1) What is meant by gender?

The term gender refers to the economic, social and cultural attributes and
opportunities associated with being male or female. In most societies, being a man
or a woman is not simply a matter of different biological and physical
characteristics. Men and women face different expectations about how they should
dress, behave or work. Relations between men and women, whether in the family,
the workplace or the public sphere, also reflect understandings of the talents,
characteristics and behaviour appropriate to women and to men. Gender thus
differs from sex in that it is social and cultural in nature rather than biological.
Gender attributes and characteristics, encompassing, inter alia, the roles that men
and women play and the expectations placed upon them, vary widely among
societies and change over time. But the fact that gender attributes are socially
constructed means that they are also amenable to change in ways that can make a
society more just and equitable.

2) What is the difference between gender equity, gender equality

and women’s empowerment?

Gender equity is the process of being fair to women and men. To ensure fairness,
strategies and measures must often be available to compensate for women’s
historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men from otherwise
operating on a level playing field. Equity leads to equality. Gender equality requires
equal enjoyment by women and men of socially-valued goods, opportunities,
resources and rewards. Where gender inequality exists, it is generally women who
are excluded or disadvantaged in relation to decision-making and access to
economic and social resources. Therefore a critical aspect of promoting gender
equality is the empowerment of women, with a focus on identifying and redressing
power imbalances and giving women more autonomy to manage their own lives.
Gender equality does not mean that men and women become the same; only that
access to opportunities and life changes is neither dependent on, nor constrained
by, their sex. Achieving gender equality requires women’s empowerment to ensure
that decision-making at private and public levels, and access to resources are no
longer weighted in men’s favour, so that both women and men can fully participate
as equal partners in productive and reproductive life.
3) What is gender mainstreaming?

Gender mainstreaming is a strategy for integrating gender concerns in the analysis,

formulation and monitoring of policies, programmes and projects. It is therefore a
means to an end, not an end in itself; a process, not a goal. The purpose of gender
mainstreaming is to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in
population and development activities. This requires addressing both the condition,
as well as the position, of women and men in society. Gender mainstreaming
therefore aims to strengthen the legitimacy of gender equality values by addressing
known gender disparities and gaps in such areas as the division of labour between
men and women; access to and control over resources; access to services,
information and opportunities; and distribution of power and decision-making.
UNFPA has adopted the mainstreaming of gender concerns into all population and
development activities as the primary means of achieving the commitments on
gender equality, equity and empowerment of women stemming from the
International Conference on Population and Development.

Gender mainstreaming, as a strategy, does not preclude interventions that focus

only on women or only on men. In some instances, the gender analysis that
precedes programme design and development reveals severe inequalities that call
for an initial strategy of sex-specific interventions. However, such sex-specific
interventions should still aim to reduce identified gender disparities by focusing on
equality or inequity as the objective rather than on men or women as a target group.
In such a context, sex-specific interventions are still important aspects of a gender
mainstreaming strategy. When implemented correctly, they should not contribute to
a marginalization of men in such a critical area as access to reproductive and sexual
health services. Nor should they contribute to the evaporation of gains or advances
already secured by women. Rather, they should consolidate such gains that are
central building blocks towards gender equality.
4) 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.

Within the context of population and development programmes, gender equality is

critical because it will enable women and men to make decisions that impact more
positively on their own sexual and reproductive health as well as that of their
spouses and families. Decision-making with regard to such issues as age at
marriage, timing of births, use of contraception, and recourse to harmful practices
(such as female genital cutting) stands to be improved with the achievement of
gender equality.

However it is important to acknowledge that where gender inequality exists, it is

generally women who are excluded or disadvantaged in relation to decision-making
and access to economic and social resources. Therefore a critical aspect of
promoting gender equality is the empowerment of women, with a focus on
identifying and redressing power imbalances and giving women more autonomy to
manage their own lives. This would enable them to make decisions and take actions
to achieve and maintain their own reproductive and sexual health. Gender equality
and women’s empowerment do not mean that men and women become the same;
only that access to opportunities and life changes is neither dependent on, nor
constrained by, their sex.
5) Is gender equality a concern for men?

The achievement of gender equality implies changes for both men and women.
More equitable relationships will need to be based on a redefinition of the rights and
responsibilities of women and men in all spheres of life, including the family, the
workplace and the society at large. It is therefore crucial not to overlook gender as
an aspect of men’s social identity. This fact is, indeed, often overlooked, because
the tendency is to consider male characteristics and attributes as the norm, and
those of women as a variation of the norm.

But the lives of men are just as strongly influenced by gender as those of women.
Societal norms and conceptions of masculinity and expectations of men as leaders,
husbands or sons create demands on men and shape their behaviour. Men are too
often expected to concentrate on the material needs of their families, rather than on
the nurturing and caring roles assigned to women. Socialization in the family and
later in schools promotes risk-taking behaviour among young men, and this is often
reinforced through peer pressure and media stereotypes. So the lifestyles that
men’s roles demand often result in their being more exposed to greater risks of
morbidity and mortality than women. These risks include ones relating to accidents,
violence and alcohol consumption.

