Introduction to Gender and Society

Introduction to Gender

• Sex refers to the biological characteristics of an individual, including reproductive organs and physique.
• Gender refers to the sociological and cultural distinctions associated with being male or female, lacking biological basis and rooted in traditions.
• A person's gender may or may not align with their sex.
• A person's gender is the complex interrelationship between three dimensions: body, identity, and social gender.
• Body refers to individual experience/perception and how society genders bodies.
• Identity is conveying gender based on deeply held, internal sense of self, identities typically fall into binary (man, woman), nonbinary (genderqueer, genderfluid, etc), or ungendered (agender, genderless) categories.
• Social gender refers to how individuals present their gender in the world and how it is perceived by others.

Different Gender Roles in Society

• Historically, tasks were allocated based on physical strength, with professions like engineer and lawyer exclusive to men, and culinary or beautician roles for women.
• Sports were once exclusive to men.
• Men were the only ones that could work in different professions during ancient times.
• Wealth and honor relied on families having sons that could work.
• Men received formal education, while women focused on household chores and arts.
• Female goddesses often represent beauty and family life, while male gods represent strength and war.
• Male dominance in religion contributes to patriarchal societies.

Feminist Movements

• Feminism demands equal rights for men and women.
• Ideologies include politics, decision making, career, and having children.
• Women worldwide lack opportunities, knowledge, skills, and basic human rights and are marginalized.
• Feminism lacks a fixed definition and varies based on social, political, religious, and cultural perspectives.
• Liberal Feminism aims to eliminate sex-based discrimination, emphasizing individual independence, equal opportunity, and rights protection.
• Marxist Feminism views capitalism as the enemy and seeks abolition to achieve gender equality through economic solutions.
• Radical Feminism considers patriarchy the enemy, with women oppressed through biology and traditional roles.
• Socialist Feminism is a combination of Marxist and radical feminism.

Achievements of Feminism

• Achievements in equal education, rights, and liberty.
• Right of Suffrage: Temperance Movement, Granting black male rights or women of any color.
• Representation in government and public adminstration.
• Involvement in social, political, and economic matters.

Issues with Gender Equality

• Gender roles, gendered education and stereotypes.
• Gendered Work : skilled work = men and reproductive roles = women
• Gender Wage Gap : good mothers and housewives
• Woman are Emotional : not "rational"

How Capitalism Exploits Women

• Unpaid labor: housework and childcare.
• Reserve army of labor: women can be hired cheaply during economic booms and laid off during downturns.
• Capitalistic ideology - promotes the idea that women are subordinate.
• Wage Gap.

Achievements of Radical Feminism

• Focus on consent, abortion rights, and rights for lesbians.
• Emphasizes consciousness-raising and support for victims of violence.
• Promotes a non-hierarchical structure.
• Highlighting departure from what they called “traditional womanhood”.

VAWC Concepts

• Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) includes any gender-based violence resulting in physical, sexual, or psychological harm.
• Discrimination against women includes any gender-based exclusion or restriction affecting human rights.
• Psychological violence involves acts causing mental or emotional suffering, while sexual abuse involves unwanted sexual contact.
• Physical violence includes acts causing physical harm.
• Economic abuse is attempting to make a woman financially dependent.
• 49% of respondents said women would seek help from their family, 11% said women would seek help from police and 10% said they would go to support centres (shelters, women's centres, etc.).
• UN Women recommends prioritizing women in policy change and strengthening services for victims.

VAWC Bills & Laws

• Republic Act No. 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004): Deals with violence against women and children (VAWC) in the Philippines.
• Protection of victims.
• Criminal Penalties: Law has penalties depending on severity of the offense.
• Battered Woman Syndrome: Recognizes that a battered woman can defend herself in certain cases.
• Support Services: counseling, temporary shelter and legal assistance.
• Republic Act No. 8353 (Anti-Rape Law of 1997): Rape is a crime against persons that violates a person's well being not just purity or virginity.
• Redefines rape to include other forms of sexual assault beyond penile-vaginal penetration.
• Reclassifies rape by emphasizing that rape is a violation of bodily integrity.
• Penalites: imprisonment of 20 to 40 years to death (although the death penalty has since been abolished in the Philippines)
• Comprehensive Sexuality Education aims to integrate compulsory sexuality education at all educational levels.
• Core principles: Informed Choice, Access to Healthcare and Services and Respect for Human Rights.
• Safe Spaces Act covers all forms of gender-based sexual harassment (GBSH) committed in public spaces, educational or training institutions, workplace, as well as online space.
• Acts of gender-based Sexual Harrasment in Public Space: Catcalling, Sexist Remarks, Homopohic Remarks, Transpohic Remarks and Misogynistic Remarks.
• Challenges to VAWC: Underrerporting and Cultural & Social Norms.

SOGIE Concepts

• SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) acknowledges the fluidity of identities in the LGBTQ+ community.
• Sexual Orientation is who someone is attracted to emotionally, romantically, or sexually.
• Gender Identity is how someone sees themselves in terms of gender, which may or may not align with their sex at birth.
• Gender Expression is how someone shows their gender to others, varying across a spectrum.
• There are 64 countries with laws criminalizing homosexuality, often traced to European colonization.
• Some countries, like Brunei and Iran, may impose the death penalty for same-sex acts.

Gender Equality Movement

• There is a movement for pride is a protest.
• On 28 June 1969 Stonewall Inn, LGBTI community and trans women of color fought back against the police, police brutality increased amid six days of riots.
• This riot became a galvanizing force for activism in the USA.

SOGIE Equality Bills and Laws

• The fight for an anti-discrimination legislation (20 Years)
• Individuals and communities that experience human rights violations on the basis of SOGIE, including children, young, poor, differently abled, of different ethnic background or cultural background, and of various religious beliefs.
• Penalities: Any person who commits any discriminatory practice shall be penalized by a fine of not less than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (PI00,000.00) but not more than Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P500,000.00)
• Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act (RA 11166) includes state respecting. protecting and promoting human rights.
• Protection of Human Rights is anchored on the principles of human rights and human dignity, HIV/AIDS.
• Discriminatory Acts and Practices includes rejection of job, termination of employment, denial of benefits or services and exclusion of credit and insurance services.