Gender sensitivity

By GROUP 5
Sex/Gender
-Categorized as male and female -Masculinity and femininity
-Biological -Socially,culturally and historically
-Fixed as birth determined
-Does not change across time and -Learned through socialization
space -Varies change over time and
-Equally valued space
-Unequally Valued (masculinity as
the norm).
Gender Equity
Gender equity means fairness of treatment for women and men,
according to their respective needs. This may include equal treatment or
treatment that is different, but which is considered equivalent in terms of
rights, benefits, obligations, and opportunities.
Gender
Was first use as phrase “the social relations of gender”
It focuses on the attributes acquired in the process of socialization: our
self and group definitions, our sense of appropriate roles, values and
behaviors, and above all, expected and acceptable interactions in
relationship between women and men.
What is Gender sensitivity?
Means Gender Awareness which more analytical and critical since it
clarifies issues about gender disparties and gender issues.
It pertains to one’s effort to show how gender shape the role of women
and men in society, including their role in development and how it affects
it relations between them.
What is Gender sensitivity?

Gender sensitivity refers to an attempt to encounter and accept people

without presumptions. Gender sensitive approach aims at opening,
reconstructing and broadening expectations and behavioural models
related to gender.

Gender sensitive work identifies different ways of manifesting gender but

does not reproduce them without questioning.

Gender sensitivity ≠ gender neutrality!

Gender Role

A gender role is a set of social and behavioral norms that are generally
considered appropriate for either a man or a woman in a social
interpersonal relationship
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.
Gender Neutral Language
Language Matters

Gender Sensitivity often gets expressed through people’s language

choice.
We can choose more inclusive language and use words that are gender
neutral.
Gender discriminatory words are not innocent by making non-apparent,
society will see them as possessing less value.
Gender equality benefits both men and women by giving them wider
choice.
Socialization

Gender roles determine how males and females should think, speak,
dress and interact within the context of society.

They define what is masculine and feminine.

Parents, teachers, peers, films, television and religion teach and reinforce
gender roles.
Examples

Some examples of gender characteristics:

- Women are expected to take care family or domestic duties and
remain close to home
- All men are expected to work and earn money for the family
- Boys are better in mathematics than girls
- Boys never cry
- Girls are very emotional
- Women usually do more housework than men
Housework

- Mostly, it is women who do the housework, cooking, cleaning,

washing etc. which is repetitive and boring.
- Women have entire responsibility for child bearing.
- Women have to look after older or sick people.
- All this unpaid labor/work. It has no economic value.
- But it contributes a lot to the overall wealth of nation.
- Hence, housework done by women should be made apart of GDP
Stereotypes

Stereotypes are generalizations or assumptions that people make about

the characteristics of all members of a group based on an image (often
wrong)
Exploring Gender Stereotypes

Men’s Women’s
- Adventurous - Patient
- Brave - Tolerant
- Strong - Forgiving
- Virile - Chaste
- Hard, Rough - Motherly
- Aggressive - Passive
- Intelligent - Obedient
- Rational - Beautiful
- Decides quickly - Soft
- Loving
Conditioning
As a child, boys get toys like guns and super heroes while girls given
dolls and cooking sets.his conditioning manipulates young minds into
believing that they must act within their “given place” in the society
Challenges
Girls who do not conform to stereotypical expectations can experience
criticism, ostracism and even violence.
This also puts unwarranted pressure on boys who love to read, dislike
fighting or dislike sports or mechanics.
Gender equality benefits both boys and girls.
Benefits
Allow boys to express their emotions, encourage them to be expressive.
Involve them in activities like gardening and cooking.
Expose girls to role models of women in business, especially those
outside the stereotype, like doctors, scientists and leaders.
There role models will help girls to see themselves in professions outside
the normal stereotypes.
Masculinity

- Is a set of qualities, characteristics or roles generally considered

typical of, or appropriate to a man.
Ex: Being aggressive, independent, angry, brave, virile, being, in
control.
- Expectation of what a ‘real’ man should act and look like. But no one
actually is.
- Biological factors, culturally constructed.
Femininity

- Is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with

women and girls.
Ex: Being not aggressive, dependent,weak,flowing
- Expectation of what a ‘real’ man should act and look like. But no one
actually is.
- Socially constructed, cultural factors and biological factors,socially
constructed.
How to promote awareness in Parents and Teachers

Curriculum/text
all text reading materials and books be free of notion of gender inequality
as bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons and teachers, interaction with
student.
Educational system
needs to be gender-sensitive and gender friendly for girls and boys
Guidelines by Gender Experts
Needs for the development of criteria of meeting gender sensitive
guidelines.

