INTRODUCING GENDER

COPA

Okumba Miruka
March 15, 2021
Nairobi, Kenya
 • Pair up with a new person.

• You are a childless couple. God sends a dream

that he will give you only one child.

• Tell God which sex you prefer and why.

Who is Who?
Sex: biological attributes
of human beings that
distinguish us as males or
females.

Gender: socially
constructed identities
assigned by society & are
learned, vary by culture &
change over time.
 Gender Equality
Similarity in treatment of women & men based
on human rights principles (all born equal).

Formal Equality Substantive Equality

Legal: Enshrined in legal Proximate results for both.

instruments. Also called Also called equality of
equality of opportunity. outcome.
 Gender Equity

Fairness in the sharing of resources,

opportunities & benefits between women
& men depending on evidence & context.

Strategy for achieving

substantive equality.
 Equality vs Equity
Crow invited Fox to dinner
but served food in a deep
vase. Fox, with his short
wide face, could not eat.
Next, Fox invited Crow &
served food on a large flat
dish. Crow, with her long
narrow beak, could not eat
(Equality of Opportunity).
To get nourishment (substantive
equality), each must be served in
an appropriate utensil (equity
measures e.g. affirmative action).
What other words have you come across on
gender that you wish to have defined?

Capture on card

Individuals to define and exemplify.

Gender Roles: Activities assigned to us by each
community/society over & above
the biological based on identity.

Productive (to generate income/wealth)

Reproductive (care for & maintain human life)

Community management (to make

decisions & establish & maintain
order, structures & systems).
Empowerment

Process & result of gaining

attitudes, knowledge & skills
to compete equally for
available opportunities &
resources & exercise
autonomy.
 Gender Balance

Equal representation & participation of women &

men in all structures e.g. in a committee of 10, five
will be of either sex. However, numbers alone is not
enough. Also consider distribution & quality of
participation & impact.
Gender Disparity Gender Gap

Disadvantages Quantitatively measurable

faced by one sex differences in the
in which the situations of men &
other sex is women, girls & boys e.g.
favoured school enrolment.
 Gender Sensitivity
Awareness of & respect for the needs,
interests and sensibilities of women as
women & men as men e.g. not using
derogatory language, avoiding stereotypes &
patronizing language, providing facilities for
both in public places in recognition of
different needs etc.
 Sexual Harassment
Any covert or overt
act (physical, Targets and/or Makes its target
verbal, pictorial, comes from a uncomfortable,
electronic etc) of a person of the offended, demeaned,
sexual nature that: same or other humiliated, coerced &
• Is unwelcome, identity undignified.
uninvited &
unrequited.

Cite examples of behaviours that constitute sexual harassment.

 Gender Mainstreaming
Application: Integral
dimension of design,
implementation,
monitoring and evaluation.
Definition: Process
of assessing the
implications of any Purpose: Ultimate goal
planned action is to achieve gender
( legislation, policies equality.
or programmes) for
people of different
identities in all areas
& at all levels.
 Principles of Gender
Mainstreaming
• Diagnosis of gender • Does not replace targeted,
differences through analysis gender-specific policies &
and disaggregation. programmes.

• Responsibility is system-wide • Needs clear political will and

and rests at the highest levels. adequate human and financial
resources.

• Efforts to balance participation • Institutionalized through

at all levels of decision- concrete steps, mechanisms and
making. processes.