But
wasn't it clear the depth of gender illiteracy prevalent within our context?
Did you not get a fit, reading to certain pre-conceptions? Not a few are unaware
of what gender really implies. So I think that the next plausible thing to do
will be to give a further insight on the what gender and gender sensitivity implies.
That should set the tone and stage for subsequent discourse and write up on
related issues.
So
what exactly is gender and how should it be understood? Gender refers to the
attitudes, feelings, and behaviours that a given culture or society associates
with a person's biological sex. It is important that we do not confuse this
with ‘sex’ - which is the biological and physiological
characteristics that define or differentiate a man and a woman. From the above,
you can see that the concept of gender, is socially constructed, differ from
one society to another, and attribute, behaviours, feelings and
responsibilities are not the same overall. So that, aside the biological
functions and roles nature assigns to a man or women, there nothing else about
gender that is globally accepted. It changes from one society to another.
Gender is also often misunderstood as being a
promotion of women’s issues only. Nothing can be more rubbish that this
statement. What has given rise to this rhetoric is an increasing advocacy to
include women in platforms they should have been a part of right at the beginning.
How terrible is it to ask that you be included and your plight be considered
when issues that affect you are being considered? Imagine you being a member of
the family, and discussions over a movement that will affect you do not include
you. Such sense of alienation can kill.
Again, given the socially constructed concept of women
being the weaker sex, society has treated the female gender (gender in the
context of biological make-up) in a more gruesome and demeaning way than men,
accorded the male folk more privileges and rights than women. Hence, it is usually
a campaign towards the prevention of obnoxious acts like rape, female genital
mutilation, child bride, forced marriage etc, that usually presents gender as
'women issue'.
In such 'struggles', what is being considered mainly,
is gender equality, which is an offshoot of or a branch of the discussion on
the equality of all mankind. So if you think it is right to stop racism, kill
ethnic bigotry and treat all men as equal, but you consider gender equality as 'women
issue', then you need a refresher on hypocrisy and double standards.
It is in a bid to address inequality that gender and
gender mainstreaming came about. Gender
Mainstreaming is a globally accepted strategy for promoting gender equality. Mainstreaming
is not an end in itself but a means to achieve the goal of gender equality. Mainstreaming
involves ensuring that gender perspectives are central to all that we do in
life - planning, implementation and
monitoring of the things we do that affect all sex. It does not pertain to just
one sex alone. It affects all.
Women are humans. They have needs like just like any
other man on the street. They have ego and sensibilities and desire respect,
regard just like their men folk. I have not seen an aspect of their make up or
creation that make them less human. What we see today is an extension of mankind's
desire to classify itself and assume more importance above others.
Hence,
we need to be clear about the following when talking about gender. Gender is
socially constructed and not the way God or nature made it. It is impacted by
time and context. It is perceived differently by societies and groups. There
are functions a man performs in Igbo land that a woman does in India. It is
acceptable for women to marry more than one man in some places but a taboo in
other places. Gender is also a determinant or shapes the relationship between men
and women. A number of considerations about gender are taken from an economic of financial lens. Hence, how is it that a male child is more important than a female?
But the biggest of them all is the timeless question; How I am supposed to act or not act because I am a woman/ man? This is
what it means to be a woman/man at any given place at a particular time.
For me, things will begin to make real sense when we
begin to drop specific biases and socially constructed roles and do things
because it is what we want to do. That will be the real freedom. But behind
every of this definition, the truest sense of freedom lies in our ability to
decide how we want to live and truly live it without feeling that social
pressure.
So it appears the respondents to our lunch time
hashtag did not understand gender in this perspective. That would have made all
the difference.
My take away is; maybe if all men are treated equally, all gender are treated equally, the disparities we see today in our society will cease to exist. Just maybe!
