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UNIT 12: Gender and Society
Key unit competence: To be able to relate or interact effectively with
families, peers at school and community
Introduction
The issues of gender, gender roles, gender equality and equity have recently
been in the limelight across the world. In this unit, we will study how all theabove gender-related issues relate to the society.
12.1 Gender equality and equity
Activity 1
1. Take two minutes to individually think of what gender and society
mean. Write your thoughts and then share them with your partner.
2. If you were asked to put people in your community into groups, how
would you categorise them?
From your class discussions you have discovered that people tend to group
themselves based on gender, sexuality, social class, religious convictions or
even on tribal and racial basis. In this unit we will concentrate on genderequality, gender roles and families.
Activity 2
1. Discuss the possible meanings for the terms equality and equity. Use
text books and dictionaries.
2. Decide in your groups whether equality and equity are evident in your
society.
3. Discuss whether you think human beings need equality.
Gender refers to the social understanding of being male or female. It goes
beyond the biological meaning to a cultural meaning.
Gender equality means that women and men as well as girls and boys
enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protection.
Gender equity is the process of avoiding discrimination on the basis of
sex (male/ female). This can be by engaging both sexes in decision making,
allocating resources equally and providing equal opportunities.
In Rwanda, the Gender Monitoring Office which is a government body that
ensures that all national activities are gender equitable including elections.
Several organisations also work towards promoting positive masculinity
which encourages men to be loving, caring fathers and partners who are
supportive of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Gender equality means that each gender play roles of equal importance to
the society. It is also important to note that biological characteristics relate
the female gender to particular roles such as nursing infants as they have the
maternal ability to do so.
On the other hand, the masculinity of the male gender places them at a
better position to carry out the more demanding manual jobs. This does not
limit the women to domestic chores and neither does it prohibit men from
carrying out domestic activities such as cooking. Equal opportunities such as
education and resources enable girls, boys, men and women to make choices
on what to do in life. For example, today there are many chefs who are men
and architects who are women.
Traditionally in Rwanda, activities such as drumming were left for men, but
today, teams of girls drum with strength and skill. Fathers are encouraging
daughters to do engineering and other courses that were perceived to be
men’s domain. Several women, for instance, have joined the army.
Gender complementarity is therefore the aspect of making both males
and females carry out roles that support each other. This is because onegender cannot make a society. Both complement each other.
How to promote gender equality
Activity 3
1. Discuss ways of promoting gender equality.
2. Explain why it is important for the government to promote gender
equality
your discussions you have no doubt learnt that equality is necessary
for all of us. Equality can be taught and practised starting from the school
environment by creating a positive learning environment in which both boys
and girls have positive role models and positive messages about responsibility.
Gender equality in Rwanda has greatly improved. This is evident in the
following areas:-
• More girls are enrolled in school as opposed to the past when mostly
boys went to school.
• Women can access loans to start businesses and therefore become more
self reliant.
• Today, women are taking up high-end jobs that were dominated by the
men. Instead of serving as personal assistants and secretaries, they are
occupying managerial offices just as the male counterparts.
• Laws are being put in place to allow the female gender to inherit property
just in the same way the males are heirs.
• Rwanda has maintained gender equality in terms of leadership as
seen in the number of female leaders today. The number of female
parliamentarians is 64%. This means that the majority are women.
• Rape has been acknowledged as a very serious offence; there are heavily
jail sentences for perpetrators.
• Women have been given the right to choose whether to pool assets
together with the husband or to keep them separate.
Men, women, boys and girls should be encouraged to explore and understand
how gender equality will benefit their families and communities. This can also
help individuals understand their roles and place in the family and society.
Good role models, both men and women have a big role to play in
teaching and encouraging the different gender groups to develop their own
responsibilities. A change in the way children are brought up is necessary.
We should eliminate stereotypical influences on the child. This can be done
by effecting change in the way we view: class and ethnicity, social norms
about women and men, boys and girls –as well as their, capabilities, security,
opportunities, empowerment and freedom. After the 1994 genocide against
the Tutsi, the Rwandan people had an opportunity to experience women
leadership. Women who make up a majority of those who survived acted
as judges in Gachecha courts and played great roles in putting the country
in order. Since then, the gender stereotypes has slowly faded and gender
equality has played a major role in the growth of Rwanda as a nation.
Gender equality can be promoted in schools, families and work places. The
following are some of the ways in which gender equality can be promoted.
1. Ensure equal pay and fair representation of men and women at all levels:
male teachers assistants; female head teachers and other senior levels.
2. Develop initiatives that promote education for all. This will facilitate
equality in opportunities later in life. In Rwanda for instance, there is a
compulsory education programme that has put boys and girls in primary
and secondary schools in equal numbers.
3. Challenge the existing stereotypes, that is, images that portray either
gender in a certain way.
