The term gender is socio-cultural classification label or social construct based on societal norms and values prescribed by patriarchy that define the roles men and women should play in society leading to gender inequality.
According to the UN, Gender inequality is essentially a question of power in a male-dominated world and a male-dominated culture, therefore, for a shift toward gender equality, the power relations must be reversed. The UNICEF defines gender equality in terms of same rights, resources, opportunities and protections for women and men
According to the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), the term “gender” refers to the social construct in the form of 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 a women’s issue by the society and politics still dominated by men by and large.
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 enrollment 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.
The FAWE group holds that acquiring gender literacy leads to being better informed about gender diversity, equity and inclusion. When one gender illiterate, the ploy of gender role reversal is played by dominant groups leading to masculinisation of women. We need to understand that gender role reversal is a situation in which a male or female is 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.
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