SEX AND GENDER

SEX is a biological term referring to people, animals, etc. Being either female or male depending on
their sex organs or genes (Susan Basow). It refers to the differences between individuals that make
them male or female. It is biologically-determined differences such as sexual organis, gonads,
chromosomes, hormones) e.g menstruation, mammary glands producing milk, breastfeeding for
females and testicles or testes for males. Sex is determined by birth. It can be changed through sex
reassignment (surgeries e.g. change of sex organs and the administration of hormones
(transgender/transsexual). These are the different biological and physiological characteristics of males
and females, such as reproductive organs, chromosomes, hormones (WHO).

GENDER has social, cultural,, and physiological rather than biological connotations. It is defined in
terms of femininity and masculinity. It also refers to “subjective feelings of maleness or femaleness (i.e.
femininity or masculinity), irrespective of one’s sex (Bascow), known as gender identity. It is the
amount of masculinity and femininity found in a person (Stoller). It refers to socially constructed
characteristics of women and men such as the norms, roles, and relationships of and between groups
of women and men. These are socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a
given society consider appropriate for women and men and are learned through socialization process.
It is context- and time-specific, and varies from society to society and can be changed. It determines
what is expected, allowed, and valued in a woman or a man ina given context. When individuals or
groups do not fit established gender norms, they face stigma, discriminating practices or social
exclusion, all of which adversely affect health (WHO). In most societies, there are differences and
inequalities between men and women in responsibilities assigned, activities undertaken, access to and
control over resources, as well as decision-making opportunities. Gender is both an analytical category
and a political idea.Traditional gender roles are hierarchical. Gender is not necessarily defined by
biological sex (a person’s gender may or may not correspond to their biological sex) e.g. male, female,
transgender, (non-binary or ‘gender queer’. Gender is deeply personal to every individual. Gender
intersects with other categories such as class, skin color, ethnicity, religion, or disability (PWD). Gender
is something we express since we communicate our gender in a number of ways (mode of dressing,
movements/actions, hairstyle, and the way we interact with others. WHO.

The proper terms for describing sex, are ‘male and female’, while corresponding terms for gender are
“masculine and feminine”.

Important Characteristics of Gender

Gender-Related Concepts

Gender Sensitivity is the ability to recognize gender issues, especially women’s different perceptions
and interests arising from their unique social location and gender roles.

Sex-Gender system emphasizes that a lot of cultures tend to see gender as a natural phenomenon
deriving from biological differences between men and women. However, understanding of feminine or
masculine differ across cultures or geographic locations.

Sex Roles refer to an occupation or biological function for which a necessary qualification is to belong
to a particular sex category (e.g. pregnancy, menstruation).
Gender Roles refer to learned behaviors in a given society/community or special group that conditions
us to perceive certain activities, tasks, and responsibilities as male or female. This sexual division of
labor is rooted im what is technically known as a production-reproduction distinction.

Caroline Moser’s Triple Role Framework

1. Reproductive roles- those that procreate and sustain the human race (e.g reproducing children,
childrearing, housekeeping). These are usually maintenance roles without any monetary values
attached to them.
2. Productive roles are roles undertaken by men and women to get paid/wages in cash or to produce
goods that are not consumed by themselves. These include market production, household
production/subsitence with a use value.
3. Community/socio-cultural roles refer to community’s collective consumption or use. These
embrace mobilization to secure basic services for the community taking leadership roles and
participation in organizations, projects.
a) Community management the type of productive system has been found to have important bearing
on the nature and extent of women’s participation. These are activities undertaken primarily by women
at the community level, as an extension of the reproductive role, to ensure the provision and
maintenance of scarce resources of collective consumption, such as water, healthcare, and education.
These are voluntary, unpaid work undertaken in ‘free time’.
b) Community politics refer to activities undertaken primarily at the community level organizing at the
formal political level often within the framework of national politics. This isusually paid work, either
directly or indirectly, through status or power (Moser, 1995).

Gender Needs

a) Practical Gender Needs are needs which, if they were met assist women in their current activities
(e.g. water provision, healthcare, food distribution).
b) Strategic Gender Needs are needs which, if they were met enable women to transform existing
imbalances of power between women and men (e.g. alleviation of the burden of domestic labor and
childcare, removal of institutionalized forms of discrimination).

Access and Control over REsources, Opprtunities, and Benefits

The ‘access’ and ‘control’ profile identifies the resources used in the identified tasks; define by gen-
der who has access to these resources and control over their use; and define the benefits that result
from each activity and those who have access to and control over these benefits.

Access is the ability, right, or opportunity over the resources, opportunities, and benefits.
Control is the power to influence or direct decision-making and has authority over the resources, op-
portunities, and benefits.