Lesson-2 3

LESSON 2:
GENDER AND
SEXUALITY
ACROSS TIME
Learning Objectives
◦ discuss the historical roots of our
understanding of gender and sexuality;
and
◦ show appreciation of how this
understanding evolved through time,
affected various aspect of human life.
Gender and Sexuality Across
Time: Ancient Times
◦ Society has progressed so much in a
way that information and knowledge is
available to everyone. This gives us an
opportunity to examine our social and
political conditions in more detail than
when information was scarce and limited
to only few individuals.
Time: Ancient Times
◦ archeological artifacts reveal that in the
distant past, during the dawn of civilizations,
human societies have high regard for women.
The concept of the divine feminine has
prevailed, and thus, women are treated equally
with men. This make societies egalitarian.
Time: Agricultural Era
◦ humans’ discover the role of the
father in the conception which is called
paternity or fatherhood.
Time: Agricultural Era
◦ for the longest time thereafter, societies
have given men privileged over women,
mainly because of the preferential given men
in the productive sphere (world of public
work). Women who have been revered due to
their ability to conceive have been viewed
solely capable only of reproductive affairs.
Time: Industrial Era
◦ the gender disparity was intensified
where factors were built and men were
preferred because they did not have to
bear children for nine months and because
of their perceived physical strengths.
Patriarchy
◦ from the Greek word Patriarkhes which means
“the rule of the father”.
◦ a system based on the control and oppression of
women wherein they are perceived to be the
weaker sex.
◦ it is a structure that upholds male supremacy in the
law, at home, in the work place, and in society.
◦ men lead while women are expected to obey.
Patriarchy
◦ this means only men can inherit property
and the family name. Women were left with
no inheritance and are expected to marry a
man who can support her economically.
◦ women were not allowed to go to school, or
even vote because they are viewed as a
weaker sex and should not concern
themselves in learning science or politics.
Patriarchy
◦ According to Friedrich Engels, a German
philosopher and sociologist, patriarchy came about
when people started having private property
instead of a communal living. The development in
agriculture and domestication of animals let to
creating product surplus which allows people to
have private property. As a way to control the
excess wealth generated by these advancements,
male dominance was asserted over women so only
male heir can inherent the family.
Historical Views on Gender:
Greek
◦ Aristotle, Plato, and other Greek Philosophers
viewed women as the inferior sex and are
properties of men whose only job was to obey
their husbands, bear children, and take care of
the household. They were forbidden to learn
philosophy, politics, and science.
Historical Views on Gender: Egypt
◦ Herodotus, a Greek historian, observed
Egyptian civilization citing that Egyptian women
enjoyed their higher social status than Greek
women because they can inherit property and
engage in trade and politics. However, Greek
influence quickly in Egypt through the conquests
of Alexander the Great across Asia and Africa.
Historical Views on Gender: China
◦ Confucianism has stringent written rules that
dictates how women should conduct themselves.
The written document tittles “Three
obedience’s and four virtues” and “Precepts
of women” states that women should obey
their father, when married she is to obey her
husband, and when widowed she is to obey her
son.
Women have come along way since the ancient
times through the feminist movement, however,
patriarchy has taken on subtle forms or
oppression that often go unnoticed such as:
1. Sexism – prejudice, stereotypes, and
discrimination based on sex.
2. Gender pay gap – men earn more than women
3. Underrepresentation in politics, military,
executive positions, etc.
4. Rape on women and the stigma making women
ashamed to report the crime.
Women have come along way since the ancient
times through the feminist movement, however,
patriarchy has taken on subtle forms or
oppression that often go unnoticed such as:
5. Very conservative expectations on women on
how they behave.
6. Unrealistic depictions of women in fiction, often
very sensualized.
7. Women do more housework and childcare
8. Boys were trained to be leaders while women
were trained to do house chores.
Women Empowerment: Feminism
• Women’s liberation movement, women’s
movement.
• A continuing series of social movements that
aim to challenge the patriarchal society that
creates these oppressive political structures,
beliefs, and practices against women.
• During the 19th and early 20th century, first-
wave feminism spread across the western
countries as women demanded for their right
to vote or participate in elections and to be
able to legally own property.
• In France, Simone de Beauvoir wrote a titled
“The Second Sex” (1949). It outlined how the
patriarchal society disadvantaged the women
by slowly raising her into submission and
hindering their productivity and happiness by
relegating them to housecleaning.
• Betty Friedan - The Feminine Mystique (1963)
• Kate Miller – Sexual Politics (1969)
• Germaine Greer – The Female Eunch (1970)
• Le Mouvement de Liberation des Femmes or
the women’s liberation movement was formed
in Europe and they sought the right to
education, right to work, and right to vote in
1940’s.
• Second - wave feminism in 1960’s through

80’s
• Third – wave in the 90’s
• Forth – wave in 2012
Salient points that feminism demands:
• women suffrage – women were not allowed
to vote before because they were viewed as
irrational and temperamental therefore not
being able to make rational decisions. This
changed after World War I (1914 – 1918)
wherein women were uprooted from the
household.
• Equality in the society – feminist have
always criticized that old, privileged men
always make the decisions for women at
home and in politics.
• Reproductive right – women should have
control over her body.
• Domestic violence – such as marital rape
and physical abuse are often dismissed by
society as part of a “marriage” (away mag-
asawa)
• Sexual harassment and sexual violence – the
Center for Women’s Resources in the
Philippines estimates that women or child is
raped every hour mostly by someone they
know.
• Other rights include the right to divorce their
husbands, the right to make decisions on her
pregnancy, equitable wages, and equal
employment opportunity.
ACTIVITY: You may choose only one (1) among the
following.
1. Art Installation/Poster: Create an art piece or poster that
visually represents the struggle against patriarchy or the
empowerment of feminist movements. Please include a brief
explanation of your work and the message it conveys.
2. Poetry or Spoken Word: Write and perform a poem or
spoken word piece that reflects the themes of patriarchy
and feminism.
3. Answer this “Has feminism succeeded in dismantling
patriarchy?”.
4. Answer this: In what ways has feminism challenged
patriarchal systems?
Direction:
For Art Installation/Poster: draw it on
an Oslo paper.
For Poetry or Spoken Word: encoded
or written on a short bond paper
For items 3 and 4: write it on 1 whole
yellow piece of paper.

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LESSON 2:

• Second - wave feminism in 1960’s through

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