Role of Government and NGO's

Need to join hand to minimize gender discrimination and promoting
gender equalities.
Use of gender Sensitive Vocabulary
Promoting gender neutral language.

Educational Policies
all policies, program and interventions need to be gender sensitive.

Teacher training Programs

Gender sensitivity training should be mandatory
Extra fringe benefits
benefits must be offered in rural areas to promote girl education

School Parent Partnership

needs to be strenghtened to identify gender issues in homes

Gender training/Sensitization sessions

gender training must be provided for parents, teachers staff,
administrators and local officials.
Monitoring
Gender sensitivity progress must be constantly reviewed by gender
experts.

Gender Sensitivity counselling

Gs counselling must be available for students, staff, teachers and parents

Allocation of budget
Educational Authorities and school must be provided budget to promote
and sustain the gender sensitive agenda.
Commitment from senior leadership/ Government
Gender fair practices are effective when top leadership supports gender
equity and equality.

Gender Sensitive Organizational Culture

Organizational change needs to be institutionalized by promoting gender
balance. Ex. Equal valuing of men and women's working style.

Gender Audit
gender audit of institutions should be carried out by gender experts to
review curriculum, policies, programs and interventions etc.
Creation of a Gender Responsive School
where the academic, social, and physical environment and its
surrounding community take into account the specific needs of girls and
boys.

Institutionalization of Special Committee To promote gender friendly

a. Preparing and implementing COE at workplace, b. Gender interest
committee, c. Sexual harassment commitee, d. Child Abuse Committee.
Gender Mainstreaming
In order to address gender concerns holistically it is
essential to mainstream gender in all institution of society.

Role of Media
Reinforces the traditional stereotypes of women and men
and thus needs to address and promote gender equality.
How to Adopt Gender Mainstreaming
>Train Teachers in Gender education
Train teachers in gender equality education to have it actualized more
effectively at school sites.
>Conduct Gender Analysis
Gender analysis should be conducted through the curriculum materials,
teaching and learning processes, school structure and culture.
>Strengthen school parent partnership on gender issues
School-parent partnership on gender issues should be strengthened by
parents, teachers, administrators and local officials.
How to Adopt Gender Mainstreaming

>Train for gender sensitivity

Gender Sensitivity training needs to be mandatory for all teacher training
programs, certificate and academic courses.
>Key Officials should undergo gender sensitivity training sessions
The key officials of both DEPED and CHED from the top echelon down to
lowest level of school managers should undergo a series of gender
sensitivity training sessions.
How to Adopt Gender Mainstreaming

>Develop set of criteria to rid textbooks of gender bias and sex

stereotyping.
The authors, publishers. Board on textbooks and other concerned
agencies stereotyping and continue to review existing textbooks and
teacher manuals in the elementary and secondary levels.

>Review policies for possible docriminatory clauses.

Concerned school officials should review policies for possible
discriminatory clauses on student admission requirements.
Roles Teachers Should Play to Address gender Sensitivity Issues

Teachers Should….
Understand gender roles and expectations
Teachers should understand gender roles and expectations to help them
analyze their own differential behaviors towards boys and girls.
Attend Gender Trainings
Teachers should attend gender trainings so that they can facilitate the
change to be brought about the curriculum materials such as syllabus,
modules instructional aides and others.
 Cooperate with Government and Non Government
Teachers should cooperate with government and non government
organizations to meet the challenges of minimizing gender discrimination
and promoting gender equality.

Strive to work hand in hand with school administrators

Teachers should strive to work hand in hand with school administrators so
that gender sensitive organizational culture will be institutionalized.
 Promote gender responsive school
Teachers should be active and decisive in promoting a gender
responsive school where the academic, social and physical
environment and its surrounding community take into account
the specific needs of both boys and girls.
Conduct researches
Teachers should conduct researches on gender sensitivity
issues to properly address inequalities and discrimination
between men and women.
 Find appropriate time to raise gender issues
Teachers should find appropriate time during assemblies, conferences,
meeting and the like to raise gender issues concerns.
Initiate information dissemination campaign on gender-fair
education
Teachers should initiate information dissemination campaign on gender-
fair education and include in school papers articles.
 Treat every boy and girl equally
Above all,teachers should treat every boy and girls equally in all aspects.