Gender Sensitivity Modules

GENDER AND SENSITIVITY
BY: ERLINDA D. RIVERA. MBA
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Orientation on Gender
Sensitivity
Objectives of the GS
Orientation
 To introduce gender concepts
 To make participants express awareness of possible
gender issues that exists in the family and households
3
Gender Concepts
Video: "The Impossible Dream"
United Nations, 1983 -An animated film, co-

produced with Dagmar Doubkova of Kratkty Films,
Czechoslovakia.
Awards: Gala Opening International Film Festival, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil; Finalist American Film and Video Festival, New
York, USA; Certificate Seventh International Film Festival,
Espinho, Portugal.
Discussion
What did you see in the video?
Is the situation depicted in the video
true to Filipino families?
What is the message of the video? Is the
dream of the woman an impossible
dream?
6
Activity: Being Man or Woman
(Relay)
Write
a TRAIT
CHARACTERISTICS
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
or a ROLE
of MALE or FEMALE
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9
SEX
 Biological differences between
males and females,
e.g., reproductive organs.
 Sex is permanent -- a person is
female, not male, because of her male female
sexual & internal organs, & her
capability to menstruate, gestate
and lactate
 Sex is universal – true to men
and women all over the world.
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GENDER
 Differentiated social roles,
behaviors, capacities &
intellectual, emotional and
social characteristics attributed
by a given culture or
community to men &
women.
 As a social construct, gender
varies across culture and
overtime.
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What is a Girl?
What is a Boy?
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What is a Girl?
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Some people say that a girl
is one who has long hair.
But Dennis has long hair
and he is a boy.
Some people say
that those
who wear jewelry
are girls.
But Kuldip wears a necklace
and Aga has earrings,
and both are boys.
What is boy?
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Some people say that boys
are those who climb trees.
Sarah can climb trees
very quickly,
and she is a girl.
Some people say
that boys are those
who are strong
and can carry
heavy loads.
Saeeda does heavy work, and Nafisa carries
a heavy load of farm produce,
but they are both girls.
Some people say that
girls are those who
help in housework.
But Joseph helps with cooking and
cleaning at home and he is a man.
Some people say that
those who work in the fields
are men or boys.
Baljit and her mother work in the fields and
they are women.
Some people say that those who trade in the
market are men.
Valli and Emy are engaged in the market,
but both are women.
Some people say that those who are gentle
and motherly are girls.
Simon and Peter are gentle, full of motherly
love, and they are men.
Some people say that those who are capable
of managing affairs of the outside world are
men.
But Cory Aquino became
the first woman
Philippine President
and Vilma Santos
is a Governor .
They both manage the
entire country and
province respectively.
And they are women.
Then what is a boy,
and what is a girl?
A boy is one who has a
penis and testicles.
A girl is one who has a
vagina and
a clitoris.
Other than these few
biological differences,
girls and boys
are not different.
If I Were a Boy/Girl
If I would have been born a boy/girl

instead, what difference in my life
would that have made?
36
Gender Socialization
How did we learn our gender?
 Gender is learned through socialization
 Socialization is the process by which children,
adolescents and adults learn what is expected
of them by the society through their
interaction with individuals, groups and
institutions serving as socializing agents
A. Family
 The most basic institution where formative years of a
person are spent and developed
Processes that help children conform to their
gender identity
- Rewards and punishment (for the way boys and girls

should act)
- Modeling (how models of behavior speak and act)
- Activity Exposure (children are familiarized with
gender-related tasks)
B. Peers
 Learn traits and roles expected of boys and girls
 Know the opposite sex, rites of puberty e.g. circumcision,
menstruation
 Social roles, relationships, marriage,
C. Education /Schools
 Textbooks, curricula, language and career options
promoting role differentiation
 Sex- segregation in exclusive schools
D. Church and Religion
 Religious doctrines and symbolisms
e.g. marriage rites (Christian practice)
“purdah” or seclusion of women (Muslim)
women forbidden to enter synagogue
(Ancient Jewish tradition)
E. Mass Media
 Media portray different images of women both in print
media, TV and Radio
 Advertisements
E. State
 Laws and policies created to ensure the maintenance of a
system that are discriminatory against women
Gender Roles and Scripts
Gender Roles
 Gender roles are culturally determined tasks and
responsibilities of men and women based on their
perceived gender differences.
 Types of Gender Roles

