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Reflection Paper of Gender and Development

Gender and sexuality are often conflated but have distinct meanings. Sexuality refers to biological sex characteristics, while gender is a social construct defining roles for men and women. The document discusses how gender stereotyping contributes to gender inequality and discrimination. While progress has been made in achieving rights for women, discrimination persists for third sexes. Ultimately, the document argues that power and success depend on individual attributes rather than gender or sexuality, and that achieving equality is a universal human issue.

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lindsay
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188 views

Reflection Paper of Gender and Development

Gender and sexuality are often conflated but have distinct meanings. Sexuality refers to biological sex characteristics, while gender is a social construct defining roles for men and women. The document discusses how gender stereotyping contributes to gender inequality and discrimination. While progress has been made in achieving rights for women, discrimination persists for third sexes. Ultimately, the document argues that power and success depend on individual attributes rather than gender or sexuality, and that achieving equality is a universal human issue.

Uploaded by

lindsay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GAD: Gender and Development Reflection Paper

Gender and sexuality, back then, whenever I heard these words I always thought that they
share the same definition for it is both answered by “(M) male or (F) female”, “girl or boy”,
“masculine or feminine”. Different words yet can be responded by same answers, but these 2
words have far different meaning. As I watched the video, I was more enlightened about the
concept of gender and sexuality and how they are different from each other. As I learned from the
video sexuality is the biological concept, the anatomy of an
individual’s reproductive system and secondary sex characteristic. I have reflected that ever
since we are just in our mother’s womb, we can already tell what is our sexuality since it
depends on person’s genitalia. However, when it comes to gender, it is a little bit more
confusing because we cannot just simply based it from our reproductive organs. There are
instances that some individual’s assigned sex and gender do not align, and may be the person
is transgender. Gender is special construct specifying socially and culturally prescribed roles
that men and women are to follow. I have realized that society and culture have major role in
knowings one’s gender preference, and theories like cognitive and development theory and
gender schema theory can help as basis. On this modern world, gender stereotyping is still an
issue. In my everyday life, whenever I
go, I always hear gender stereotyping lines like “bakit ganyan ka umupo, kababaing tao mo pa
naman”, “bakit ang ikli ng buhok mo lalaki ka ba?”, “ang daldal mo ke-lalaking tao mo”, “lalaki
ka, hindi umiiyak ang mga lalaki”. I feel like gender stereotyping is just normal to us Filipinos.
But I disagree with this attitude of us, instead of normalizing gender stereotyping, why can not
we normalize short hair for girls, boys being talkative and that is okay for the boys to release
their emotions. Based on the video and based on my experiences, I have come to the thought
that maybe gender stereotyping is one of the major reason why we have gender discrimination
or gender inequality. We all know already what gender equality is, it is equal treatment on
both men and women. While gender inequality is unequal treatment or perception of
individuals based on their gender. Well, way back then, men have all the power and rights, right
to vote, right to lead, right to have a job and right to speak. But as the times go by
women had achieved their rights too and can voice out their opinions. But gender inequality is
still happening, specially on third sexes. Society still questions who among is the most powerful-
men or women. I have learned to the video that power does not depends on what sexuality or
gender you are in, it is based on the individual itself, and depends on determinants such as status
resources, experience and confidence. I, myself believes that success and power cannot be
determine on what gender and sexuality you have, it is within the person’s hard work and
determination. At the end of the video one line has captured my attention, “Gender and equality
is not a
woman’s issue, it is a human issue”. All gender and sexuality are equal. We may have different
preferences but we are all equal in the eyes of our Creator. In this lesson I have come to the
conclusion that sexuality and gender is not really the issue here, it is the societies’ discriminating
standards

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