4. Have clear and defined procedures for identifying and reporting sexual
harassment for both sexes. The Rwandan government has provided
hotlines for the police as a way of curbing rape cases. Sexual harassment
is highly punished in Rwanda. Laws have been put in place to stop genderviolence.
Exercise 1
State the meaning of gender, gender equality and equity.
12.2 Benefits of gender equality and complementarity
Activity 4
Debate on the following motion:
A gender balanced society is better than a gender imbalanced society.
Discuss the main points raised by each side after the debate
There are benefits when gender equality and complementarity is exercised.These benefits are given below:
1. When women are presented with equal opportunities as men, they are
able to acquire education as opposed to when they do not enjoy gender
equality.
2. Career progression for women becomes easier when there is gender
equality and complementarity.
3. Women are able to enjoy financial independence and new roles in society
when gender equity is put in practice.
4. When women are given the same opportunities as men, there is human
development in the society.
5. When all members of the society have the opportunity to earn, there is
likely to be improved economic growth.
6. When women get equal opportunity as men, they also enjoy freedom,
choice and happiness.
7. Gender equality improves economic and social conditions for everyone.
When both parents are earning, families are healthier and better fed. Their
income, savings and investments go up. This extends to the community
and the entire nation.
8. When both girls and boys live free from rigid stereotypes that limit their
potential, they are able to exploit their full potential in a way that benefits
themselves and the society they live in.
9. In organisations and institutions where there is gender balance, there is
likely to be better decision-making and more effective implementation of
these decisions as everyone is involved in decision and therefore own thedecisions made.
Exercise 2
Highlight the benefits of gender equality and complementarity.
12.3 Gender roles and gender stereotypes
Activity 5
Act out the following dialogue and answer the questions that follow.
Interchange the roles and let mother play the role of father and Jacob’s
sister play the role of Jacob and vice versa.
Father: (Arriving home from work carrying a newspaper) How are you
Jacob?
Jacob: (watching TV) Am fine dad.
Father: Where is your sister? I need a cup of tea.
Jacob: She is washing the utensils.
Father: How about your mother?
Jacob: She is picking vegetables from the garden.Father: Can you make a cup of tea for me?
12.3.1 Gender roles
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines gender roles as socially
constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society
considers appropriate for men and women. Simply put, they are the roles that
men and women are expected to occupy based on their sex.
Traditionally, many Western societies have believed that women are more
nurturing than men. Therefore, the traditional view of the feminine gender
role prescribes that women should behave in ways that are nurturing. One way
that a woman might engage in the traditional feminine gender role would be
to nurture her family by working full-time within the home rather than taking
employment outside of the home. Men, on the other hand, are presumed
by traditional views of gender roles to be leaders. Them traditional view
of the masculine gender role, therefore, suggests that men should be the
heads of their households by providing financially for the family and makingimportant family decisions.
Activity 6
Explain the gender roles in the following pictures
12.3.2 Gender stereotypes
Gender stereotypes are over-generalisations about the characteristics of
an entire group based on gender. A man might say women aren’t meant
for combat, while a woman might say men do nothing but watch sports.
Stereotypes are not always necessarily true because they come from making
general conclusions about a group of people based on mere assumptions.
These general conclusions cannot be true for all people because individuals
have different desires, feelings and thoughts. Both the female gender andthe male gender have been stereotyped in the society. The following are
examples of gender stereotypes:
1. Women are rational beings.
2. Men are tough and protective.
3. Men are neither neat nor and clean.
4. Women make good secretaries and teachers.
5. They are also viewed as fragile and emotional, caring and more appropriate
for jobs like nursing.
These stereotypes begin right from childhood once the sex of a child is known.
The newborn is welcomed in a very stereotyped setting that’s decorated with
items suggesting how he/she ought to grow. Girls are made to love dolls and
take care of them as women take care of children while boys are bought car
toys and video games. While growing, they are assigned roles in the same
way. Boys can watch TV while girls do all the cleaning and cooking, unless
there is a fence to trim. Boys are also encouraged to do outdoor sports such
as bicycle riding and hiking. These stereotypes grow with children and arepassed on to generations.
12.3.3 Why are stereotypes simple assumptions?
Stereotypes are mere assumptions because as discussed earlier, individuals
have different desires, feelings and thoughts. It would therefore be untrue to
say that all men are leaders and all women are submissive because there are
women leaders. Some women are also doing well in the technical careers such
as pilots, mechanics and so forth, in the same way men are growing interestin cosmetics industry, hairdressing and others are chefs in restaurants.
Exercise 3
Identify various gender roles and gender stereotypes in your community.
12.4 Impact of gender stereotypes on individuals, families
and society
Activity 7
Case study
One day, Mary’s mother came home and found the house in a mess.
Dirty dishes were left
on the dining table.
The floor was dirty
and the basket was
full of dirty clothes.
Mary was feeling
unwell and was lying
on the sofa while
her brother was
playing his video
game. What was the
best thing for Mary’smother to do?
