Understanding gender

Activity

Icebreaker

Study each of the following statements and decide if they are usually considered true or false in your community.

• Males have more muscles than females [T]
• Women must raise the children in the family [F]
• Girls do not like sports [F]
• Women breastfeed [T]
• Men lead, women follow [F]
• Only men own farms [F]
• Girls cook better than boys [F]

Discussion

Our perceptions and understanding of what it is to be a girl/woman or boy/man are influenced by what we see and learn every day. Sex is usually determined at birth and refers to our biological make-up. Many people believe that boys and men can only do certain things and girls and women can only do certain other things. However, since many of these beliefs are learned behaviours, these traditional and stereotypical thoughts and behaviours can be challenged and changed through awareness-raising.

In many communities, it is believed that women should take care of the home and children while the men work. In households where there are both men and women, the man usually looks after the vehicles and equipment and makes repairs to the home, while the woman is usually responsible for the cooking, cleaning and caregiving.

Note it!

Gender is influenced by culture (education and religion), the media and a person’s social status or class. Gender behaviours and roles can vary from one society to the next and can change over time within a particular society.