- Reproductive roles
- Productive roles
- Community management and governance
Reproductive Roles
Involve the care and maintenance of the
household and its members, including the
bearing and caring of children, food
preparation, water and fuel collection,
shopping, housekeeping and family
health care.
Productive Roles
Tasks that contribute economically
(i.e., income generating) to the
household and community, like
agriculture, handicraft, livelihood
enterprise, manufacturing, services,
wage employment, etc.
Community management
and governance
Tasks related to leadership and
management of community
organizations/projects and
community political
structures.
Women’s Multiple Burden
 Women’s involvement in both
productive and reproductive tasks
means that they work longer
hours per day and have little time
for everything and for themselves
 Reducing women’s time burden is
a step to promoting women’s
economic opportunities,
participation in community
activities, and self-development
Rewriting gender scripts through
sharing of roles
 Productive and reproductive functions in the
home, the community or at the workplace
can be shared fairly between women and
men.
 Women and men should be given equitable
opportunity to get involved in tasks based on
their interests and competencies.
 Change towards an equal sharing of tasks
requires everyone’s commitment and
perseverance
 We have to help one another understand
what is gender and how it has been
shaped, understand more the gender
socialization process so as to know how it
affects the lives of individual males and
females, families, organizations, societies,
and how to transform it for the
betterment of all.
Gender Issues in Households
and Communities
GENDER ISSUES
MARGINALIZATION
GENDER STEREOTYPING
MULTIPLE BURDEN
SUBORDINATION
VIOLENCE
MARGINALIZATION
The process which
forces women into
the periphery of
economic and social
life of the decision-
making process as well as diminishing the value of
the activities in which they engage in and through
which they contribute to the national
development process.
GENDER STEREOTYPING
The process of
attributing a set of
characteristics roles
and traits favorable
or unfavorable to all
members of a social group based on sex.
MULTIPLE BURDEN
Involvement in the
three spheres of
work: reproductive,
productive and
community work.
SUBORDINATION
One sex is inferior to
the other. Gender
subordination is the
institutionalized
domination by men
of women (or vice versa).
Subordination is a power
relationship.
VIOLENCE
Refers to any act that
instills fear and pain to
injure or abuse a person.
 Domestic Violence
 Sexual Harassment
Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence occurs in several forms that
include spousal abuse, child abuse, child sexual
abuse, elderly abuse, parents abused by children or
violence between siblings.
 Physical violence
 Sexual violence
 Destruction of properties
 Psychological violence
Sexual Harassment
Violence which occurs in the workplace, manifested as
verbal, visual, gestural and physical. It includes sexist
remarks, propositions, coercive pressure for sexual
activity and assault
 Coercive-sexual misconduct that offers benefit or
reward
 Non-coercive misconduct that
simply annoys or offends a person
 Classifications (levels):
- grave, less grave and light
WHAT WE CAN DO?
 Let’s start to recognize that gender issues exist and
gender concerns are widespread issues that need to be
addressed by oneself, and community
 Let’s realize that unequal power relations between

women and men prevent equitable relations and the
full participation of women in development
The story of a Man
A man was sick and tired of going to work every
day while his wife stayed home. He wanted her to
see what he went through so he Prayed:
"Dear Lord: I go to work every

day and put in 8 hours while my wife
merely stays at home. I want her to know what I go
through, so please allow her body to switch with mine
for a day. Amen.
God, in his infinite wisdom, granted the man's wish.
The next morning, sure enough, the man
awoke AS A WOMAN.
He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate, awakened
the kids, set out their school clothes, fed them
breakfast, packed their lunches, drove them to
school, came home and picked up the dry cleaning,
took it to the cleaners and stopped at the bank to
make a deposit, went grocery shopping, then drove
home to put away the groceries, paid the bills and
balanced the check book.
He cleaned the cat's litter box and bathed the dog.
Then it was already 1 P.M. and he hurried to make
the beds, do the laundry, vacuum, dust, and sweep
and mop the kitchen floor.
Ran to the school to pick up the kids and got into an

argument with them on the way home. Set out milk
and cookies and got the kids organized to do their
homework, then set up the ironing board and
watched TV while he did the
ironing.
At 4:30 he began peeling potatoes and washing vegetables
for salad, breaded the pork chops and snapped fresh
beans for supper. After supper, he cleaned the kitchen,
ran the dishwasher, folded laundry, bathed the kids, and
put them to bed.
At 9 P.M. he was exhausted and, though his daily chores

weren't finished, he went to bed where he was expected
to make love, which he managed to get
through without complaint.
The next morning, he awoke and immediately
knelt by the bed and said:
Lord, I don't know what I was thinking. I was so wrong
to envy my wife's being able to stay home all day.
Please, oh please,
let us trade back."
The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied: "My son, I

feel you have learned your lesson and I will be happy to
change things back to the way they were.
You'll just have to wait nine
months, though.
You got PREGNANT
last night."
For Every Woman
By Nancy R. Smith, copyright 1973

For every woman who is tired of acting
weak when she knows she is strong,
there is a man who is tired of
appearing strong when he feels
vulnerable.
For every woman who is tired of
being called "an emotional female,"
there is a man who is denied the
right to weep and to be gentle.
For every woman who is called
unfeminine when she competes, there
is a man for whom competition is the
only way to prove his masculinity.
73
For every woman who feels "tied
down" by her children, there is a
man who is denied the full
pleasures of shared parenthood.
 For every woman who is denied
meaningful employment or equal pay,
there is a man who must bear full
financial responsibility for another
human being.
For every woman who was not taught
the intricacies of an automobile, there
is a man who was not taught the
satisfactions of cooking.
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 For every woman who takes a step
toward her own liberation, there is a
man who finds the way to freedom
has been made a little easier.
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 https://www.devex.com/organizations/swedish-
cooperative-centre-scc-46146
 https://www.slideshare.net/tinmay/cultural-changes-38115020
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Thanks... 
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GENDER AND SENSITIVITY

BY: ERLINDA D. RIVERA. MBA

United Nations, 1983 -An animated film, co-

If I would have been born a boy/girl

- Rewards and punishment (for the way boys and girls

 Types of Gender Roles

 Let’s realize that unequal power relations between

"Dear Lord: I go to work every

Ran to the school to pick up the kids and got into an

At 9 P.M. he was exhausted and, though his daily chores

The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied: "My son, I

By Nancy R. Smith, copyright 1973

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