GNED 10 – Gender and Society PDF

Republic of the Philippines CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY Bacoor City Campus Soldiers Hills IV, Molino VI, City of Bacoor, Cavite...

Republic of the Philippines CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY Bacoor City Campus Soldiers Hills IV, Molino VI, City of Bacoor, Cavite  (046) 476 - 5029 www.cvsu.edu.ph GNED 10 – Gender and Society  Objectives of the study 1.To have a deeper understanding on the importance of gender equality in all aspects of development 2. Know the notion of gender & development and how gender roles affect the relationship of men and women in society GAD - Gender and Development dealt on the social constructed basis on the differences between men and women and it gives emphasis on the need to challenge existing gender and relations - Aimed to promote, inspire and support development policy and practice, which furthers the goal of equality between women and men.  Two Major Rules / Beliefs  Gender Roles/ Sex Role - male or female (genitalia)  Social Relation Analysis - relationship or interactions between two or more individual I. GENDER AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION The Social Construction of Gender   Is a theory in feminism and sociology about the manifestation of cultural origins, mechanisms and corollaries of gender perception and expression in the context of interpersonal and group social interaction.  Social constructionism is a special theory how is the meaning is created through social interaction just like the things we do and say towards other people. This theory shows that gender is not innate or fixed, but instead it depends across time and place. The Social Construction of Gender Relations tackles or first to consider is the difference between “Gender” and” Sex”. Sex  refers to the physical and biological attributes of men and women  includes the chromosomal, hormonal, and anatomical components of males and females  refers to the biological differences between males and females, such as the genitalia and genetic differences  the word root from Middle English which means “section” or “divide”.  XX (female) or XY (male) chromosomes  eggs or sperm  facial hair  breasts  “female, male”  generally permanent  universal  categorize as male and female  physical attributes  pertaining to a person’s body contours, features, hormones, genes, chromosomes and Reproductive organs What are Sex Roles?   A function in which a male or female assumes because of the basic physiological anatomical difference between the sexes.  A role which can be performed by only one of the sexes. Sex Roles Female 1. Child- bearing 2. Lactation 3. Gestation Male 1. Ovum fertilization 2. Produces spermatozoa which determine child’s sex Gender  Describes the societal attitudes and behaviors expected of and associated with the two sexes.  refers to the role of a male or female in society (individual role) or it can also be the individual’s concept of themselves, or gender identity.  Latin word genus which means “kind” or “type”  masculine or feminine  man or woman  “psychological”,” sociall” or” cultural”  categorize as feminine and masculine  attributes are marked by inequality  sociologically constructed  changing, time and place bound  present in both women and men Gender Roles  Are learned behaviors in a given society or community of social groups and influenced by perceptions and expectations  Arising from cultural, economic, environmental, social and religious factors Women 1. Cooking 2. Childcare 3. Housekeeping Men 1. Leader 2. Providing income for the family Gender Division of Labor GENDER ROLES MALE FEMALE Productive Reproductive Community Role 1. Gender Socialization  Process of teaching an individual how to socially behave in accordance with their assigned gender, which is assigned at birth based on their sex phenotype.  Nowadays, most gender expression differences are largely believed are attributed to the differences in socialization, rather than genetic and biological factors.  Gender socialization can lead to gender stereotypes: girls and boys are expected to act in a way that are socialized from birth. Individual who do not conform to gender stereotypes are being ostracized by their peers for being different.   Individual who are usually socialized into viewing gender as masculine-feminine binary, while there are individuals whose gender identity do not align with their assigned gender, this indicates that the gender binary is not universally applicable. Agents of Gender Socialization  Family  School  Media Roots of Gender Socialization 1. Family …  Socialization starts when the baby is born  Influential in the formative years of the child  Gender begins the moment a child is born. Child-Rearing – Ex. Dressing girl babies in pink and boy babies in blue. o The process of MANIPULATION.. people handle girls and boys differently even as infants. o The process of CANALIZATION … people direct children’s attention to gender appropriate objects CANALIZATION … as in the case of choice of toys for girls and boys.  