Men also have the right to assume a more nurturing role, and opportunities for them
to do so should be promoted. Equally, however, men have responsibilities in regard
to child health and to their own and their partners’ sexual and reproductive health.
Addressing these rights and responsibilities entails recognizing men’s specific
health problems, as well as their needs and the conditions that shape them. The
adoption of a gender perspective is an important first step; it reveals that there are
disadvantages and costs to men accruing from patterns of gender difference. It also
underscores that gender equality is concerned not only with the roles,
responsibilities and needs of women and men, but also with the interrelationships
between them.
6) What are gender roles?
Gender roles in society means how we’re expected to act, speak, dress,
groom, and conduct ourselves based upon our assigned sex. For example,
girls and women are generally expected to dress in typically feminine
ways and be polite, accommodating, and nurturing. Men are generally
expected to be strong, aggressive, and bold.

Every society, ethnic group, and culture has gender role expectations, but
they can be very different from group to group. They can also change in
the same society over time. For example, pink used to be considered a
masculine color in the U.S. while blue was considered feminine.

7) How do gender stereotypes affect people?

A stereotype is a widely accepted judgment or bias about a person or
group — even though it’s overly simplified and not always accurate.
Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair treatment
because of a person’s gender. This is called sexism.

There are four basic kinds of gender stereotypes:

Personality traits — For example, women are often expected to be

accommodating and emotional, while men are usually expected to be
self-confident and aggressive.

Domestic behaviors — For example, some people expect that women will
take care of the children, cook, and clean the home, while men take care
of finances, work on the car, and do the home repairs.

Occupations — Some people are quick to assume that teachers and

nurses are women, and that pilots, doctors, and engineers are men.

Physical appearance — For example, women are expected to be thin and

graceful, while men are expected to be tall and muscular. Men and
women are also expected to dress and groom in ways that are
stereotypical to their gender (men wearing pants and short hairstyles,
women wearing dresses and make-up.
Hyperfemininity is the exaggeration of stereotyped behavior that’s believed to be
feminine. Hyperfeminine folks exaggerate the qualities they believe to be feminine. This
may include being passive, naive, sexually inexperienced, soft, flirtatious, graceful,
nurturing, and accepting.

Hypermasculinity is the exaggeration of stereotyped behavior that’s believed to be

masculine. Hypermasculine folks exaggerate the qualities they believe to be masculine.
They believe they’re supposed to compete with other men and dominate feminine folks
by being aggressive, worldly, sexually experienced, insensitive, physically imposing,
ambitious, and demanding.

These exaggerated gender stereotypes can make relationships between people difficult.
Hyperfeminine folks are more likely to endure physical and emotional abuse from their
partners. Hypermasculine folks are more likely to be physically and emotionally abusive
to their partners.

Extreme gender stereotypes are harmful because they don’t allow people to fully
express themselves and their emotions. For example, it’s harmful to masculine folks to
feel that they’re not allowed to cry or express sensitive emotions. And it’s harmful to
feminine folks to feel that they’re not allowed to be independent, smart or assertive.
Breaking down gender stereotypes allows everyone to be

8) Gender Division of Labour

The way work is divided between men and women according to their gender roles is
usually referred to as the ‘gender division of labour’. This does not necessarily
concern only paid employment, but more generally the work, tasks and
responsibilities that are assigned to women and men in their daily lives, and which
may, on their turn, also determine certain patterns in the labour market.

It is often argued that the gender division of labour is a result of biological traits;
however, if we notice that in some societies women perform tasks and jobs that in
some other societies are traditionally considered as men’s jobs, and vice versa, we see
the division of labour has much to do with what each society perceives as appropriate
for both sexes.

In most countries, house chores – like cleaning, cooking, washing clothes – and
everything that relates to sustaining the household – like fetching water of fuel, small
scale agriculture for self-sustainment – are typically women’s or girls’ tasks, even
when they have a paid job outside the home. On the other hand, more technical house
tasks, like dealing with electrical or mechanic equipment, is traditionally a man’s job.

The labour market (as well as education and training) is heavily segregated along
gender lines, with differences between regions and cultures. Also some
generalizations about gender divisions in the labour force are quite truthful, as men
dominate certain sectors and occupations and women others. For example, there is a
concentration of women in services and of men in manufacturing. By sub-sector there
is also a gender division: in manufacturing, for instance, there are more women
concentrated in the electronics and garments industries, and men in the car industry.

