IV.
Gendered Livelihoods
Understanding gendered livelihoods using gendered perspective. Gender
Perspective is the process of assessing the implications for women and
men of any planned action, including legislation, policies, or programmes, in
all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy that makes women’s, as well as
girl’s, boy’s and men’s, concerns and experiences an integral dimension of
the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and
programmes in all political, economic, and societal spheres so that women
and men benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetrated. The ultimate goal
is to achieve gender equality. (UN Economic and Social Council 1997)
The UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs & Crimes) focuses on its
principles to achieving Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
(GEEW) which is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
The UN General Assembly called for the incorporation of a gender dimension
in the design and implementation of alternative development programmes,
treatment and rehabilitation, and demand reduction policies. Purposely, to
highlight the more inconspicuous gender dimensions under this mandated
area, and helps to underline that there are no gender-neutral interventions
when the ultimate goal is to improve the lives of all people, women and men,
girls and boys, as well as individuals of diverse bodily characteristics, diverse
sexual orientation and/or diverse or plural gender identities. Most UN gender-
related policies and guidelines refer to women and men. Gender equality
serves to the advantage of both men and women, boys and girls, as well as
all individuals/groups marginalized and/or discriminated against on behalf of
their gender and cannot be achieved without the full engagement of all of
them. Furthermore, men and women are subjected to different, often
contextually specific, forms of discrimination (e.g. due to gender identity,
sexual orientation, class, religion, caste, ethnicity, age, disability, location,
among others). Thus, gender mainstreaming should be sensitive and
responsive to all diverse and intersecting forms of discrimination that
individuals face. It should also bear in mind that given the specific physical,
mental and psychological developmental needs and vulnerabilities specially,
of children. It is important to distinguish them from adults and to adopt both
a gender and child sensitive approach to gender-mainstreaming.
A. Emotional and Mental Health
The emotional and mental health needs are the two essential needs of
women that can be possibly attain through empowerment. The
empowerment of women has an important role in determining women’s real
position in society.
The emotional and mental needs of women play an effective and important
role in national and global goals of every society. It is important for the
members of the family to help improve, reduce, and stabilize the emotional
and mental conditions of women in their respective families by giving them
ample opportunities to attain these: 1) respecting their human rights; 2)
observing equality between women and men; 3) involvement in social,
economic, and political participation; 4) financial and physical security; 5)
giving them educational opportunities; 6) self-determination; and 7)
performing roles and lifestyles.
Women are prone to depression and anxiety. Oftentimes, they are
stigmatized seeking help or treatment for emotional and mental health
illnesses. The awareness on emotional and mental health among men and
women today are now taken seriously due to the increasing number of
people committing suicide. It is now discussed openly compared in the past.
Healthy policies for women are supported by state gender ideologies that
enhance the cultural, political and legal status of women by legitimizing
equitable public investment in and protection of females as well as males.
Countries with equitable gender ideologies are far more likely to educate
females at approximately the same rate as males and to provide women
legal protection, political rights and economic opportunities. Although
furthering gender equity in state ideologies requires the mobilization of
political will and political action, as well as attention to women's voices and
participation, the impact on women's well-being, and therefore the well-
being of society, has been shown to be considerable. (UN Health Policies)
B. Transgender and Healthcare
Transgender health care includes the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of
physical and mental health conditions, and as well as sex reassignment
therapies for transgender individuals. Health care include gender variance,
health risks in relation to violence and mental health, and access to
healthcare for transgendered in different countries around the world.
(Wikipedia)
It simply means that no one will be denied of health care services by reason
of gender. It is our universal right to have access to healthcare services
around the world. Attending to the healthcare needs must not be
discriminatory.
Transgender individuals have varied and specific health needs. They have
behavioural health concerns, and they have also higher risk of developing
problems. There are health issues concerning the transgender individuals,
and they are as follows: 1) access to health care; 2) health history; 3)
hormones; 4) heart health; 5) cancer; 6) sexually transmitted infections and
safe sex; 7) alcohol and tobacco; 8) depression; 9) injectable silicone; and
10) diet and exercise.
C. Gender and Labor
Over the years, despite varied gender-responsive initiatives based on
legalities, legislations, and policy proposals; the employment opportunities
for women is still low as compared to men. The promotion of gender equality
in labor market requires employment opportunities and decent work
outcomes for women.
Based on studies conducted, there has been an improvement in gender
equality in the labor market both in agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.
Gender inequality in the labor market is ascertained by reference to seven
gender gaps (or deficits for women): 1) labor force participation, 2) human
capital, 3) the unpaid domestic and care work burden, 4) vulnerable
employment, 5) wage employment, 6) decent work, and 7) social protection.
Despite a variety of gender-responsive legal and policy initiatives, an
assessment of the labor market in the reveals that although some gender
gaps have been reduced, women still suffer from persistent gender deficits.
(ADB, 2013)
Gender gaps are one of the most pressing challenges facing the world of
work today. Globally, women are substantially less likely to participate in the
labour market than men. In the workforce, they are also less likely to find
jobs than men. Indeed, their access to quality employment opportunities
remains restricted. Overall, women are more likely to work longer hours than
men. Moreover, women work fewer hours for pay because they opt to work
part-time, or maybe a part-time work is the only option available to them.
These gender gaps persist despite the preference of most women worldwide
to work in a paid job – underlining the fact that women’s choices are
constrained by a number of factors. (ILO, 2017)
The driving gender gaps in the labor market are generally due to the
following: 1) personal preferences, 2) socio-economic constraints, and 3)
gender role conformity.
D. Gender and Politics
Historically, politics has been a male-dominated sphere from which women
have been largely excluded. The participation of women in politics however
has extended over the last decades around the world. Not only women have
attained the right to vote and stand for office in many countries, they have
also mobilized, organized, affiliated to women’s movement, and have won
offices in national, regional, and local governments. (Fraile, 2018)
Gender and politics is concerned with how peoples’ gender structures their
participation and experience in the political events of the society and how
political institutions are encoded with gendered ideas. Gender and politics
are determinants of how resources are distributed, how policies are set, and
who participates in political decision-making. The interaction of gender and
politics is intersectional and is dependent on factors like peoples’ race, class,
and gender expression.
During the 19th Century, the role of women in politics changed. Women
started to participate in politics and women became politicians. The success
of feminism and women’s movements allowed women to participate in
politics which strengthened the equality of men and women in the society.
Women’s political participation affects policy outcomes such as: 1) women’s
rights, 2) reproductive rights, 3) women in government quotas, and 4)
violence against women.
E. Learning Activities
Answer the following questions:
1. What can you say to mothers who decided to leave their jobs to take
care of their children?
2. Are you favourable for women to participate in politics? Support your
answer.
3. Write your observations on how LGBTQ plus managed their healthcare.
4. What is your opinion about the mental and emotional condition of the
gendered individuals? Will you consider them stable? Support your
answer.
5. Are you favourable that your mother is at home to take care of the
children? Will you consider that ideal family set up? Elucidate your
answer.