Boys - cars and machines  Girls - dolls and toy kitchen utensils o The process of VERBAL APPELLATION … telling children what they are and what is expected of them. Verbal Appellations - “brave boys” and “pretty girls” - “boys don’t cry” and “girls don’t climb trees” 2. School   Gendered lessons  Unequal treatment of teachers to female male and students 3. Media  TV, Prints & Cyberspace  Influence of pornography  Media and Societal violence Gender: Early Socialization Gender socialization is the process through which children learn about the social expectations, attitudes and behaviors typically associated with boys and girls. This topic looks at this socialization process and the factors that influence gender development in children. When parents have a new baby, the first question they typically ask is whether they have a girl or a boy. Children’s gender assignment becomes a powerful social identity that shapes children’s lives. During early childhood, girls and boys spend much of their time in the home with their families and look to parents and older siblings for guidance. Parents provide children with their first lessons about gender. Possible ways that parents might influence children’s gender development include role modeling and encouraging different behaviors and activities in sons and daughters. Parents’ Gender Stereotypical Expectations  Gender-typed expectations may occur regarding personality traits (e.g., “boys are aggressive”), abilities (e.g., “girls are good at reading”), activities, and roles (e.g., “men are scientists”). As gender equality has increased in many cultures during the last several decades, there has been a corresponding increase in adults’ endorsement of gender-egalitarian attitudes. There is now more variation among parents with some holding  traditional expectations and some expressing egalitarian expectations for their daughters and sons.   Also, some parents may support egalitarian views about some domains (e.g., occupations) but remain more traditional about other domains (e.g., family roles).  Finally, parents (especially fathers) tend to be more rigid in their expectations for sons than daughters. Parents’ Gender Role-Modelling  One of the dramatic social changes in much of the industrialized world in the last 50 years has been in the entrance of women into the labor force.  In contemporary industrialized societies, most women with children work outside of the home. Men’s average involvement in childcare and housework has also increased, although domestic responsibilities continue to be handled mostly by women in most dual-career families.  Research finds that fathers’ childcare involvement is negatively related to children’s gender stereotyping. Through active involvement in childcare, fathers demonstrate that the adult male role may include nurturing as well as instrumental activities.  The potential influence of parental gender-role modeling has also been implicated in studies of children raised by lesbian or gay parents. Compared to children raised in two-parent heterosexual families, children raised by same-gender parents tend be less likely than to endorse certain gender stereotypes.  However, when same-gender parents divided labor with one parent as primary caregiver and the other parent as the primary breadwinner, their children were more likely to express stereotyped views about adult roles and occupations. Parents’ differential treatment of daughters and sons  In many parts of the world, parents with limited financial resources have a strong preference for sons. As a result, priority for resource opportunities ranging from health care to education may be given to sons over daughters.   This stark contrast in the differential treatment of sons and daughters is generally not seen in wealthier countries. Nonetheless, there are common ways that parents in these societies may socialize girls and boys differently.  According to one comprehensive review of studies conducted in western countries, the most consistent manner by which parents treat girls and boys differently is through the encouragement of gender-stereotyped activities.  This includes the types of toys that parents might purchase or the kinds of activities that they promote. For example, parents are more likely to provide toy vehicles, action figures, and sports equipment for their sons; and they are more likely to give dolls, kitchen sets, and dress-up toys to their daughters.  Once children begin to request particular toys (usually by around 3 years of age), it is unclear how much parents are shaping their children’s play activity preferences as opposed to acceding to their children’s stated preferences.  There are also subtle ways that parents may reinforce gender stereotypes even when they are not overtly encouraging them. This is commonly seen in parents’ use of essentialist statements about gender. Examples would be “Girls like dolls” or “Boys like football.” In these instances, the parent is expressing what is known as a descriptive stereotype (i.e., describing general patterns or “essences” about each gender) rather than prescriptive stereotype (i.e., stating what should occur).  Research suggests that even middle-class mothers who held gender-egalitarian attitudes often used essentialist statements with their preschool-age children. Also, they rarely challenged gender stereotypes (e.g., “It’s ok if a girl wants to play basketball”).  On average, parents in many industrialized cultures are more flexible about the play activities they consider acceptable for daughters than sons. (Relatively little research has examined parental attitudes toward girls’ and boys’ play in non-western or non-industrialized countries.) Also, fathers tend to be more rigid than mothers in encouraging gender-typed play (especially in sons). Factors that influence Gender Development in children Influence of Biology  Experts disagree on whether differences between males and females result from innate, biological differences or from differences in the ways that boys and girls are socialized.  In other words, experts disagree on whether differences between men and women are due to nature, nurture, or some combination of both. Example: There are some significant differences between female and male brains. The language center in the male brain is usually in the dominant (usually left) hemisphere, whereas females use both hemispheres of the brain to process language. This may explain why females seem to have stronger communication skills and relish interpersonal Factors that influence Gender Development in children Influence of Biology  Experts disagree on whether differences between males and females result from innate, biological differences or from differences in the ways that boys and girls are socialized.  