Gender stereotypes portray teaching or serving in a hotel as female careers
while higher medical professions are perceived to be male careers. From the
discussion above, however, you realise that none of these careers belong
only to men or women. Holding on to these beliefs has very negative impacts
on individuals, families and the society at large. For example, the assumption
that women are more emotional than rational is demeaning to the female
gender and makes them look inferior to the male gender. This can lead to
disrespect in the family and consequently break the harmony that should be
in a family
Gender stereotypes portray teaching or serving in a hotel as female careers
while higher medical professions are perceived to be male careers. From the
discussion above, however, you realise that none of these careers belong
only to men or women. Holding on to these beliefs has very negative impacts
on individuals, families and the society at large. For example, the assumption
that women are more emotional than rational is demeaning to the female
gender and makes them look inferior to the male gender. This can lead to
disrespect in the family and consequently break the harmony that should bein a family.
The following are the effects of gender stereotypes on individuals, family and
society:
1. It can cause psychological distress to an individual. For example, where
a boy is told that he should not cry in public, he is likely to suppress
his emotions to prove his masculinity yet undergo a lot of emotional
suffering.
2. It can easily reduce an individual’s self-esteem. When women are viewed
as passive members of the family who must always be submissive and have
no place in decision-making, their sense of value is ideally diminished.
They may end up feeling unwanted yet they are a central part of the
society in real sense and can make great leaders.
3. Stereotyping can prevent individuals from pursuing their dreams such as
a person’s career of interest. This denies such a person the opportunity
to live a fulfilling life. For example, a female student may have interest
in a mechanical job, but the fear of not meeting the expectations of the
society may hold her from pursuing her dream career hence not achieving
her full potential.
4. It can be used as a basis for discrimination. For example, this can happen
in the family when sharing household chores. The girl child, for example,
may be overwhelmed with responsibilities such as preparing meals,
cleaning, laundry and buying grocery while her male siblings engage in
fun activities.
5. It can lead to subordination of one gender in society. For example, in the
earlier days, women were not allowed to vote. This denied them of the
right to elect leaders of their choice.
6. It can bring confusion and disagreement in the family about whose
responsibility it is to provide for the family. Though any member of the
family can be the breadwinner depending on the situation, stereotyping
that presumes that the man should fend for the family can be detrimental
when the man in the family is not able to earn for one reason or another.
He may feel incapable of doing his duty even when he is not to blame.
This can also have a negative impact on the family because the idea that
a woman should not fend for the family is a hindrance to improving the
living standards of the family as the income comes from one source.
Exercise 4
1. Explain the impact of gender stereotypes on individuals, families and
society.2. Write an essay on gender issues in the society today.
12.5 Unit summary
Gender - the social understanding of being male or female.
Gender equality – a situation where women, men, girls and boys enjoy the
same rights, resources, opportunities and protection.
Gender equity - the process of avoiding discrimination on the basis of sex
(male/ female).
Gender complementarity - the aspect of making both males and females
carry out roles that support or complement each other.
Gender roles - socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes
that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.
Gender stereotypes - over-generalisations about the characteristics of an
entire group based on gender.Benefits of gender equality and complementarity
1. When women are presented with equal opportunities as men, they are
able to acquire education as opposed to when they do not enjoy gender
equality.
2. Career progression for women becomes easier when there is gender
equality and complementarity.
3. Women are able to enjoy financial independence and new roles in
society when gender equity is put in practice.
4. When women are given the same opportunities as men, there is human
development in the society.
5. When all members of the society have the opportunity to earn, there is
likely to be improved economic growth.
6. When women get equal opportunity as men, they also enjoy freedom,
choice and happiness.
7. Gender equality improves economic and social conditions for everyone.
8. When both girls and boys live free from rigid stereotypes that limit
their potential, they are able to exploit their full potential in a way that
benefi ts themselves and the society they live in.
9. In organisations and institutions where there is gender balance, there is
likely to be better decision-making and more effective implementation
of these decisions as everyone is involved in decision and thereforeown the decisions made
Impact of gender stereotypes on individuals, families and society
1. It can cause psychological distress to an individual.
2. It can easily reduce an individual’s self-esteem.
3. Stereotyping can prevent individuals from pursuing their dreams such
as a person’s career of interest.
4. It can be used as a basis for discrimination
5. It can lead to subordination of one gender in society.
6. It can bring confusion and disagreement in the family about whoseresponsibility it is to provide for the family.
12.6 Test your competence
Read the case study below then answer the questions that follow.
Rose was working in an institution that took care of children. Though she
was more learned than most of her male counterparts, she was always given
the responsibilities of taking care of children and feeding them. Whenever an
opportunity arose for promotion, she was always overlooked with a simpleexplanation, ‘You are a woman’. This hurt Rose a lot.
Questions
1. Identify any gender issues in this story.
2. What gender roles do you find in this story?
3. Explain the gender stereotype seen Rose’s case.
4. Suggest possible solutions to the challenges Rose was facing at herwork.