SEMINAR ON

GENDER
SENSITIVITY

By: Frannie G. Pastor

WHY ARE WE HERE?

WHY DO WE NEED TO BE SENSITIZED?

WHAT DO WE INTEND TO ACHIEVE

WITH THIS SEMINAR?
 Not a WAR
between sexes
Not Anti-Male
but Pro-Human
 Both men and
women are
victims although
women more than
men
 Both men and
women have a stake
in the struggle for
gender equality
ACTIVITY:
 On the piece you’ve received, draw an image
which first comes into your mind when you hear
the word “woman”.
 Look for the two other pieces with the same color
as your piece and form a rectangle. Give a clap
once completed so you could be given a number.

 Withyour formed group, come up with a clap

which you’ll do once you’ve presented your
drawing.
SEX AND GENDER
 SEX GENDER
BORN WITH SOCIALLY
CONSTRUCTED

CANNOT BE CHANGED CHANGEABLE

 Only women can give  Women can do
birth traditionally male jobs
 Only men can produce  Men can take good care
sperm of children
Relationship of Sex and Gender
 SEX AND GENDER
ROLES
Sex role function - role which male or female assumes
because of basic physiological or anatomical
differences
Reproductive Function
MALE FEMALE
Ovum fertilization Gestation
Sperm determines sex Child Bearing
of child
Lactation
 SEX AND GENDER
ROLES
Sex role function
 roles assigned to men and women based
on their gender
 refers to activities which are considered
appropriate and acceptable for boys or
girls; men and women
 part of gender norms; it is society’s
evaluation of behavior as masculine or
feminine
 SEX AND GENDER
ROLES
Gender norms – way by which a society expects
men and women to behave and the different
values associated with being a boy or a girl, man
or woman.

Gender-based behavior – socially constructed

according to what they believe to be differences
in male/female behavior; transmit such belief
to future generations; with culture and society
influencing mainstream views in differentiating
men and women
 SEX AND GENDER
ROLES
Female gender roles are associated with
appropriate concepts of
FEMININITY
and traits such as:
Submissiveness

Modesty

Nurturance
 SEX AND GENDER
ROLES
Male gender roles are associated with
appropriate concepts of
MASCULINITY
and traits such as:
Dominance
Assertiveness

Independence
 GENDER STEREOTYPES
It is the tendency or attitude, to ascribe particular
traits, characteristics and roles distinctly to men
and particular traits, characteristics, roles
distinctly women.
The assumption behind stereotyping is that the
ascribed attributes of men apply to all men and
that of women apply to all women in a given
society.
The confusion between sex and gender
gives rise to such stereotypes as:
Men:
Physically stronger, then, they
are better engineers, architects,
welders or carpenters.
They are the protectors of women.

Women:
Physically weak, then, they need
protection from men.
The confusion between sex and gender
gives rise to such stereotypes as:
Men:
Bravery, aggressiveness,
independence, and the ability
to control emotions and traits of men
Women:
Timidity, passivity, while emotionally
dependent, demonstrative, loving,
self-sacrificing and being peaceful
are traits of women.
Traditional gender roles divide men and
women from each other.
Deny women access to
the public world of:
 Work  Power

 Achievement  Independence

Deny men access to:

 Nurturance  Emotion
The confusion between sex and gender
gives rise to such stereotypes as:
Men:
Work is the center of their
lives. Reason is the basis for
decision-making. Decisive.
Women:
Relationship both within and
outside the family is the center of
their lives. Intuition is the basis of
decision-making. Whimsical and
fickle minded.
The confusion between sex and gender
gives rise to such stereotypes as:
Men:
More fit to be leaders, head of
families, businesses, enterprises,
social and political organizations,
states, armies and communities.
Women:
More fit to take secondary
roles.
However, the good news is

Gender Roles do change.

Let’s Review
 Differentiating Sex and Gender
SEX GENDER
Biological Fact Socially and culturally
constructed

Natural attribute that a person Created, produced, reproduced

is born with and maintained by social
institutions

Natural. Born. Fixed. Acquired/learned. Can be

unlearned.

Sex characteristics are Gender characteristics are not

universal universal. It may differ from
society to society.
Differentiating SEX from GENDER
QUIZ
Statement G S
1. Women give birth to babies, men do not.

2. Little girls are gentle, boys are rough.

3. According to UN statistics, women do 67% of
the world’s work, yet their earnings amount 
only to 10% of the world’s income.
4. In the rural areas, women are paid lower than
the wage for men. 
5. Women can breast-feed babies, men can bottle-
feed babies. 
Differentiating SEX from GENDER
QUIZ
Statement G S
6. Most-building site workers in the Philippines are
men. 
7. In Ancient Egypt, men stayed at home and did
weaving. Women handled family business. Women 
inherited property and men did not.
8. Men’s voices break at puberty, women’s do not.

9. In one study of 224 cultures, there were 5 in which
men did all the cooking and 36 in which women did 
all the house building.
10. In one documented case, a child who was brought
up as a girl, then learned that he was actually a boy, 
his school marks improved dramatically.
THANK
YOU!
 A short video about
Mga Babae sa Ating
Buhay
AFTER THIS GENDER SENSITIVITY
SEMINAR

I WILL STOP …

I WILL START …

I WILL CONTINUE …