In other words, experts disagree on whether differences between men and women are due to nature, nurture, or some combination of both. Example: There are some significant differences between female and male brains. The language center in the male brain is usually in the dominant (usually left) hemisphere, whereas females use both hemispheres of the brain to process language. This may explain why females seem to have stronger communication skills and relish interpersonal communication more than males and why, on average, girls learn to speak and read earlier than boys. Influence of Family  Every culture has different guidelines about what is appropriate for males and females, and family members may socialize babies in gendered ways without consciously following that path.  For example, in American society, the color pink is associated with girls and the color blue with boys. Even as tiny babies, boys and girls are dressed differently, according to what is considered “appropriate” for their respective sexes. Even parents who strive to achieve a less “gendered” parenting style unconsciously reinforce gender roles. Example: The toys and games parents select for children are often unconsciously intended to socialize them into the appropriate gender roles. Influence in Education  As children enter the educational system, traditional expectations for boys and girls continue. In the past, much research focused on how teachers were shortchanging girls in the classroom.  Teachers would focus on boys, calling on them more and challenging them. Because boys were believed to be more analytical, teachers assumed they would excel in math and science. Teachers encouraged them to go into careers that require a lot of math and science, such as computer science or engineering.  Research from the late 1990s, however, indicates that the current educational climate is failing boys. Boys are falling behind girls in school. The dropout rate for boys is rising. More boys are being diagnosed as learning disabled. The number of boys applying to college has declined.  Some sociologists argue that current teaching methods favor girls’ learning styles. Girls mature more quickly than boys and are able to focus and concentrate in class more easily. Example: Studies show that boys are more physically active than girls. This difference is greater when children are in elementary school. Boys may be less able to sit still during a lesson. They are often sent out of class as disruptive, which puts them behind in the schoolwork and can reinforce their problems in the classroom. Influence on Career Choice  If cultural expectations dictate that girls are more compassionate and nurturing than boys, then parents, teachers, and counselors will steer them toward fields that require patience and concern for other people, such as nursing, social work, or elementary school teaching. Though a girl who expresses a desire to become a nuclear engineer would probably no longer be explicitly discouraged, a boy with a similar goal would probably encounter more encouragement. Example: Women working in traditionally male occupations often hit a glass ceiling, an invisible barrier that keeps women from reaching executive positions. Men who work in traditionally female occupations, such as nursing, social work, or elementary school teaching, are often viewed as more qualified than women. These men often benefit from a glass escalator; they are paid more and promoted more quickly than their female counterparts. Implications for Parents, Service Providers, and Policy Makers  Parents, service providers, and policy makers may wish to foster more flexible gender roles in children to help them develop a broader repertoire of socio-emotional and cognitive skills.  Although parents can have an influence on children’s gender development, their impact can sometimes be overestimated. Because gender is a social category that organizes virtually every segment of society, there are multiple sources of socialization in children’s gender development.  Besides parents, these potentially include other family members, peer groups, friends, the media, and teachers. As children get older and become more autonomous, the influences of peers and the media often become especially powerful.  Parents can try to encourage their children to play with a combination of feminine- and masculine- stereotyped toys and play activities during early childhood; however, they may find their efforts run counter to children’s attitudes once they are exposed to peers and the media.  In addition, parents can be mindful of the kinds of peers with whom their children affiliate. They may be able to foster greater gender-role flexibility through encouragement of organized mixed- gender activities in which girls and boys learn to work together as equals.  Finally, parents can make a concerted effort to discuss and challenge gender stereotypes with their children. 2. Sociological Theories of Gender  Social Constructionism Theory  A special theory about how meaning is created through social interaction like the things we do and say to other people.  The teaching theory shows that gender is not created, fixed or innate, but instead it changed across time and place. Gender Norms   Acceptable ways of acting out gender learned from birth through childhood socialization  Influence by our family or what our parents teach expected from our gender, so as with what we pick up at school through religious, in the media and other institutions.  