FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

Institute of Arts and Sciences

Department of International Studies

Essay Question: Today’s gender role and gender identity are

defined by Western’s standards. Discuss.

IDC1107 - Section 1

Formative Assessment #3

Elaine A. Guevarra

2019092781@feu.edu.ph

September 24, 2022

Word Count: 1, 686

 From our childhood, we are imposed on what we should be. Men should be brave, while women
should be look pretty. Husband should work hard, while wife should take care of the house. But, these
given gender roles are not uniformly perceive worldwide, rather each places have different perspective,
belief, and culture about what gender identity and gender roles are (Parker, 2013). Not until, colonialism
happened that imposed each countries to align our gender perspective on what the West believe –
Western standards. For that, we need to be aware what happened in the past in order to understand the
present (Sagan, 1980). In this case, to scrutinize today’s gender identity and gender role is to have a
glimpse how it was before and now. To start with, these are some broad definition of gender identity and
gender role, which will be use throughout the discussion. Broadly defined, gender identity, as argued by
Wamsley (2021) may be the same sex that were assigned when you were born or depend on what
genitals at birth you have, but nowadays this could be depend on each person’s internal experience of
gender – you can be a man, woman, either or even both. While, gender role, as defined by Selemin
(2022), are the set of preconception or expectation regarding your gender role in a society, wherein it
depends upon on your assigned sex on what role you will have – either you’re women that should act in
feminine ways (nurturing, caring, and modest) or a male that should be strong and firm every time.

This paper argues that until now, despite of so much resistance, Western ideals in gender role and gender
identity still prevail in many parts of the world, specifically in education, employment, and government
sector. In the first part, this paper will give a brief explanation about various Western standards and how
it was propagate and adopted by many countries in the world. In the succeeding part, this paper will
examine today’s gender role and gender identity in various sector: (1) education, (2) employment, and
(3) government. In the conclusion part, this paper will discuss how the three sector are interrelated with
one another and how it affects women the most.

WESTERN STANDARDS IN GENDER

Western standards is dominant worldwide which imposes the idea that gender is only binary and
the concept of patriarchal system in the household. Traditionally, the Western societies only accepts two
categories, either you’re male or female, this viewpoint indicate that they only believe that gender is only
“binary”, which depend on what genitalia you were born with (Lang and Kuhnle, 2008). In relation with
this, the West believes that women are much nurturing than men (Blackstone, 2003), hence feminine
gender role are expected to behave in ways that are nurturing (e.g., taking care of the children, being a
good wife, and taking care of the house). On the other hand, masculine gender role are expected to be
a “leader”, wherein they are presumed to be the head of the household by working and providing
financially the needs of the family (p. 337).

With these ideals, the Western propagate the idea that men are much powerful than women in
different aspect and field, hence women became limited in various social participation. This kind of
perspective shows that the West started the patriarchal system in the household and eventually
developed and applied in the community. From a simple ideals that men is much powerful than women,
this spark so much stereotypes and biases in different field and parts of the world through their long
history of colonialism, which will be discussed below.

EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT SECTOR

One of humanity's fundamental rights is education, which is argued for being an essential rights
for achieving self-development, finding well-paying work, and fostering social and political involvement
(Philippine Commission on Women, n.d). However, this paper pinouts that having a higher education,
especially when you’re a women doesn’t guarantee a good high-paid employment.
 Figure 1. School Enrollement, tertiary for female Figure 2. School Enrollement, tertiary for male

Source: The World Bank. (2020). School enrollment, Tertiary, female (% gross). Data. Retrieved September 24, 2022, from
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.TER.ENRR.FE

In the figure 1 and 2, it shows that the school enrollment globally for female in college level is 43%,
compare to men that only has 37% (World, bank 2020). With this given data, it shows that many women
are enrolled in college compare to men, which some may view as a ‘good thing’ for the women because
they now have much participation and development in education. However, women having higher rate in
school participation doesn’t mean there is now gender equality that automatically eradicates the
influenced of Western ideals.

