LESSON 1.

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Gender and Development

Lesson Outcomes

After completing this part of the module, you must have:

1. explained the concept of development;

2. differentiated sex from gender;
3. developed an understanding of basic concepts and approaches
in analyzing roles, relationships and situations from a gender
perspective
4. recognized some gender issues, their manifestations and
structural causes ; and
5. analyzed how gender issues impede societal development.

Activate ( Activity 3)

Introduction

Sex and gender are used synonymously by most people. This leads to
confusion. These two sets of words even results to limiting one’s person’s
potentialities. Certain characteristics seem to be automatically attached to each of
the sexes. As these ideas of “what should be” for the females and males become
part of culture, people are confined in boxes where they just have to meet society’s
expectations. This prevents them from contributing their best for the society’s
development.

Understanding the differences between sex and gender will guide people in
knowing how each of the sexes could play a vital role in all spheres of life. This
part of the module will make it clear that understanding gender will lead to respect,
appreciation of every person, cooperation, and ultimately, development.

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 Acquire

A. Doing Gender

Gender in its simplest sense connotes socially constructed views about how
females and males should behave in a society. These constructed views become
part of culture – the people’s way of life. The question now lies on how people
construct these views. Is the construction fair enough so that both women and
men are given the same opportunities? Do they exercise the same rights? Do
they have equal appreciation for the same role they perform? Here is where this
course kicks off.

We will therefore start at the very core of why we are doing this. We will
first understand Gender and Development.

Gender and Development (GAD) is a development perspective and process

that is empowering and participatory that strives to attain gender equality. It is a
universally-recognized viewpoint which acknowledges that development affects
people differently, depending on their class, age,
religion, ethnicity, and gender. GAD is about being
GAD Principle:
faithful to the principle that development is for all and
that everyone has the right to the same opportunities
Development is for ALL.
to achieve a full and satisfying life.

Since GAD is a development perspective, it is important for you to know

what the word development means. This is a complex word and there is a
multitude of meanings attached to it. The following two definitions were listed to
help you in understanding what development really means in the context of our
course.

 Development is not purely an economic phenomenon but rather a multi-

dimensional process involving reorganization and reorientation of entire
economic and social system. It is a process of improving the quality of
all human lives (Michael Paul Todaro, Development Economist).

 Development is a process that creates growth, progress, positive

change or the addition of physical, economic, environmental, social and
demographic components (The Society for International Development).

There are two words that are emphasized in these two definitions:
economic and social. This means that when we are talking of development, we

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are not merely looking at the financial progress but along with it, we have to
consider the social condition of people who are the contributors to and
beneficiaries of development.

Development is about attaining a full and satisfying life. By satisfying life

we mean that we feel the progress, our quality of life has improved, we share the
same opportunities, and we do not experience violence. Attaining a full and
satisfying life is a shared responsibility of:

a. everyone regardless of their economic status, age, sex, ethnicity, or

religion;
b. the government as duly mandated authority; and
c. of all individuals and entities who benefit from development or are
affected by the lack of it.

But how do we do our share of responsibility? As individuals, the

performance of this responsibility requires two things: our capacity to do and our
capacity to be.

Our capacity to do has something to do with our ability to:

 do productive and satisfying work;
 have control over one’s income and benefit from it;
 enjoy nature and the natural environment;
 procreate and raise children;
 care for others; and
 travel in search for opportunities.

Our capacity to be means a right or opportunity to:

 be knowledgeable and skillful;
 be well-nourished;
 be confident of own abilities; and
 be comfortable with achievements, independence and power.

The government plays an important role in this shared responsibility. For

the government, the responsibility to promote the attainment of a better life for all
means –

 helping people develop their abilities and individual strengths by creating

opportunities for people to hone their full potential so that they can
contribute to development. This is evident with the provision of free
education which lead toward the development of people’s abilities and
individual strengths;

 protecting people’s rights must be ensured by the government. A

satisfying life is a life that is safe and free from violence. Safeguarding

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 people and ensuring that their constitutional rights are observed is an
important factor that will lead people to do their share in the nation’s
development.

There is a misconception that GAD is for women. No, it is not. Although

the focus of the program is on women because they experience more gender
biases than the men, GAD is for both women and men. We cannot simply
empower the females without considering the needs of the males. Both should
grow together – this is gender equality.

It was mentioned earlier that the attainment of a full and satisfying life is a
responsibility by everyone. However, it is a sad reality that not everyone is given
the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from development. There are those
who are marginalized whose contribution to society is never appreciated or is being
undermined. If we want true development, then all of us should work for it
regardless of age, sex, religion, ethnicity, or class.

