According to the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), the term “gender” refers to a socio-cultural classification of women and men based on societal norms, values, responsibilities and roles men and women should play in society.
Of late, gender dimension of education and development have come to the centre-stage but unfortunately continued to be perceived as “women’s issues” by the society still dominated by men by and large.
Gender role reversal is a situation in which a male or female are forced or allowed to exchange their socially prescribed conventional norms, roles and responsibilities, so that each starts doing or behaving like what the other used to do which are often permitted by the dominant group in the society.
Some recent women studies, gender studies and feminist groups have thrown up gender related terminology through which gender inclusion and equity narratives are being built which requires to be understood.
A number of related concepts underlie the development of a clear understanding of gender have been defined by FAWE as follows:
Gender discrimination: Denying opportunities and rights or giving preferential treatment to individuals on the basis of their sex.
Gender equality: The elimination of all forms of discrimination based on gender so that girls and women, as well as boys and men have equal opportunities and benefits.
Gender equity: Giving equal treatment to both girls and boys, women and men to access resources and opportunities. In the provision of education it refers to ensuring that girls and boys have equal access to enrolment and other educational opportunities.
Gender relations: Relationships between women and men acquired through the process of socialization in terms of power sharing, decision - making, and division of labour within the household and in the society at large.
Gender stereotype: The constant portrayal, such as in the media, conversation, jokes or books, of women and men occupying social roles according to a traditional gender role or division of labour.
From the wider picture, says FAWE, the term “gender” refers to a socio-cultural classification of women and men. This classification is based on societal norms and values that define the roles men and women should play in society.
Read the inset pic to know ploy of dominant section of the society in the form of role reversal in the name of gender equity which in fact stands for addressing gender diversity through inclusion.
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