Feminist Theory  Feminist theory is a type of conflict theory that examines inequalities in gender-related issues. It uses the conflict approach to examine the maintenance of gender roles and inequalities.  Radical feminism, in particular, considers the role of the family in perpetuating male dominance.  In patriarchal societies, men’s contributions are seen as more valuable than those of women. Patriarchal perspectives and arrangements are widespread and taken for granted.  As a result, women’s viewpoints tend to be silenced or marginalized to the point of being discredited or considered invalid.  Standpoint Theory  Many of the most immediate and fundamental experiences of social life—from childbirth to who washes the dishes to the experience of sexual violence—had simply been invisible or regarded as unimportant politically or socially.  Dorothy Smith’s development of standpoint theory was a key innovation in sociology that enabled these issues to be seen and addressed in a systematic way by examining one’s position in life (Smith 1977).  She recognized from the consciousness-raising exercises and encounter groups initiated by feminists in the 1960s and 1970s that many of the immediate concerns expressed by women about their personal lives had a commonality of themes.  Intersectional Theory  Recall that intersectional theory examines multiple, overlapping identities (black, Latina, Asian, gay, trans, working class, poor, single parent, working, stay-at-home, immigrant, undocumented, etc.) and the various lived experiences within the spaces of overlap and how each of these identifies make an individual’s experience unique. Intersectional theory combines critical race theory, gender conflict theory, and critical components of Marx’s class theory.  Kimberlé Crenshaw describes it as a “prism for understanding certain kinds of problems.”  Symbolic Interactionism  Symbolic interactionism aims to understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of symbols in human interaction. This is certainly relevant to the discussion of masculinity and femininity.  In other words, both gender and sexuality are socially constructed. The social construction of sexuality refers to the way in which socially created definitions about the cultural appropriateness of sex-linked behavior shape the way people see and experience sexuality.  This is in marked contrast to theories of sex, gender, and sexuality that link male and female behavior to biological determinism, or the belief that men and women behave differently due to differences in their biology  Conflict Theory  According to conflict theory, society is a struggle for dominance among social groups (like women versus men) that compete for scarce resources. When sociologists examine gender from this perspective, we can view men as the dominant group and women as the subordinate group.  According to conflict theory, social problems are created when dominant groups exploit or oppress subordinate groups. Consider the Women’s Suffrage Movement or the debate over women’s “right to choose” their reproductive futures. It is difficult for women to rise above men, as dominant group members create the rules for success and opportunity in society (Farrington and Chertok 1993).  Structural Functionalism  Structural functionalism has provided one of the most important perspectives of sociological research in the twentieth century and has been a major influence on research in the social sciences, including gender studies. Viewing the family as the most integral component of society, assumptions about gender roles within marriage assume a prominent place in this perspective.  Functionalists argue that gender roles were established well before the pre-industrial era when men typically took care of responsibilities outside of the home, such as hunting, and women typically took care of the domestic responsibilities in or around the home. These roles were considered functional because women were often limited by the physical restraints of pregnancy and nursing and unable to leave the home for long periods of time. Once established, these roles were passed on to subsequent generations since they served as an effective means of keeping the family system functioning properly. 3. Gender and Development Historical Background The United Nations Charter of 1945 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 established the first official worldwide recognition of women’s equality and non-discrimination on the basis on sex. However up until the late 1960’s the focus was on women’s reproductive roles, as women were seen as wives and mothers and their main issues were supposed to be obtaining access to food, contraceptives, nutrition and health care. The 70’s and 80’s marked a new phase in which the debate moved beyond women’s equality and the domestic sphere of women’s role as wives and mothers onto the global stage where the role of women was promoted as an aid for economic development. The important events such as the First World Conference for Women held in Mexico 1974, the UN decade for women “76-85” and the promotion of the Women In Development (WID) approach emphasized women’s right to development, recognition of women’s economic role in national economies and, most significantly, gave a voice to women in developing countries. Some of the shortcoming of the approaches such as the WID applied in the 70’s were that they fell short of improving unequal relationships, and a significant number of projects were unsustainable as development projects failed to consider the multiple roles carried out by women, leading to a development model that in the end disadvantaged women. In the late 80’s the Gender and Development (GAD) approach was developed with the idea of improving the development model by “removing disparities in