Time Out 1 ( Activity 4)

Apply

B. Sex vs. Gender

If you want to know if someone is a female or a male, what term should you
use: sex or gender? This may create confusion, isn’t it? There are various
perspectives that are needed to help you understand the terms sex and gender.
Understanding these two terms in different lenses will enable you to examine the
world around you and be critical on how social relationships are affected by the
way people define these two terms.

Many times we encounter questions that relate to our being a female or a

male. There are others who find the question discriminating or a measure that
demeans someone.

Sex and gender are terms that are used by many to refer to being a male
or a female. This is NOT CORRECT. These two terms are only related but are
not synonymous. Sex is different from gender; gender is not a synonym for sex.

Sex is based on biology and it is universal. By universal we mean that

anywhere we go, a female is a female and a male is a male. At around four months
of pregnancy, the sex of a child may already be seen through the use of an
ultrasound. Our sex therefore, is determined even before we are born. Biological
sex is an objective means of categorizing people.

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 In the chart are the biological
attributes of male and female. These
are aspects of the human body that
make a male different from a female.
Kindly go through its content.

Remember: there are only two

sexes: female and male.

Time Out 2 ( Activity 5)

Apply

You are now aware that sex is a biological attribute and that it is fixed and
universal, let us now proceed with another concept this lesson covers – gender.
Gender is the cultural construction of what is feminine and what is masculine. It is
how the society defines what a female and a male is supposed and is expected to
do in a culture.
Unlike sex, gender is not a fixed distinguishing variable. By saying NOT
FIXED, it means that gender is relative
and is based on how people assign
attributes associated with being a
female and a male. Gender varies from
one country to another.

Another important distinction

between sex and gender is that sex
happens before birth, gender happens
AFTER birth. Gender is not something
we are born with. This means that
gender is LEARNED.

Gender is based on perception, roles, and expectations attributed by the society

to females and males. The following chart summarizes these attributes.

Feminine Masculine
Perception Weak, emotional, Strong, rational,
secondary, can’t think primary, can’t feel

Role No hard work, no Hard work, leader,

leadership, not a boss, boss, no care-giving
no decision-making

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 Expectation Stay at home, just obey, Don’t make women do
don’t assert, don’t hard work, always be
participate in deciding smart, get the best,
don’t cry

Globally, women and men are boxed into situations which constrain their
capacity to do and capacity to be and hinder their potential to attain a full and
satisfying life. These boxes, as seen in the chart, are called stereotypes that
hinder people from using their capabilities and maximizing
Stereotype – a widely held their potentialities. People tend to follow the dictate of the
but fixed and oversimplified
image or idea of a society because most often, they do not want to be labeled
particular type of person or
thing.
as “deviant.”
Socialization – the lifelong
social experience by which How the society came up with these perceptions, roles,
individuals develop their and expectations is a product of socialization within social
human potential and learn
patterns of their culture. institutions. This will be intensively discussed in the
succeeding units of this module.

The stereotypes in the chart was practiced and is still being observed. It
became part of culture. But, culture can be changed!

C. Gender Issues

Gender issues pertain to beliefs, ideas, attitude, behavior, systems and

other factors that block people’s capacity to do and capacity to be. Gender issues
affect all people, regardless of age, sex, race in all spheres of life. Men, as well as
women, are affected by gender issues.

The chart, which contains the society’s perception, role, and expectations
for the females and the males, seems to be like a box where each of the sexes are
forced to behave in ways given to them. Problems in this social construction begin
when their confusion find its way into decision affecting:
 resource allocation
 assignment of roles and responsibilities
 transactional processes
 problem analysis
Resource allocation

In the Philippines, farming is a family affair. Because of their body

physique, men till the land by using the plow or a tractor. The woman does her
share by weeding, watering, harvesting, and even marketing the produce.
However, when we say the “farmer,” we automatically think of a man although
much of the work in the farm is performed by the woman. In the same line, the
man earns more because he tills the land and does the “hard” work. The woman
is paid less. This is an example of a problem in resource allocation.

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 A recent study by BioSpace conducted in the United States revealed that
the average salary for men is higher than for women (https://biospace.com). The
Gender pay gap reveals a difference of:

 nearly 48% in healthcare

 48 % in academia
 12% in biotechnology
 11% in pharmaceuticals

Moreover, the Philippines placed 8th in the Global Gender Gap Index in
2018. This is in the midst of a continuous effort seeking for gender equality in all
sectors of the society. Jobstreet, in a study involving 6,971 skilled workers,
revealed that a gender pay gap still persists in the country. Data revealed that
male employees in the Philippines earn Php5,000 more than their female
counterparts (https://investingwomen.asia).

