Module 2. Theorethical Concepts of Gender - FSN Network Portal

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Mainstreaming Gender into Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programs Module 2: Theoretical Concepts of Gender Lesson 7: Gender Concepts (2): Gender Roles and Relationships and Gender Needs Gender System and the Division of Labour Handout 7.2 Gender roles are essentially bound up with the division of labour in communities and societies. Such tasks can be divided into three areas of activity: • Work connected with the family (‘reproductive work’), for example household tasks, house keeping and child rearing, which is usually unpaid work. • Work connected with production (‘productive wo rk’), for example the production of goods and services, which is usually paid or salaried work. • ‘Community-related work’, for example taking care of community services, activities and needs, which is usually unpaid work. Gender Roles for Women and Men Most women perform all three types of roles: • Reproductive role • Productive role • Community role Most men perform two types of gender roles: • Productive role • Community role Division of Labour The inequality between men and women is often most clearly seen in the division of labour in different societies. In many communities, women and girls traditionally take care of the work connected with the family and community activities while men concentrate on work involving production. Nevertheless gender roles are changing and women in different parts of the world are moving over to paid work as well. Often, all the same, the women and girls engaged in production continue to look after reproductive and community work as well. They thus play a threefold role within their communities. In many countries, too, women who work for wages are employed in the informal sector of the economy where working hours, conditions and wages are very poor. The relation between gender roles and the division of labour is closely tied to individual cultures. Gender relations form a power system of economic, social and political structures. The cultural identity of every society is shaped by everyday practice; for example, traditions, rules of behaviour, ways of talking and dressing, and so on. A Training Manual for Water Professionals developed collaboratively by PROTOS and SNV, 01/02/2007 2.36
Mainstreaming Gender into Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programs Module 2: Theoretical Concepts of Gender Lesson 7: Gender Concepts (2): Gender Roles and Relationships and Gender Needs These cultural practices express the values and attitudes of each community as to how people should live together, and what it means to be a woman or a man in that community. The values, respect accorded and ways of expressing gender that are connected with being a woman or a man form the gender system. In most societies around the world the ruling gender system is a patriarchy – men have a higher status than women. A Training Manual for Water Professionals developed collaboratively by PROTOS and SNV, 01/02/2007 2.37
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