Gender Issues

PROF. RONEL RIO ALIGAM

 Gender issues

 Gender issues - an inter disciplinary and cross-

national in scope focusing on gender equity.

 Gender issue is not same as women’s issue….

Understanding gender mean understanding the
behavior, opportunities and constraint that affect
both men as well as women.
 Gender Equality

Gender equality - also known as sex equality,

sexual equality, or equality of the genders, is the view
that everyone should receive equal treatment and not
be discriminated against based on their gender.

Gender inequality - refers to unequal treatment or

perceptions of individuals based on their gender. It
arises from differences in socially constructed
gender roles.
 Equity and Bias

 Equality- the state of being equal,

especially in status, rights, or opportunities.
 Equity - the quality of being fair and impartial.
 Bias - inclination or prejudice for or against one
person or group, especially in a way considered to be
unfair.
Know the difference
Equity and equality are two strategies we can use
in an effort to produce fairness.

Equity is giving everyone what they need to be

successful.

Equality is treating everyone the same.

Equality aims to promote fairness, but it can only

work if everyone starts from the same place and
needs the same help
“Gender equity is the process of being fair to women
and men. ”
- UNFPA
(United Nation Population Fund )
 Gender equality means equal treatment of
women and men in law and policies and equal
access to resource and service within families,
communities and society at large.

 Gender equity means fairness and justice in the

distribution of benefits and responsibilities between
women and men ,
Gender violence
 Gender violence

 Also known as Gender-based violence, is the term used

to denote harm inflicted upon individuals and group that
is connected to normative understanding of their gender.

 Includes rape, sexual assault, intimate partner

violence in heterosexual and same sex
partnerships, sexual harassment, stalking,
prostitution and sex trafficking.

Violence - behavior involving physical force intended

to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something.
Women’s are not dying because of the disease we
cannot treat, they are dying because society have yet
to make a decision that their life are worth saving.
- Dr. Mohammod Fatahalla
 Gender discrimination throughout a woman’s life

Phase Type
prenatal Prenatal sex selection, female fetocide, battering during
pregnancy, coerced pregnancy

Infancy infanticide, emotional and physical abuse, differential

access or deprive to food, nutrition and medical care

childhood Genital mutilation, incest and sexual abuse; child

prostitution
differential access or deprive to food, nutrition and
medical care
Adolescence Dating violence, sexual abuse in work place, forced
prostitution , rape, sexual harassment, forced pregnancy,
trafficking, forced abortion, early marriage

Reproductive Abuse by intimate partner, marital rape, dowry abuse

and murders, partner homicide, psychological abuse,
sexual harassment, forced pregnancy, trafficking, forced
abortion, bigamy, polygamy,
Old age Abuse of widows, elder abuse (
 Types of violence against women

A. Domestic violence
B. Sexual violence
C. Human trafficking and forced prostitution
D. Others
 Honor killings
 Dowry violence
 Acid throwing
 Forced marriage
 Stalking
 Mistreatment of widows
 Accusations of witchcraft
 Domestic violence

• It is defined as the physical or mental torture

given by a member of the family to another
member of the same family.
• It is the most common form of gender based
violence.
• It occurs when someone else close to you has power
and control over you.
 Types of domestic violence

Physical abuse - causing physical pain. Includes

slapping beating, arm- twisting, stabbing, strangling,
burning, kicking and threats with weapon, murder,
traditional harmful practice like genital mutilation
and widowhood abuse.
Sexual abuse - forced to fulfilling sexual desire
of men. Includes rape, coerced sex through
threats, unwanted sexual act, incest, marital
rape, forced prostitution.
Psychological abuse – include threatening
behavior, harassment, threats of abandonment,
confinement, verbal abuse and other mental torture
Emotional abuse – Verbal violence,
rejection, put-downs, causing fear, financial
independence, isolation.
Economic abuse - denial funds, exploitation
controlling access to healthcare, food, basic necessities

 Social abuse occurs when someone insults or

humiliates you in front of other people, keeps you
isolated from family and friends, or controls what you
do and where you go.
 Sexual violence

Sexual violence is defined as a sexual act

committed against someone without that person's
freely given consent.
It could be done by acquaintances or strangers
 Sexual violence is divided into the following types: Completed or attempted
forced penetration of a victim.