Assignment of Roles and Responsibilities

The following figure shows the productive-reproductive divide. Please

take note that the reproductive sphere is expected to be performed by women while
the productive sphere is expected to be done by men.

Biologically, women are blessed to bear a child, give birth, and breastfeed.
The men cannot do that. Because of the woman’s reproductive role, she is
expected to care for the child and at the same time manage the home. The man
on the other hand, is expected to earn a
living and probably join organizations Productive-Reproductive Divide
where he can be known and create a
better life. No problem about that. Productive Reproductive
Problem comes in when the society • work • child birth/rearing
• home management
looks at the productive and reproductive • politics • family care
roles discriminatingly. Men are valued • paid • unpaid
• visible • invisible
because they earn while women who • valued • not valued
are at home are sometimes looked
down and not valued.

In our discussion on the types of

societies, it was made clear that as societies evolved, the men who till the land and
are involved in trade begin to earn and this makes him powerful over the women
who stay at home and take care of the children.

Because of this reproductive role, women are not preferred in some jobs
because they avail of maternity leave and make absences whenever somebody in

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the household is sick. Again, this is part of women’s reproductive role and they
should not be discriminated for that.

Transactional Processes

There are procedures and practices that seem to favor members of one
particular sex or gender and undermine members of the other. These spring from
ideas or stereotypes that we hold about people, the higher value we give to those
who are earning an income, and the lesser value we give to the reproductive role
of women.

There were times when women cannot make a loan from the bank or even
buy land without the signature of the husband. However, the husband during those
times can avail the same without his wife’s signature. Some of these practices
were already amended. Thanks to national and international issuances that
protect women’s rights and people of all genders.

Problem Analysis

There are situations when the society would look at members of one sex or
gender as always at fault. We call this victim-blaming wherein blame is given to
the victim rather than looking at the perpetrator. Rape cases, for example, best
illustrate how we analyze problems related to gender. We often ask the time the
crime was committed and blame the victim for staying out in an unholy hour.
Sometimes people look at the manner of dressing of the victim and blaming
follows.

Because of the stereotypes that we hold about people, we tend to neglect

the true issue behind cases of violence. We sometimes shift the blame to the
powerless and protect what the society considers the powerful.

Men’s Gender Issues

We said earlier that gender issues affect all regardless of sex, age, race,
religion, and social status. Gender issues among men are not so much highlighted
because they are men and they are expected to be always strong. This is not
always the case. The following are gender biases against them:

 They are inherently aggressive and violent

 They don’t feel pain and are incapable of expressing their emotions
 They are inherently expressive in their sexuality
 They don’t need closeness, reassurance, and attention

Women’s Gender Issues

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 Gender issues affect women more. When you listen to news or read posts
in the social media, you can see cases of violence inflicted against women (you
can hardly see men in these kind of news). The following are the gender issues
of women:

 Marginalization - Women being considered a nonessential force in the

economy despite their crucial role in production. Their contributions to
development remain unrecognized or undervalued.

 Subordination - Submission, sometimes due to force or violence, or being

under the authority of one sex. It often results in women having no control
over available resources and having no personal autonomy.

 Gender stereotyping - Society's perceptions and value systems that instill

an image of women as weak, dependent, subordinate, indecisive, emotional
and submissive. Men, on the other hand, are strong, independent, powerful,
dominant, decisive and logical.

 Multiple burden - A situation referring to the heavy workload of women and

the many, overlapping tasks involved, which if computed in terms of hours
would total more than 24 hours. This workload consists of unpaid
reproductive work, paid productive work, community management, and all
other work necessary for the survival of the family.

 Violence - Any act of gender-based violence that results in physical, sexual

or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts,
coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or
private life.

WEAR YOUR GENDER LENS

• A gender lens can make us accurately understand

our social environment…an accurate understanding
of inequality is a prerequisite for effective social
change

• Gender is one of the most significant factors in

the transformation of physical bodies into social
bodies

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 Time Out 3 ( Activity 5)
Apply

D. Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE)

People usually associated SOGIE with “LGBT.” However, it is not merely

about the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and the transgenders. SOGIE refers to
characteristics common to all human beings since everyone has a sexual
orientation and a gender identity. Everyone also expresses their gender and not
only the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Sexual orientation refers to whom a person is sexually attracted to. It falls

on a spectrum that ranges from exclusive attraction to only men or only women, to
varying degrees of attraction to both women and men. It is usually classified as
homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual. If a man is attracted to another man, he
is gay and if a woman attracted to a woman, she is a lesbian. Lesbians and gays
are homosexuals. The word homosexual is no longer use because it is
demeaning. So better call the person gay or lesbian. If a person is attracted to
both genders, he or she is a bisexual.