social, economic, and political balances between women and men as a pre-condition for achieving people-centred development” (GWA, 2006:11). However, since the 1990’s the gender perspective is still struggling to be clearly set into the development agenda of international treaties or objectives such as the Millennium Development Goals. The principles only focus on gender equality and do not concentrate enough on women’s centrality to other development areas (Bunch, 2006). For water resources, the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) principles pay special attention to women as they “play a central role in the provision, management and safeguarding  of water” (Dublin statement, 1992 ), implying not just gender equality but also empowerment and equity, their essential role in the concern for effectiveness and efficiency of water sector programmes, their importance for environmental sustainability and the absolute need to have gender-oriented analysis for the success of water resource projects. As illustrated in Figure 1, the gender process is long and ongoing. Practitioners are still struggling to bring a consciousness of gender issues to development work that will change perceptions and bring about true equality between men and women. Much of the work in the water sector today is affected by gender inequalities and inappropriate development projects. Without giving a proper focus to gender issues, projects often end up disadvantaging the principal group of water users, thereby affecting the lives of an already vulnerable group of stakeholders. Figure 1: Gender and development-historical framework. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Adapted from: Chege, 2007(https://aquaknow.jrc.ec.europa.eu/gender-water-and-development/15666) Adapted from: Chege, 2007(https://aquaknow.jrc.ec.europa.eu/gender-water-and- development/15666) The concept of Gender and Development in the Philippines can trace its roots to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), an international treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979. The late Leticia Ramos- Shahani played a critical role in the crafting and adoption of this vital document. Republic Act No. 9710 also known as “The Magna Carta of Women” recognizes the economic, political, and sociocultural realities that affects women’s current condition, that the State affirms the role of women in nation building and ensures the substantive equality of women and men (Section 2, Paragraph 1).The State also condemns discrimination against women in all its forms and pursues by all appropriate means and without delay the policy of elimination discrimination against women keeping with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and other international instruments consistent with Philippine Law. The State shall accord women the rights, protection, and opportunities available to every member of the society (Section 2, Paragraph 2).(Official Gazette of the Philippines) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women New York, 18 December 1979 Introduction On 18 December 1979, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. It entered into force as an international treaty on 3 September 1981 after the twentieth country had ratified it. By the tenth anniversary of the Convention in 1989, almost one hundred nations have agreed to be bound by its provisions. The Convention was the culmination of more than thirty years of work by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, a body established in 1946 to monitor the situation of women and to promote women's rights. The Commission's work has been instrumental in bringing to light all the areas in which women are denied equality with men. These efforts for the advancement of women have resulted in several declarations and conventions, of which the  Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is the central and most comprehensive document. Among the international human rights treaties, the Convention takes an important place in bringing the female half of humanity into the focus of human rights concerns. The spirit of the Convention is rooted in the goals of the United Nations: to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity, and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women. The present document spells out the meaning of equality and how it can be achieved. In so doing, the Convention establishes not only an international bill of rights for women, but also an agenda for action by countries to guarantee the enjoyment of those rights. In its preamble, the Convention explicitly acknowledges that "extensive discrimination against women continues to exist", and emphasizes that such discrimination "violates the principles of equality of rights and respect for human dignity". As defined in article 1, discrimination is understood as "any distinction, exclusion or restriction made o.1 the basis of sex...in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field". The Convention gives positive affirmation to the principle of equality by requiring States parties to take "all appropriate measures, including legislation, to ensure the full development and advancement of women, for the purpose of guaranteeing them the exercise and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms on a basis of equality with men"(article 3). The agenda for equality is specified in fourteen subsequent articles. In its approach, the Convention covers three dimensions of the situation of women. Civil rights and the legal status of women are dealt with in great detail. In addition, and unlike other human rights treaties, the Convention is also concerned with the dimension of human reproduction as well as with the impact of cultural factors on gender relations. The legal status