It includes-
Sexual exploitation and abuse
Sexual exploitation is the sexual abuse of
children and youth through the exchange of sex
or sexual acts for drugs, food, shelter, protection,
other basics of life, and/or money. Sexual
exploitation includes involving children and youth
in creating pornography and sexually explicit
websites. incest, child abuse, pornography
Sexual harassment; sexual assault
the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene
remarks.
Rape / attempted rape:
Rape is the unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual
intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat
Rape attempted may include
Rape of adult female
Rape of minor
Gang rape
Marital rape
 Trafficking

Trafficking is a crime against the person because of

the violation of the victim's rights of movement
through –
coercion ,
 of abduction,
 of fraud,
of abuse of power or of position for the purpose of
exploitation.
 Other violence

 Honor killings
 Dowry violence
 Acid throwing
 Forced marriage
 Stalking
 Mistreatment of widows
 Accusations of witchcraft
 Consequences of violence

Health effects of domestic and sexual abuse or

violence.
Social and economic cost
Added cost
Effect on productivity and empowerment
Health effects of domestic and sexual abuse or violence
 Non- fatal outcome
1. Physical health : injuries, functional impairment,
physical symptoms, poor subjective health,
permanent disability, handicapped
2. Chronic condition: irritable bowel syndrome,
gastrointestinal disorder, somatic complain
3. Negative health behavior- smoking, alcohol, drug
abuse, over eating
4. Mental health- Post- traumatic stress disorder( PTSD),
depression, anxiety, phobia, sleep difficulties, eating
disorder, low self- esteem
5. Reproductive – unwanted pregnancy, STDs,
gynecological disorder, unsafe abortion, pregnancy
complication, pelvic inflammatory disorder
Fatal outcome: homicide, suicide, maternal
mortality, AIDs related death, female, infanticide
2. Social and economic costs
the social and economic costs of violence against
women are enormous.
Women may suffer isolation, inability to work, loss of
wages due to losses of women’s earning potential,
lack of participation in regular activities and limited
ability to care for themselves and their children,
decrease quality of life in family and community and
low self- esstem
3. Added cost
Include the cost of treatment, therapy , court and legal
services
4.Effect on productivity and employment:
Girls who are victims of sexual abuse at school by their
male teacher are likely to be depressed and stay away
from school. Elsewhere, parents who are fear that
their daughter will be sexually assaulted, may keep
them at home until they are safely married
The consequences in every case, is a cutting of
education, a decreased chance of securing gainful
employment, quality of life and reduce contribution
to community as well as nation
Gender Discrimination
 Meaning

Discrimination- the unjust or prejudicial treatment

of different categories of people, especially on the
grounds of race, age, or sex.
Gender discrimination is the unfair treatment of
a person because of gender. Gender
discrimination affects both men and women. It is
apparent in work situations where one gender is
given preferential treatment or one gender receives
less pay or job responsibilities because of gender
bias and unfair stereotypes.
The existing society has been such that no girl or
woman dares to go out in the evening. Even in broad
day light rapes, murders and eve teasing’s are
rampant.
Under social circumstances, a son is considered a
necessity while a daughter is considered a liability or
burden.
Society teaches the girls from the very beginning to
speak slowly, do not laugh loudly, tolerate
the torture of others, accept injustice, obey,
sacrifice and cooperate, don’t assert, don’t
argue and don’t violet man’s orders.
These are the characteristics of a good woman as per
the social norms.
 Causes of Gender Discrimination

1. Prejudice
2. Biological
3. Socio-cultural
4. Economic
5. Educational
6. Personal and Psychological
7. Adherance to traditional gender roles
 Prejudice.

Men are so much biased against the qualities of a

woman that when a woman works excellently, men
say ‘she is a man’.
Prejudices indicate unfounded and unscientific
judgement. It is wrong to discriminate all women on
the behaviour of one woman.
 Biological

biological differences between man and woman play

a minor role in creating gender discrimination
But women are considered as only birth giver
Today women are taking part in athletics and sports
like cricket, hockey, football, volley-ball which were
once considered the monopoly of males. But the
percentage of women taking part in such games is
quite small.
 Socio-cultural.

