manual: women workers' rights and gender equality - International ...

Briefing Note 3 Basic Gender Concepts and Definitions 16
Sex
Gender
Refers to biological differences between men and women that
are universal.
Refers to social differences between men and women that are
learned, change over time, and vary widely within and between
societies. Gender refers to the opportunities associated with
being born as a man or a woman, and to the relations between
women and men, boys and girls, as well as the relations
between women and those between men in any given social
context.
In most societies, there are differences and inequalities
between women and men in the responsibilities they are given,
the activities they do, the workload they have and in access to
and control over resources and in decision-making
opportunities.
Gender is a socio-economic variable to analyse:
- roles and responsibilities
- constraints and opportunities, and
- needs of men and women
Gender is an important variable (or classifier) in society. Gender
is affected by other variables such as age, class or caste, race
and ethnicity, and by the geographical, economical, political and
cultural environment.
Gender roles
The different activities that men and women actually do (e.g.
women do housework, men are leaders).
Gender roles often illustrate and are reinforced by gender
values and stereotypes but they can and do change, often
faster than stereotypes and values.
Changes in gender roles often occur in response to changing
economic, natural or political circumstances, including
development efforts, economic restructuring or other nationally
or internationally based forces.
The gender roles of men and women within a given social
context may be flexible or rigid, similar or different, and
complementary or conflicting.
Gender values and norms
Ideas that people have on what women and men should be like
and what activities they should do (e.g. women should be
charming, men should be brave).
140