed the burden on the men to provide for the whole family.
Our society has changed so much since then; the jobs available for everyone
is not so much dependent on physical strength, making these jobs accessible to
women as well. Most mothers also have a job now, so they also provide for the
family. Gender studies would ask us to question, is it still right to say that the men
are the providers of the family when both mothers and fathers now work and earn
money.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Gender roles are socially constructed and are not something
that we are “born with”
Society, through a lifelong learning process of normalization,
encourages or reprimands behaviors to make a child adapt to
these social expectations.
A young boy is always encouraged to be brave, to play rough,
to be loud, and not to show signs of weaknesses such as
crying.
A young girl is discouraged from playing rough and being
loud, instead they are told to be gentle and soft.
If a child does not follow this roles, they are
reprimanded. That is how gender norm is forced
upon an individual, a lifelong process of
normalization.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people
often do not fit in the traditional binary gender
roles so they are often reprimanded, bullied, and
discriminated. They are often subjected to violence
and hate just because they do not fit in what
society calls “normal”.
GENDER STUDIES AND RESEARCH
Gender Studies utilizes a systematic
approach in identifying problems, making
hypotheses and assumptions, gathering
data, and making conclusions. This
systematic approach is referred to as
research process.
APPROACHES IN RESEARCH
a.Qualitative approach
-focuses more on the meanings created and
interpretations made by people about their own
personal or vicarious (observed) experiences.
Some of the methods used in the qualitative approach
are as follows:
• Phenomenology – conducting intensive interviews
with individuals who have experienced a particular
event and understanding their “lived experiences”
• Hermeneutics – understanding the meaning
of texts (literary works, art works) and what
they convey about human realities; and
• Ethnography and ethnomethodology –
immersing in a community and taking note of
their experiences, beliefs, attitudes and
practices. (collecting data through observations
and interviews , which are used to draw conclusion
about how societies and individual functions)
Quantitative Approach
-focuses more on characterizing a population (total
number of individual in a group) or a sample and in some cases,
making generalizations about the population based on the
behavior of the sample.
Some of the methods used in the quantitative approach
are as follows:
• Survey – collecting information from a sample; and
• Experiment – creating actual set-ups to observe behavior of
people in an experimental group and comparing it to the
behavior of people in a control group.
ETHICS IN GENDER AND
SEXUALITY RESEARCH
Ethical principles to remember:
• Informed consent – researchers should make
sure that the participants in the study are
aware of the purpose and processes of the
study they are participating in. They should
also ensure that only those participants who
agree (in writing) will be included, and that
they shall not force any participant to join.
• Confidentiality and anonymity – researchers should
not reveal any information provided by the
participants, much so, their identity to anyone who
are not concerned with the study. All gathered data
from the surveys or interviews should also be placed
in a secure location or filing system.
• Non- maleficence and beneficence – a study should
do no harm (non-maleficence) to anyone. Especially
in researchers involving humans, a study should be
beneficial (beneficence) for it to be worth
implementing.
• Distributive justice – any study should not
disadvantage a particular group, especially the
marginalized and the oppressed (e.g. poor,
women, LGBTQ+, the elderly). The benefits of
a study should be for all. (equal benefits)
THANK YOU!