Gender identity is a person’s internal identification or self-image as male,

female, something in between, or outside of the male/female binary. Everyone has
a gender identity. A person’s gender identity may or may not be consistent with his
or her sex assigned at birth.

Gender expression is how a person embodies their gender attributes and

roles. One can be straight or LGBT and be into androgynous looks, or the mixing
of feminine and masculine elements. Crossdressers or people wearing the clothing
of the opposite gender is also considered a gender expression.

Here is a list of definitions for the terms associated with SOGIE:

Ally: Describes a person who confronts and challenges heterosexism, sexism,

homophobia, transphobia, and heterosexual privilege in herself or himself and
others.

Bisexual: Describes a person who is attracted to both men and women.

Cisgender: Describes a person whose gender identity matches his or her sex
assigned at birth.

Coming Out: Describes the act or process of voluntarily disclosing one’s sexual
orientation or gender identity.

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Gay: Describes a person who is attracted to individuals of the same gender. While
historically used to refer specifically to men, it is often used to refer to women
attracted to other women, as well.

Gender: A social construct used to classify a person as a man, woman, or some

other identity. Fundamentally different from the sex assigned at birth, it is often
closely related to the role that a person plays or is expected to play in society.

Gender Expression: Describes how individuals communicate their gender to

others. People express and interpret gender through hairstyles, clothing, physical
expression and mannerisms, physical alterations of their body, or by choosing a
name that reflects their own idea of gender identity.

Gender Identity: A person’s internal identification or self-image as male, female,

something in between, or outside of the male/female binary. Everyone has a
gender identity. One’s gender identity may or may not be consistent with one’s sex
assigned at birth.

Gender Non-Conforming (GNC): Describes a person who does not subscribe to

gender expression or roles imposed by society. Similar terms include: gender
creative, genderfluid, gender variant, genderqueer, and pangender. One example
would be a girl or woman who, in the past, may have been referred to as a
“tomboy.”

Heterosexuality: Describes a sexual orientation in which a person feels physically

and emotionally attracted to individuals of the opposite sex.

Homophobia: The irrational hatred and fear of lesbian or gay people, or

disapproval of other sexual orientations, regardless of motive. Homophobia
includes prejudice, intolerance, discrimination, harassment, and acts of violence
against people on the basis of their gay or lesbian identity.
It occurs on personal, institutional, and societal levels, and is closely linked with
transphobia and biphobia. Internalized homophobia is the fear and self-hate of
one’s own gay or lesbian identity, which can occur for individuals who have been
conditioned throughout childhood with negative
ideas about sexual orientations other than heterosexuality.

Intersex: Describes a set of medical conditions that feature congenital anomaly of

the reproductive and sexual system. That is, intersex people are born with sex
chromosomes, external genitalia, or internal reproductive systems that are not
considered “typical” for either males or females.
[Note: Hermaphrodite is an offensive and out-of-date term for an intersex person.]

“In the Closet”: Refers to a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex person
who chooses not to disclose his or her sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity
to friends, family, co-workers, or society. There are varying degrees of being “in

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the closet.” For example, a person can be “out” in his or her social life, but “in the
closet” at work or with family. Also known as “Down-low” or “D/L.”

Lesbian: Describes a woman who is attracted to other women.

LGBT: An acronym used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender

persons, or the community as a whole. There are many other variations or
extensions of the LGBT/GLBT acronym that include initials to represent terms such
as questioning, queer, intersex, allied and two-spirited.

“In the Closet”: Refers to a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex person
who chooses not to disclose his or her sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity
to friends, family, co-workers, or society. There are varying degrees of being “in
the closet.” For example, a person can be “out” in his or her social life, but “in the
closet” at work or with family. Also known as “Down-low” or “D/L.”

Queer: An umbrella term used to refer to all LGBT people; the term can be a
political statement as well as an identity, seeking to expand upon limited sexual
and gender-based categories. For some, “queer” has a negative connotation,
given its historical use as a pejorative term. Many LGBT people, however, have
reclaimed the word and now use it in a positive light. Many people use the term
“queer” because other terms do not accurately describe them.

Questioning: People who are unsure of, or in the process of, discovering, their
sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Transgender: Describes a person whose gender identity and sex assigned at birth
do not match.

Two Spirit: A term used in some Native American communities for persons who
identify with gender roles of both men and women, and/or are considered a
separate or third gender.

Assess ( Quiz 2)

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