This is called ‘occupational segregation’, which is commonly split into a horizontal

and a vertical dimension. In the context of gender, horizontal segregation refers to the
extent to which men and women are located in different occupational sectors. Women
are usually highly concentrated in the sectors that require lesser skills (e.g.
agriculture), that promise little chance for career advancements (e.g. services) and that
are related to care-giving (e.g.: nursing), which often coincide also with low wages.
On the other hand, vertical segregation refers to the extent to which men and women
occupy different hierarchical positions within the same occupational sector. Within
the same sector, women tend to occupy the lower ranks of the hierarchical ladder (and
consequently the lower salary ranges). Statistics show that the higher the position the
wider the gender gap, so that on average women hold less than 5% of the top jobs in
corporations.

The gender division of labour is not fixed for all time; it changes in response to wider
economic, political and social changes. For example, men and women follow different
migration patterns, and engage in different occupations when they migrate. Migration
may also result in men taking on tasks that they would not normally consider within
their socially ascribed role, like having to cook for themselves. Some migrants often
have to accept occupations for which they are overqualified. The employment of
immigrant women in industrialized countries, as maids or care-providers, may not
make it possible for them to advance their professional area of work.

Examples of the Gender Division of Labour

• In parts of Asia it is common to see women working as labourers constructing roads,

while in Europe this road construction is generally a men’s job.

• In some cultures, purchasing items for household use, is a men's task, and in others
women control household purchases.

• In some Buddhist cultures, it is considered 'lowly' to handle money. Because of

their lower social status, handling money is often women's responsibility. In some
Islamic cultures, on the other hand, men may control household finances and purchase
all items for household use.
 9) Domestic violence
Domestic violence affects people from all walks of life; if you ever find yourself
faced with an unfortunate circumstance, know you don’t have to deal with it
alone. Please use any of these sources listed above, along with the Dutchess
county Social services building, the police and the 24-hour hotlines. Whether
you are looking to talk to someone or you have decided it’s time to leave,
anyone of these resources can assist you in taking the steps you need, caring
people are standing by waiting and willing to assist you anyway they can.

Domestic Violence is one of the most serious public health and criminal
justice issues women face today. One in four women will experience domestic
violence in their lifetime. The risks associated with domestic violence affect
not only the victim, but her family and friends, responding police, and
concerned bystanders as well. Domestic violence can happen in all forms of
emotional, psychological and mental abuse. Unfortunately, many victims
don’t always get the chance to seek help, sadly some wait to long, believing
it’s them or things will get better. This article is to inform women, that they are
not alone and speaking up helps not only them but helps open societies eyes
and bring awareness to this underserved population. Domestic violence
occurs when one person in an intimate relationship or marriage tries to
dominate and control the other person. Should you ever find yourself faced
with this, know there are plenty of resources available to help assist you
through this transitional process. Residents of Dutchess County should know
of these very important advocates available to assist with the emotionally
straining violence, and those who also offer shelters.

Domestic violence shelters are buildings or apartments where abused and

battered women can go to seek refuge from their abusers. The locations of
these shelters are kept confidential in order to keep your abuser from finding
you.

10) The Role of Women in Politics

To this end women have made substantial in-roads in all sectors of society –
engineering, science, technology, academia, media, and many more. In
politics in particular, South African women have come incredibly far. Before the
arrival of democracy in South Africa in 1994, there was a mere 2.7%
representation of women in parliament; since then, though, things have
changed. Currently women Ministers comprise 41% of the cabinet, women
deputy ministers make up 47% of the total number and there is a 41%
representation of women in the National Assembly. Leadership positions in
politics were previously dominated by men, and women's entry into the sphere
has been included in South Africa's globally acclaimed narrative of triumph.

Since the dawn of our democracy we have experienced defining moments for
women, such as exercising the right to vote like our male counter parts in 1994
and by having the gender equality clause in our Constitution in 1996. Our local
heroines such as the late Dr. Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburi and many others led
discussions on Gender Based Violence in preparation for the Women's Beijing
Conference of 1995.

We have seen women soldiering on side by side with their male counter parts
for quotas in gender representation in positions of influence and power to the
moment when the African National Congress decisively declared that, South
Africa should ensure gender parity during tipping points, like the appointments
of politicians in cabinet, municipal levels and provincial legislatures. The ruling
party went on to advocate for the implementation of gender parity policy
position by the private sector as well.
One of the early Presidents of the ANC, the late Comrade OR Tambo said:

“No country can boast of being free unless its women are free”

Conclusion.

The limitations and obstacles, to women attaining a political role, not only deny
them their democratic rights, but also undermine democracy. Constitutional
provisions, that advance women’s achievement of equality, would have to be
utilized.
It is my fervent hope that, as we celebrate 101 years of the ANC’s existence,
we consider to review the work done, and, plan ahead, for the next 100 years.

Let me conclude my address, with a quote, from a Tanzanian Professor, Anna

Tibaijuka:
“Women have tried to enter politics trying to look like men. This will not work.
We have to bring our differences, our emotions, our way of seeing things, even
our tears to the process”