of women receives the broadest attention. Concern over the basic rights of political participation has not diminished since the adoption of the Convention on the Political Rights of Women in 1952. Its provisions, therefore, are restated in article 7 of the present document, whereby women are guaranteed the rights to vote, to hold public office and to exercise public functions. This includes equal rights for women to represent their countries at the international level (article 8). The Convention on the Nationality of Married Women - adopted in 1957 - is integrated under article 9 providing for the statehood of women, irrespective of their marital status. The Convention, thereby, draws attention to the fact that often women's legal status has been linked to marriage, making them dependent on their husband's nationality rather than individuals in their own right. Articles 10, 11 and 13, respectively, affirm women's rights to non-discrimination in education, employment and economic and social activities. These demands are given special emphasis with regard to the situation of rural women, whose particular struggles and vital economic contributions, as noted in article 14, warrant more attention in policy planning. Article 15 asserts the full equality of women in civil and business matters, demanding that all instruments directed at restricting women's legal capacity ''shall be deemed null and void". Finally, in article 16, the Convention returns to the issue of marriage and family relations, asserting the equal rights and obligations of women and men with regard to choosing of spouse, parenthood, personal rights and command over property. Aside from civil rights issues, the Convention also devotes major attention to a most vital concern of women, namely their reproductive rights. The preamble sets the tone by stating that "the role of women in procreation should not be a basis for discrimination". The link between discrimination and women's reproductive role is a matter of recurrent concern in the Convention. For example, it advocates, in article 5, ''a proper understanding of maternity as a social function", demanding fully shared responsibility for child-rearing by both sexes. Accordingly, provisions for maternity protection and child- care are proclaimed as essential rights and are incorporated into all areas of the Convention, whether dealing with employment, family law, health education. Society's obligation extends to offering social services, especially child-care facilities, that allow individuals to combine family responsibilities with work and participation in public life. Special measures for maternity protection are recommended and "shall not be considered discriminatory". (article 4). "The Convention also affirms women's right to reproductive choice. Notably, it is the only human rights treaty to mention family planning. States parties are obliged to include advice on family planning in the education process (article l O.h) and to develop family codes that guarantee women's rights "to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to hove access to the information, education and means to enable them to exercise these rights" (article 16.e). The third general thrust of the Convention aims at enlarging our understanding of the concept of human rights, as it gives formal recognition to the influence of culture and tradition on restricting women's enjoyment of their fundamental rights. These forces take shape in stereotypes, customs and norms which give rise to the multitude of legal, political and economic constraints on the advancement of women. Noting this interrelationship, the preamble of the Convention stresses "that a change in the traditional role of men as well as the role of women in society and in the family is needed to achieve full equality of men and women". States parties are therefore obliged to work towards the modification of social and cultural patterns of individual conduct in order to eliminate "prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women" (article 5). And Article 1O.c. mandates the revision of textbooks, school programs and teaching methods with a view to eliminating stereotyped concepts in the field of education. Finally, cultural patterns which define the public realm as a man's world and the domestic sphere as women's domain are strongly targeted in all of the Convention's provisions that affirm the equal responsibilities of both sexes in family life and their equal rights with regard to education and employment. Altogether, the Convention provides a comprehensive framework for challenging the various forces that have created and sustained discrimination based upon sex. The implementation of the Convention is monitored by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Committee's mandate and the administration of the treaty are defined in the Articles 17 to 30 of the Convention. The Committee is composed of 23 experts nominated by their Government and elected by the States parties as individuals "of high moral standing and competence in the field covered by the Convention". At least every four years, the States parties are expected to submit a national report to the Committee, indicating the measures they have adopted to give effect to the provisions of the Convention. During its annual session, the Committee members discuss these reports with the Government representatives and explore with them areas for further action by the specific country. The Committee also makes general recommendations to the States parties on matters concerning the elimination of discrimination against women. 