Figure 3. Health Human Resource

Source: Abrigo, M., & Ortiz, D. (2019, December). Who are the health workers and where are they? Retrieved September 24,
2022, from https://pidswebs.pids.gov.ph/CDN/PUBLICATIONS/pidsdps1932.pdf

For instance, courses such as health associates (e.g., nursing, pharmacist, midwives, etc.,) are
commonly taken by women. In figure 3, it shows that 74% of women are taking nursing course, while
only 26% of men interested on it (Abrigo and Ortiz, 2019). With this case, it indicate that Western standard
that women is nurturing still prevail, in a sense that women may achieve higher education but the job
they want or could get still limit their role.

As a best example, in the Philippines, a Southeast Asian country, the participation of women in college
is higher than men, but men and women did not earn wages equally or participate in the labor force at
the same rates, respectively (Orante, 2016). From UNDP Report (2015), it shows that only 51% of
women, compared to men with 80%. This data shows that though men and women attend school for the
same amount of years - with even women have much higher women participation in school, still more
women remain unemployed. In addition, Philippines may have higher women participation in school, but
in finding a job and acquiring promotion, still women are battling for it. To support, women in the
Philippines scored only 5.6 out of 7 as a chance to get a leadership work , and 33% of businesses employ
women (Orante, 2016). With this kind of education and employment situation, it only indicates that
Western standard still prevails. We may have some growth in education participation in women but this
is just one key element for gender equality, thus erasing the ideals left by the Western – men is powerful
than women , is still a long way run. Women are still experiencing stereotypes, biases, and degradation,
especially in workforce. This only means that having higher education doesn’t guarantee women with a
high-paid and professional job.

GOVERNMENT SECTOR

Despite of some progress of women in education, politics is still a place of gender inequality that
could be trace back to Western ideals of patriarchal system. As defined by Rawat (2014), patriarchy is a
constructed belief mainly from Western society that men is superior than women, hence in governing or
having leadership role only men are allowed/preferred to be in the position. The West perceive women
as a weak person in terms of decision-making and handling responsibility. As of writing, there are only
30 women who are elected or proclaimed as Head of State in just 28 countries in the world (UN Women,
2022). In addition, in national parliaments, for the year 2022 only 26% of women are active politicians,
up from 11% in 1995 (UN Women, 2022). With these given data, it shows that women participation in
politics is still far off, and this may link with Western patriarchy system that continuously oppress women.

Today, only few changes and improvements in politics were made in regards with women development
in politics. One of the best example, when Prime Minister Jacinda Arder succeeded and showcase that
women can lead and have a smart decision in her country. Notably, she became prominent woman leader
who proves that she is not limited and could have powerful political decision in which she portrayed in
handling the COVID-10 crisis in New Zealand (Peng and Talmacs, 2022). Despite of so much critique
about her capabilities as a women (e.g., issue in maternity leave, unmarried life, and discrimination), still
she won an electoral vote that became a symbolic for many women. However, women is still far off in
achieving gender equality especially in politics for we lack women representation. Much worse, countries
that are either authoritarian or undemocratic, women are experiencing almost no participation at all, they
can’t vote or be a candidate. Therefore, gender inequality in different fields are still prevailing and having
no or few women representative in politics only indicates that we are so far to our goal.

CONCLUSION

In a nutshell, today’s gender role and gender identity is largely influenced by Western standard
that still prevails in different countries and sectors. With the aforementioned analysis, it elucidates that
education, employment, and government sector are all interrelated with one another, in a sense that
women are still fighting for their rights to have access on quality education and even they do, the
employment opportunities for them are still limited (nurturing jobs such as nurses, midwives, or
caretakers) for the West propagate the idea of patriarchy (men is superior than women), hence only men
receives promotion and higher position in society. In relation with that, women rights would never be firm
if the leaders of a society are mostly men. Still, women have no clear and definite position in politics,
hence there will be no firm laws or regulation to develop women in different sector of a society. Indeed,
there are some improvements and changes, but patriarchal system influenced by the West is still a
dominant force that oppress women all over the world. Throughout the discussion, it shows that progress
in one sector, specifically in education (higher women participation in schooling) doesn’t guarantee the
employment opportunity of women, but rather businesses would still choose men even they don’t have
higher education and high-skilled experiences for the reason that this is the mindset that was left by the
West and a system governing our country.
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