SEX AND GENDER: Whats the Difference?

SEX AND GENDER: Whats the Difference?

THE CONCERN FOR GENDER:Whats the Big Fuss?

WHAT IS SEX?What makes one male and femaleBiologically determinedWhat we are born withRefers to physical characteristicsConstant across timeConstant across different societies and culturesSex is often confused with gender

Multiple roles,MULTIPLE BURDENS

at home reproductive rolesat work productive rolesin the community community management and political roles

Traditional gender role restrictionslimit the psychological and social potentials of human beings

Due to continuous exposure and reinforcement of gender differentiationGender roles and relations are resistant to changeBUT THEY DO CHANGE.Gender equality - the principle of asserting the equality of men and women and their right to enjoy equal conditions realizing their full human potentials to contribute to and benefit from the results of development, and with the State recognizing that all human beings are free and equal in dignity and rights. Section 7. Magna Carta of Women Implementing Rules and RegulationsWomens empowermentthe provision, availability, and accessibility of opportunities, services and observance of human rights through life-cycle and rights-based approach which enable women to actively participate and contribute to the political, economic, social and cultural development of the nation as well as those which shall provide them equal access to ownership, management and control of production, and of material and informative resources and benefits in the family, community and societyWHAT is DEVELOPMENT?Traditionally defined in economic terms:-market growth, -modernization, -infrastructure improvement, -trade and employment. Alternative View of DEVELOPMENT?People-Centered Development-Promotes people participation and empowerment-Strives to meet basic needs and interests

People-Centered Development means:-Economic-Social-Political-Cultural and other dimensions of an individuals lifeDEVELOPMENT must Provide opportunities to broaden an individuals capacity to do and capacity to be. -Expanding the range of choices for people

CAPACITY TO DOThe power and ability to enable individuals to perform the things they want to do to pursue a better life.CAPACITY TO BEOpportunities and resources to attain an individuals aspirations for a better life.Gender and Development

A development perspective and process that is participatory, empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence and respectful of human rights and supportive of self-determination and actualization of human potentials.

Seeks to achieve gender equality as a fundamental value that should be reflected in development choices; GAD recognizes gender inequality and the disadvantaged status of women.

GAD removes explicit, implicit, actual and potential gender biases within organizations and PPAs of those who are concerned with development.Gender and DevelopmentSeeks to transform societys social, economic and political structures and questions the validity of the gender roles they ascribed to women and men; Contends that women are active agents of development and not just passive recipients of development assistance; andStresses the need of women to organize themselves and participate in political processes to strengthen their legal rights. But why focus on women?Women are half of the countrys populationThey produce half of economic goods and

services butThey are in the invisible and marginalized sector or the so-called non-money economy bearing and raising childrendomestic laborsubsistence agriculture

But why focus on women?They are already in the money economy

-informal sector-wage employment-trading

But why focus on women?Women have unique stakes, roles and insights to share in order to attain development objectives, such as in:

-sustaining the environment-managing population growth-imparting values that have profound impacts on human progress and economic development

But why focus on women?And most importantly, because resources and opportunities for attaining a full and satisfying life are NOT ALWAYS THE SAME for women and men because of the :SEX -child bearing roleGENDER -beliefs about what women cant do

Gender and DevelopmentIs about changing the culture that brought about inequality and suppression to men and women.

We should not be afraid to change the culture; our predecessors were brave enough to bring us where we are now; changes brought about or being initiated by gender and development are intended to make better persons out of us.GAD is NOT war of the sexes

GAD IS NOT ANTI-MALE

Both women and men are victims of stereotyping

In Sum, GAD is Approach to or paradigm of development Focus on social, economic, political, cultural forces that determine how differently women and men participate in, benefit from and control resources and activities.