4. Gender Awareness and Sensitivity (https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CEDAW.aspx) Gender Awareness and Sensitivity Basic Concepts SEX GENDER  Categorized as male of female  Masculinity and Femininity  Biological  Socially, culturally, and historically  Fixed at birth determined  Does not change across time and  Learned through socialization space  Varies over time and space  Equally valued  Unequally valued (masculinity as the norm) Gender  Was first use as phrase “the social relation of gender”  The social relations of gender seek to explain sharing, decision making, division of labor and return to labor within the household and in society, among others Gender Sensitivity  Means GENDER AWARENESS which is more analytical and critical since it clarifies issues about gender disparities and gender issues.  It pertains to one’s effort to show how gender shapes the role of women and men in society including their role in development and how it affects relation between them. How to promote Gender Awareness in Parents and Teachers: All text reading materials and books be free of notion of gender Curriculum / Text inequality as bias is embedded in textbooks , lessons and teachers, interaction with student Needs to be gender-sensitive and gender friendly for girls and Educational System boys  Needs for the development of criteria of meeting gender Guidelines by Gender sensitive guidelines Experts Need to join hand to minimize gender discrimination and Role of Government promoting gender equalities and NGOs All policies, programs and interventions need to be gender Educational Policies sensitive Teacher Training Gender sensitivity training should be mandatory Program Benefits must be offered in rural areas to promote girl Extra fringe benefits education School Parent Needs to be strengthened to identify gender issues in homes Partnership Monitoring GS progress must be constantly reviewed by gender experts Gender Sensitivity GS counselling must be available for students, staff, teachers Counselling and parents Educational Authorities and school must be provided budget to Allocation of budget promote and sustain the gender sensitive agenda Commitment from Gender fair practices are effective when top leadership senior leadership / support gender equity and equality Government Gender Sensitive Organizational change needs to be institutionalized by Organizational promoting gender balance. Ex. Equal valuing of men and Culture women’s working style  Gender Audit Gender audit of institutions should be carried out by gender experts to review curriculum, policies and interventions etc. Creation of a Gender Where the academic, social, and physical environment and its Responsive School surrounding community take into account the specific needs for girls and boys To promote gender friendly Institutionalization of Special Committee Preparing and implementing COE at workplace; gender interest committee; sexual harassment comm.; child abuse comm. Gender In order to address gender concerns holistically it is essential Mainstreaming to mainstream gender in all institution of society Reinforces the traditional stereotypes of women and men and Role of Media thus needs to address and promote gender equality. How to adopt Gender Mainstreaming Train teachers in gender equality Review policies for possible Conduct gender discriminatory analysis clauses How to Develp set of adopt criteria to rid textbooks of GM Strenthened School Parent gender bias and Partnership sex stereotyping Train teachers in Gender Equality  Training raises the awareness of teachers and trains them to address prevailing gender and social issues and academic setting and in the society at large. Conduct Gender Analysis  Gender analysis should be conducted through the curriculum materials, teaching and learning processes, school structures and cultures. Strengthened School – Parent Partnership  Parents, teachers, administrators and local officials should be aware of their legal obligations and children’s right. Train for Gender Sensitivity  Needs to be mandatory  All teachers should be gender sensitized and must be exposed to gender sensitivity. Key Officials should undergo GS trainings  Both DepEd and the CHED from the top echelon down to the lowest level of school managers should undergo series of sensitivity training sessions. Develop set of Criteria to rid Textbooks of Gender bias and Sex Stereotyping  Authors, publishers, board of textbooks and other concerned agencies stereotyping and continue to review existing textbooks and teacher manuals in the elementary and secondary level for sex biases and stereotyping. Review policies for possible discriminatory clauses  Concerned school officials should review policies for possible discriminatory promotions, access to training and scholarships and other human resources development activities to ensure a gender fair school community.  What roles should teachers play to address gender sensitivity issues? Understand gender roles and expectations Attend gender training Cooperate with government and NGOs Strive to work hand in hand with school’s administrators Teacher should… Promote gender responsive school Conduct researches Find appropriate time to raise gender issues Initiate information dissemination campaign to gender-fair education Treat every boy and girl equally https://www.slideshare.net/MhayeBarile/gender-sensitivity-50191746 Reference: Leaper C. Parents’ Socialization of Gender in Children. In: Tremblay RE, Boivin M, Peters RDeV, eds. Martin CL, topic ed. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development [online]. http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/gender-early- socialization/according-experts/parents-socialization-gender-children. Published August 2014. Accessed September 19, 2020. https://www.sparknotes.com/sociology/socialization/section4/ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-introtosociology/chapter/theories-of-gender- and-sex/