SOCIAL

CONSTRUC
GEL 2: The Entrepreneurial Mind, Gender and
Society
 Gender is a social construct that impacts
attitudes, roles, responsibilities and behavior
patterns of boys and girls, men and women
in all societies. Increasing attention has been
given to the importance of achieving gender
equality in education.
 • Gender equality moves beyond access
and requires that girls and boys also
experience the same levels of quality and
outcomes of education

• Education systems are both a result of external forces

and instrumental to perpetuating or alleviating gender
disparity around the world. This unit emphasis the
social construction of gender, gender and biology,
gender equality and equity. This unit creates a lot of
inputs for the prospective students about the gender
issues, gender dynamics and gender roles.
 SOCIAL
Social construction is a social process in

CONSTRUC
which both individual and other social
processes are intrinsically related.
Every construction or image of the
world is influenced by the individual‘s

TION
experience of the society and his/her
interaction with various social
processes.
 The differences between male and
female sexes are anatomical and
physiological. "Sex" tends to relate to
biological differences. For instance,
male and female genitalia, both
internal and external are different.
Similarly, the levels and types of
hormones present in male and female
bodies are different.
 GENDER
Gender tends to denote the social and
cultural role of each sex within a given
society. Rather than being purely
assigned by genetics, as sex
differences generally are, people often
develop their gender roles in response
to their environment, including family
interactions, the media, peers, and
education
 GENDER
The World Health Organization (WHO)
defines gender as: "Gender refers to
the socially constructed characteristics
of women and men, such as norms,
roles, and relationships of and between
groups of women and men. It varies
from society to society and can be
changed."
 Sex and Gender: What is the
Difference?
Sex and Gender are two words that refer to the differences
between males and females. Though these two terms are commonly
used interchangeably, there is a distinct difference between sex
and gender. The main difference between sex and gender is that
sex refers to the biological and physiological differences between
males and females whereas gender refers to the social differences
between men and women.

Historically, the terms "sex" and "gender" have been used

interchangeably, but their uses are becoming increasingly distinct,
and it is important to understand the differences between the two.
 DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination is harming
someone’s rights simply because
of who they are or what they
believe. Discrimination is harmful
and perpetuates inequality. It
strikes at the very heart of being
human.
 Direct discrimination is when an explicit
distinction is made between groups of
people that results in individuals from
some groups being less able than others
to exercise their rights. For example, a
law that requires women, and not men, to
provide proof of a certain level of
education as a prerequisite for voting
would constitute direct discrimination on
the grounds of sex.
Indirect discrimination is when a law, policy,
or practice is presented in neutral terms (that
is, no explicit distinctions are made) but it
disproportionately disadvantages a specific
group or groups. For example, a law that
requires everyone to provide proof of a certain
level of education as a prerequisite for voting
has an indirectly discriminatory effect on any
group that is less likely to have achieved that
level of education (such as disadvantaged
ethnic groups or women).
intersectional discrimination is when several
forms of discrimination combine to leave a
particular group or groups at an even greater
disadvantage. For example, discrimination against
women frequently means that they are paid less
than men for the same work. Discrimination against
an ethnic minority often results in members of that
group being paid less than others for the same
work. Where women from a minority group are paid
less than other women and less than men from the
same minority group, they are suffering from
intersectional discrimination on the grounds of their
sex, gender and ethnicity.
 SOME KEY FORMS
OF Racial
DISCRIMINATION
and ethnic
discrimination
Racism affects virtually every country in the world. It systematically denies
people their full human rights just because of their colour, race, ethnicity,
descent (including caste) or national origin. Racism unchecked can fuel large-
scale atrocities such as the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and more recently,
apartheid and ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people in Myanmar.
In India, members of the Dalit community are targeted, by members of
dominant castes, for a range of human rights abuses. These crimes, which
include gang rapes, killings and the destruction of their homes, often go
uninvestigated by the police because of discriminatory attitudes which do not
take crimes against Dalits seriously.
 SOME KEY FORMS
OF DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination against non-
nationals, sometimes known as
Discrimination hasxenophobia
also been a feature of the response
of authorities to refugees and asylum seekers in other
parts of the world. Many people in countries receiving
refugees and asylum-seekers view the situation as a
crisis with leaders and politicians exploiting these fears
by promising, and in some cases enacting, abusive and
unlawful policies.
 SOME KEY FORMS
OF DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination against lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and intersex
(LGBTI) people
Everywhere in the world, people face discrimination
because of who they love, who they are attracted to
and who they are. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and intersex (LGBTI) people risk being unfairly treated
in all areas of their lives, whether it’s in education,
employment, housing or access to health care, and they
 SOME KEY FORMS
• OF DISCRIMINATION
Gender discrimination
• Discrimination based on
disability
 GENDER
EQUALITY
GENDER
EQUALITY
This refers to the equal rights,
responsibilities and
opportunities of women and
men and girls and boys.
Equality does not mean that
women and men will become
the same but that women‘s
and men‘s rights,
responsibilities and
opportunities will not depend
on whether they are born male
 GENDER
EQUALITY
Gender equality implies that the
interests, needs and priorities of both
women and men are taken into
consideration, recognizing the
diversity of different groups of women
and men. Gender equality is not a
women‘s issue but should concern and
fully engage men as well as women.
Equality between women and men is
seen both as a human rights issue and
as a precondition for, and indicator of,
sustainable people-centered
development.
GENDER EQUALITY
TRAINING
I Gender equality training has
been understood to cover a
wide range of different
educational tools and
processes: face to face training
events and courses of study,
staff induction, online
modules, guidance materials
and related resources,
consultancy arrangements,
and networks for sharing
 WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT
TO HAVE
 It is important to create an open and
friendly atmosphere to address gender
discrimination issues; therefore it is
critical to involve men and women
rather than only women. Because
gender biases are embedded in culture,
it is very difficult to eliminate them
without having a holistic view and
involving men as a part of the solution.
 GENDER
EQUITY
Gender Equity is the process of allocating resources,
programs, and decision making fairly to both males and
females without any discrimination on the basis of sex…and
addressing any imbalances in the benefits available to males
and females. This requires ensuring that everyone has
access to a full range of opportunities to achieve the social,
psychological and physical benefits. It does not necessarily
mean making the same programs and facilities available to
both males and females.
 GENDER
EQUITY
Gender equity requires that girls and women be provided
with a full range of activity and program choices that meet
their needs, interests and experiences. Therefore, some
activities may be the same as those offered to boys and men,
some may be altered, and some may be altogether different.
 THE
BENEFITS
OF GENDER
• Fully representing the population base and tapping the
resources of every member results in a larger, stronger
and more effective organization.

•  Skilled women provide the organization with an

important talent pool of administrators, coaches and
officials
•  Taking the lead in promoting girls and women brings
prestige and support to the organization.
•  Working together, women and men can learn to build
equal partnerships.
•  By fulfilling their legal responsibility to treat fairly
everyone involved in the organization and making a
commitment to gender equity, organizations avoid a
negative public image as well as the time and expense
of dealing with unnecessary lawsuits.
 Answer the following, minimum of 5 sentences.

1.What is the difference between the gender equity and gender equality?

2. Describe and state different examples about gender discrimination?

3. How do societal expectations and norms shape our understanding of masculinity

and femininity?

4. Discuss the different gender roles to our society and how does it differ based on
their nature based on work, education, roles and in the community?

5. Compare and contrast the social construction of gender in different cultures

such us from history to modern era? How do societal expectations and norms
shape our understanding of ourselves?