INTRODUCTION TO GENDER,CONCEPTS AND THE POLICY

ENVIRONMENT IN UGANDA

Ivan Nshabire
+256775208851
[email protected]
2nd Jan 2025
OUTLINE:
-Gender and different gender perspectives
-Theoretical view on gender
-Basic gender concepts
-Gender and policy Environment
-Examples of gender issues
 Different gender
perspectives
 Gender as women emancipation

 Equality

 Women empowerment

 Women issue
Gender

Defined as a description of roles, activities and responsibilities assigned to

men and women in a given society, culture, community or time.

• Xpectations of people from some one, because either they are female or

male.
• M&W are expected to perform the fixed roles assigned to them by the
society.
• It is a learned process and can be changed.
 THEORIES ON GENDER -A
1. Evolutionary theory-1,
• Gender norms emerge due to relative costs and benefits of different
sexual practices.
• Women's reproductive success in pre-industrial civilization, e.g,
depended on
-investing time in her children
- and having a mate who could supply essential resources
• Men's reproductive success depended on having a multiple sexual
partners (Guo et al., 2007; Hatfield et al., 2011).
• Men and women develop norms about what is expected and suitable
behavior as a result of their desire for reproductive success.
• critique of evolutionary theory is that gender norms can and do change over time.
 THEORIES ON GENDER -B
Evolutionary theory-2.

Related to, but distinct from, evolutionary theory Research looks at

- role of brain anatomy and hormones acquisition of particular masculine

and feminine traits is (Gurian & Henley, 2001; Brizendine, 2010).

-should not be used to justify antisocial or unhealthy behavior.

Men and boys, for example, may have higher levels of testosterone, a
hormone linked to sex drive and violence, than women.
 THEORIES ON GENDER -C

2. Social role theory

-Explains gender as a fixed and static variable; one is either feminine/ masculine.

- Social role theory denies that there are multiple ways to express femininity
and masculinity (Courtenay, 2000).

Critique of social role theory is that in practice, the expression of gender is quite
varied, changes over time and between cultures, and can be represented along a
continuum of behaviors, roles, and expectations (i.e., gender is not a binary
variable).
 THEORIES ON GENDER
3. Social Constructivist theory ;
- People learn masculine and feminine traits via their experiences with family,
peers, community(Courtenay, 2000).
- Gender is not innate; rather, it is something that one learns by observing and
doing.
- In social constructivism, the concept of agency, or the role that individuals play
in exerting power and producing results in their lives, is important (Courtenay,
2000).
A growing body of literature uses a social constructivist perspective on gender
 BASIC CONCEPTS-1

The terms sex and gender are sometimes used interchangeably and do in

fact complement each other.

Sex refers to the anatomical and other biological differences between

females and males that are determined at the moment of conception and

develop in the womb and throughout childhood and adolescence.

Gender is often defined as a social construct of norms, behaviors and
roles that varies between societies and over time.
Society has different expectations on men and women ;these
expectations as we develop our gender identity, or our beliefs about
ourselves as females or males.
Gender identity???
Differences between Sex and Gender
Qn. If sex is a biological concept, then gender is a social
concept. With relevant examples support the statement .
BASIC CONCEPTS -3
Gender Equity
-Is the process of being fair to women and men.
To ensure fairness, measures must be taken to compensate for historical and
social disadvantages that prevent women and men from operating on a level
playing field.
Gender Equality
-is the state or condition that affords women and men equal enjoyment of human
rights, socially valued goods, opportunities, and resources.
 BASIC CONCEPTS -3

Gender Roles ;
-Communities and societies create social norms of behavior,
values, and attitudes.
- These norms are deemed appropriate for men and women.
- These roles are assigned by social criteria rather than
biological. e.g. childbearing is a female sex role because men
cannot bear children. But raising a child can be done by both.
 BASIC CONCEPTS -3

Gender Relations :

A term that emphasizes the relationship between men and women as

demonstrated by their respective roles in power sharing, decision making,

the division of labor, returns to labor, both within the household and in the

society at large.
BASIC CONCEPTS -4
Gender Mainstreaming
is the process of incorporating a gender perspective into policies,
strategies, programs, project activities, and administrative functions, as
well as into the institutional culture of an organization.
BASIC CONCEPTS -5
Gender Stereotyping:
- The portrayal, in media or books or conversations, of socially
assigned gender roles as "normal" and "natural
- Ideas that people have on masculinity and femininity:
-What men and women of all generations should be like and are
capable of doing. (e.g., girls should be obedient and cute, are allowed
to cry, and boys are expected to be brave, or boys are better at
mathematics and girls more suited to nursing).
 BASIC CONCEPTS -6
Practical and strategic gender needs
Needs of women and men that arise from their socially ascribed roles,
privileges and attributes are called gender needs
Categorised as either practical or strategic:
• Practical Gender Needs are related to what people require to carry out
their socially ascribed roles more easily ,effectively or efficiently
• Strategic Gender Needs on the other hand are those needs that when met
enable women and men perform roles that are not traditionally ascribed to
 BASIC CONCEPTS -7
Productive activities: involve the production of goods and
service with the potential of bringing additional income to the
households or economic unit.
• Reproductive activities: include tasks that are necessary for
maintaining what has been produced. They relate to caring for the home
and family. I,e Washing, collecting water
• The payment factor is important in distinguishing between
productive and reproductive activities.
BASIC CONCEPTS -7
Gender Blindness: Refers to a person, policy or institution that does not
recognize that gender is an essential determinant of life choices
available in society.
Patriarchy
Systematic societal structures that institutionalize male physical social and
economic power over women.
 BASIC CONCEPTS -8
Gender analysis
• Refers to a systematic way of examining the different
effects and impacts of development programes on women
and men particularly taking stock of their participation as
service providers and beneficiaries.
• It also refers to identifying and classifying the different roles of
women and men in a given sector or activity; their relations and access to
and control over resources and benefits.
 GENDER AND POLICY ENVIRONMENT
National level Initiatives
• 1995 Uganda constitution- Article 21 “Equality and non- discrimination of
all persons in all spheres”

• Affirmative action (Article 32); In the 1990’s

• National Gender Policy-1997

• Creation of the ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development .

• Strategic framework for National Development
(vision 2025) Vision 2040?
• The local Government Act and Decentralization policy
 Gender and policy environment
International level:
Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 1979 & ratified by Uganda in 1985
¨ The Beijing Platform for Action (PFA)
¨ Maputo Declaration

¨ 1993 Vienna declaration

¨ 1994 Africa platform for action

¨ MDG’S-Goal 3, SDG-
Gender issues

• Literacy-education

• Poverty

• Women’s participation in decision making

• Women’s access to land and other property

• Employment and wage/salary gap/managerial positions

Examples of gender issues today

• Sharing of roles

• Access to health care

• Women in politics

• Gender based violence

• Culture and its impact on women and men

“Promoting gender does not mean favouring one group to the

detriment of another. And there can be no meaningful development

when half of the population is excluded from development processes.

So every one needs to get behind actions to promote gender.”

Bibiane Yoda Francoise -Burkina Faso

Thank you!