MOSAIC - The training kit for Euro-Mediterranean youth work

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6 Gender equality
Figure 6
The oppression of women, the exploitation and social pressures to which they
are exposed, are not characteristic of Arab or Middle Eastern societies, or countries
of the ‘Third World’ alone. They constitute an integral part of the political,
economic, and cultural system, preponderant in most of the world.
Nawal El Saadawi
6.1 Introduction
Have you ever thought why, in the TV advertisements for detergents or household
utensils, it is always women who clean the kitchen or the house, or do the washing
or washing-up? Or have you ever wondered why presents for babies are often either
blue or pink? Would you agree to be treated by a doctor of the opposite sex? Or, if you
are actively involved in international youth work activities, have you ever reflected
upon the fact that “gender equality” has also been listed among the priorities and
requirements of many international programmes?
Every day, it is probable that we organise the ways we see ourselves and others according
to gendered assumptions that we may not think much about. 1 However, gender is
Themes