People are no more interested in a girl child and are

engaged in the abortion of the unborn female fetus,
parents and in laws feel sorry when a girl is born
because they considered A female child in our
society is not wanted because she is considered by
her parents as flower of someone else’s garden.
Parents don’t bother to pay for education and her
basic needs, thinking her existence is their loss
because they have to give away dowry
 Economic Causes

Around the globe in almost all societies women

were/are economically dependent on men. Since
they had no education and expertise to do jobs
outside and since men did not allow those who were
suitable for jobs, women were financially weak. They
were only engaged in domestic work for which they
were never paid. One psychologist called
women “unpaid maid servants”.
 Educational Causes

Empowerment of women is possible through education

in the first place. In order to make women self-sufficient
and reduce gender discrimination women should be
educated. Empowerment of women means improvement
in their political status, financial position, occupational
status and legal awareness etc., which can be achieved
through education.
Education is considered to be the most significant agent
of basic change in the status of women including
economic and occupational status.
 PRINCIPLES TO IRRADICATE GENDER ISSUES

1. Freedom

The power to act, speak and thinks as one wants without

hindrances or restraints.

2. Acceptance

The actions or process that is being received as adequate

or suitable, to be admitted into a group.
 PRINCIPLES TO IRRADICATE GENDER ISSUES

3. Elimination of Violence

Violence is a behavior involving physical force intended

to hurt, damage or kill someone or something.
Eliminating violence promotes harmonious
relationships.
4. Elimination of Discrimination

As well as eliminating of unjust and prejudicial

treatment of different categories of people.
 PRINCIPLES TO IRRADICATE GENDER ISSUES

5. Stereotyping

An over generalized belief about a particular category of

people.

6. Equality

The state of being equal especially in status, rights and

opportunities.
 GENDER ISSUES INCLUDES ALL ASPECTS AND
CONCERNS RELATED TO:

• Equality and equity of the people

• The way they interact/interrelations
• Their differences to access to the community
• Their activities
• Reactions to change, policies and rules
 8 ISSUES AFFECTING GIRLS AND WOMEN
ARROUND THE WORLD:

1. Access to Education

A 2013 report by UNESCO found that 31 million girls of

primary school ages were not in school or don't have
access to education.

2. Employment opportunities

Globally, the gender gap is even wider. Women earn

only one tenth of the world's income despite working
two thirds of the total work hours.
 8 ISSUES AFFECTING GIRLS AND WOMEN
ARROUND THE WORLD:

3. Reproductive Health Rights

225 million of women in developing countries have an

unmet need for family planning, contributing to 74
million unplanned pregnancies and 28 million
abortions every year.

4. Mental Health

WHO estimates that 800 women die everyday from

preventable , pregnancy-related causes.
 8 ISSUES AFFECTING GIRLS AND WOMEN
ARROUND THE WORLD:

5. Gender-Based Violence

1 in 3 women experienced physical or emotional

violence (WHO).

6. Child Marriage

An estimated 140 million girls will become child

brides between 2011 and 2020. Girls who marry before
age 18 are typically denied an education.
 8 ISSUES AFFECTING GIRLS AND WOMEN
ARROUND THE WORLD:

7. Female Genital Mutilation

It is a procedures that intentionally after or cause
injury to the female genital organs for non-medical
reasons.

8. Gender Equality
Equality recurring issues when it comes to women and
girls.
 8 ISSUES FACED BY MEN

1. Masculinity
As for culture, men teach to hide their emotions even
if it kills them.
2. Family Courts
Men as highly regarded their gender based to their
family belongings
3. Homelessness
Men are statistically more likely to wind up on the
streets and die earlier once they get there.
 8 ISSUES FACED BY MEN

4. Domestic Abuse

Unmorally traits against the rights of the men.

5. Wages

The pay gap system. Main reason is the education gap.

6. Workplace Deaths
Blue-collar men tending to get and assign to the most
dangerous jobs.
 8 ISSUES FACED BY MEN

7. Education
As same as the basic right for men and women, the
right for education.

8. Violence

Boys are more likely to be beaten at school than girls

and parents are far more likely to encourage fight
between boys.
 10 WORST COUNTRY IN GENDER EQUALITY

1. Saudi Arabia
2. South Korea
3. India
4. Algeria
5. Malaysia
6. Iran
7. Turkey
8. Indonesia
9. Egypt
10. Jordan
THANK YOU!

PROF. RONEL RIO ALIGAM