Gender influences on child survival, health and nutrition: a ... - Unicef

<strong>Gender</strong> Influences On Child Survival, Health And Nutrition: A Narrative Review
1.3 GENDER NORMS, IDENTITIES AND VALUES
As the previous section demonstrated gender differences are often manifested through divisions of
labour, in terms of the different roles and responsibilities assigned to women and men. In this section
the focus moves away from reproductive and productive labour to less tangible but equally significant
aspects of women’s and men’s roles related to gender norms, identities and values. These norms, values
and identities relate to cultural perceptions of what it means to be male and female, and to the intrinsic
value assigned to being male or female. They may even form the foundation for abusive behaviour
between the sexes, even to the extent of physical, psychological and sexual violence. The section will
explore three aspects of gender norms, values and identities emerging from the literature, first, the
significance of gender bias and how this impacts on child survival; second, the importance of taking
gender norms and values into account when addressing infant feeding practices; and third, the risks to
child survival among children exposed to domestic violence, which reflects gender discrimination at its
most extreme.
Box 8 What are gender norms, values and identities?
Social norms are rules of behaviour adhered to by members of a community, based on their belief
that others would expect them to behave accordingly. Such norms are context specific and may
vary between countries and social settings.
<strong>Gender</strong> norms, values and identities reflect social norms specific to the ‘rules’ women and men
should adhere to and perpetuate expectations about women’s and men’s capacities,
characteristics and social behaviour whether these are implicit or explicit. <strong>Gender</strong> norms
therefore do not represent what women and men are actually capable of rather they reflect
expectations of women’s and men’s capacities and characteristics.
1.3.1 GENDER BIAS IN CHILD SURVIVAL
While the main body of this review focuses on the way in which gender dimensions mediate care of
young children in general (boys and girls), this section will briefly outline the issue of gender bias in
relation to health and nutrition outcomes for girls and boys.
<strong>Gender</strong> bias occurs when male and female identities are assigned different ‘value’ within the community
they are born into, leading to boys and girls receiving different treatment, care and resources according
to their given ‘value’. There is a substantial body of research focusing on different aspects of gender
bias, from sex selection to differential practices in immunisation. There are interconnecting social,
cultural, political and economic factors which underpin son preference and bias against girls.
In some contexts, males are perceived as the economic lynchpin of future generations, and girls are a
burden on resources and will eventually leave the family home due to marriage patterns. Parents may
have made pragmatic choices based on their perception of how useful or valuable a male would prove
over a female, particularly where the number of children born is restricted by the government, as in
China. Parity and sex of siblings may also impact on a girl’s life-chances (ICRW 2009). Whereas sex
selection was driven previously through girl child neglect or infanticide, technology has advanced to
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