GENDER SENSITIVITY AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONS

Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, 2020

Gender sensitivity encompasses the ability (skills, knowledge, and attitudes) to acknowledge and make existing gender differences, issues, and inequalities visible (UNIFEM 2007). This capacity is reflected through an awareness applied to everyday life situations, policies, projects, institutions, and a variety of contexts. It includes an understanding of how gender roles have been socially constructed, and how those social constructions often presuppose the existence of inequalities or unfair distribution of opportunities (UNIFEM 2007). Gender sensitivity incorporates a cross-cultural analysis to raise awareness of obstacles for gender equality and focuses on how inequalities take place on the grounds of gender. It can also be read as a part within an awareness spectrum, ranging from gender negative to gender transformative (Christodoulou 2005; Zobnina 2009). Within this spectrum, gender sensitivity lies in the middle, between gender neutral, which does not take into account gender as a relevant category of analysis, and gender positive, which is the capacity to change existing gender norms (Christodoulou 2005; Zobnina 2009). Gender sensitivity is a mental framework required to promote a change of conceptions related to gender; it involves a critical questioning of the underlying assumptions and constructions supporting the idea of gender roles, norms, and access to resources. Gender-sensitive individuals and communities address gender issues (norms, roles, and access to resources) to reach development goals (Christodoulou 2005; Zobnina 2009). Gender sensitivity involves strategies and actions to promote equal participation and fair distribution of benefits as a result of gender analysis and gender inclusion, but it does not necessarily imply the achievement of long-term transformations of unequal gender relations (UNDP 2001).

Springer, Cham , 2020

According to Sharma (2014), the word gender sensitivity, also synonymous with gender sensitization, is the modification of behavior through awareness of gender equality concerns. Such an approach seems to have made topical headline in the global community, which is said to be achieved through various sensitization endeavors like campaigns, trainings, and workshops led by both national and international institutions across the world. Kutateladze (2015) provided a linguistic approach to the concept to mean the examination of the language and selection of forms, which are unbiased and neutral. This has thrown a more sensitive approach to the political correctness of the word, particularly in the public domain, where the presence of left-wingers/heterodox thinkers like feminists has sought to make their presence in ensuring empowerment toward gender equality is made a global concern. Reeves and Baden (2000: pp 2 and 10), on the other hand, provided a dichotomy between the two synonymously used words gender equity and gender equality; in their definitions, gender equity signifies the equivalence in life outcomes for women and men, recognizing their different needs and interests and requiring a redistribution of power and resources, while, on the other hand, gender equality means women availing equal opportunities in life as men, including the ability to participate in public fora. In these definitions, a dichotomy seems to have been drawn between the two concepts, thereby reflecting differing contemplation of gender issues, which thereby makes it possible for addressing appropriate strategies as a way of addressing issues associated with SDG16.

Man and woman are a peerless pair; being supplementary to one another; each helps the other, so that without the one, the existence of the other cannot be conceived and, therefore, it follows that anything that impairs the status of either of them will involve the equal ruin of them both.

isara solutions, 2019

Gender sensitization presides over gender sensitivity which refers to the modification of behavior by raising awareness of gender equality concerns. Gender sensitization may be seen as “the awareness informed disposition or propensity to behave in a manner which is sensitive to gender justice and gender equality issues. This paper attempts to explain the parameters of Gender Equity and Equality through consideration of which levels of Gender Sensitization and its interlinkage with sustainable development for a society can be reached. First conceptualization of Gender Sensitization and Sustainable Development is emphasized and mentioned and further explained how these are complementary and inseparable to each other. A basic preview of Gender Biasness and its factors along with stereotypes responsible for its presence are mentioned. Development as a process of transformation exemplifies world over the significance of Gender Sensitization and takes us to conclusion that fruits of development cannot ripen unless equal status to half of the population comprising females is granted on the one hand and without Development , particularly Social which generally succeeds Economic Development , Gender Sensitization seems hard on the other hand. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of gender sensitization to attain considerable levels of Development and the Issues and Challenges confronting to reach such equitable world of Humanities.

isst-india.org

MPRA Paper, 2007

Abstract: Achieving Gender parity has become a great concern for the world today. It is considered as a part of development strategy in many countries. When all people-both men and women have equal access to services and resources, enjoy equal rights, and get equal ...

Gender issue dominates the 21 st century discourse both in the developed world and in the developing countries. It is a top priority of United Nation policy and World Bank commitment to invest on any programmes that guarantee full participation of women. Gender inequality or discrimination has been blamed on the steady increase on poverty, unemployment and other related issues. It is by no means a Western concept aimed at liberating women from perceived discrimination. Gender equality is perceived as a meaningful guarantor of development. However, academic query on this important issue left some gap to be filled on the irony of gender equality. What does the concept stand for, where is it coming from, what is the motive of gender equality, does it really guarantee women freedom without subjecting them to forms of exploitation and dehumanization? This piece is critical in answering these questions and in accessing the economic development agenda behind the campaign on gender equality. In order to achieve this, Marxist position is utilized, while upholding Structural functionalist theory to maintain the status quo and with certain modification and improvement on the condition of women. However, the study indicted capitalist economic system as the major causes of gender inequality.

Springer eBooks, 2021

Gender is a very common and a key organizing concept of institutions and practices in culture and society. It is not something we are born with, and not something we have, but something we do something we perform. Gender refers to the social attributes and opportunities associated with being male and female, the relationships between women and men and girls and boys, and the relations between women and between men. It is part of the broader sociocultural context and its root deeply rooted into the centuries, long struggles over power between men and women. Gender refers to the varied and complex arrangements between men and women, encompassing the organization and reproduction, the sexual divisions of labor and cultural definitions of femininity and masculinity. Gender equality refers to the allocation of resources, opportunities, support, and encouragement without any discrimination on the basis of biology, between men and women. So gender inequality refers to a situation where there is no equal treatment of men and women. This unequal treatment can be partially or wholly on basis of the gender. It arises mainly due to the differences in socially constructed roles in genders. This difference, between men and women, is generally regarded to political, social, economic, or any other problem that is perceived to exist as a result of such differences. Three types of gender inequalities are well identified in the literature of gender and development such as (a) inequalities in private property resources such as land and income and in gendered social norms and perceptions; (b) inequalities also from preexisting gendered social norms and social perceptions, that is, the inequalities are also ideologically embedded; and (c) inequalities also arise from newly defined rules and procedures that structure the functioning of the governance institution itself.

Development, 2001

A gendered rights and life cycle approach Gender discrimination is of central importance to human rights because it affects more than half of the human race: without women's rights there is therefore no full recognition of human rights. The essence of a gender approach is the recognition of the structural inequalities between men and women, boys and girls, and the disparities in their enjoyment of rights. This implies implementation of policies to address such disparities. Gender discrimination is not the only form of discrimination, inequality and denial of rights faced by women and girls. Gender interfaces with other forms such as discrimination based on ethnicity, culture, class, tribe, caste and religion. In order to adequately address the rights and development needs of women, the interface of gender with other forms of discrimination needs to be addressed. For example, women's right to income remains theoretical if investment in their communities is minimal because of racial, cultural or political discrimination. Differences such as those of class, race, economic and political power between populations and between women and girls themselves will influence both the definition of the problems to be addressed and the design of strategies to address them, even if the primary objective is to address gender issues. Groups of women who face multiple forms of discrimination require responses that recognize the interrelated transformations necessary for the effective exercise of their rights.