Everything you always wanted to know about gender

Sensitization Workshop

Handicap International

Workshop Outline

1. Gender definition and concepts

2. Links between gender and disability

3. Why is it interesting to mainstream gender in HI work?

4. Conclusion

What is gender?

… And how is it different from sex?

Sex

Biologically determined Universal A temporal

Gender

Socially-constructed Learned Dynamic and modifiable Culturally conditioned Is multi-faceted

© Richard Chapman

HI Definition of gender

1. Gender describes social roles and relations between men and women in society

2. Gender changes over time and cultures (ex breastfeeding)3. Gender refers to all aspects of life (economic, political,

social) 4. Gender assigns behaviors and actions that are expected

from men and women (cultural representations)5. Gender assigns women and men position within the

family, the community, the nation 6. Gender refers to how power is used and shared7. Gender is a cross disciplinary category: interaction with

other factors (age, disability, ethnicity, religion, social background…)

From Sexual Differences to Inequality

These social inequalities are constructed on the basis of sex, which the GAD approach seek to take into account.

© Le monde selon les femmes, 2002.

DIFFERENCES INEQUALITIES 

 

WOMAN MAN WOMAN MAN

Small Robust Weak Strong

Sharp voice  

Deep voice Submissive voice Authoritative voice

Limited physical strength Great physical strength

Fragile, not able to overcome challenges

Strong, capable achieving great endeavors

Interaction between gender and disability

Why it is interesting to mainstream gender when addressing disability

Gender shapes the way in which disability is experienced.

Women with disabilities are doubly discriminated against.

Acknowledge people with disability sexuality (≠ asexual category)

The influence of gender on The The influence of gender on The Disability Creation Process : Disability Creation Process :

Cat

heri n

e D

ixon

SOCIAL PARTICIPATIONAccording to roles and tasks given to men and women within the community

Environmental factors

Interaction

Personal factors

Human development model

Intrinsic

Including sexe and gender

Extrinsic

Including gender

(RIPPH, 1996)

Environmental factors

Life habits

Interaction

Disability Creation Process (RIPPH, 1996)

Social participation Disabling situation

Personal factors

Organic systems

Integrity org. impairment

Aptitudes

capacity funct. impairment Facilitator Obstacle

Risk factors

Cause

Risk factors

Cause« A risk factor is an element belonging to an individual or resulting from the environment that is liable to cause a disease, a trauma or any other form of deterioration in a person’s integrity or development. »Risks factors are sometimes different for men and women.

How Sexe and Gender How Sexe and Gender influence Risk factorsinfluence Risk factors

1 – Biological risks : sex Eg. disability caused by pregnancy and

delivery (18 millions women/year)

2 – Risks related to the physical environment: repartition of tasks

within the society (gender) Eg. Mine affected area around water

point

3 – Risks related to social organisation : cultural and social practices

(gender) Eg :Female genital mutilation, professional risk,

domestic accident

4 – Risks related to individual and social behaviour: How individual

behave according to what is expected by society. Eg: road

accident

The main categories:

Facteur de risque

Cause

« A personal factor is a characteristic belonging to a person, such as age, sex, socio-cultural identity (including gender), organic systems, aptitudes, etc. »

Personal factors

Organic systems Aptitudes

Capacity funct.impairmentIntegrity org.impairment

Risk factor

Cause

« An organic system is a group of body components with a shared function. »

«An impairment corresponds to the degree of anatomical, histological (structure) or physiological (functioning) deterioration to an organic system. »

« An aptitude is the possibility for a

person to accomplish a

physical or mental activity. »

Some aptitudes are also attributed by

sex:-giving birth for a women (aptitude

related to reproduction)

-be strong for a man (aptitude related to

resistance and protection)

Environmental factors

Facilitator Obstacle

« An environmental factor is a social or physical dimension that determines the organisation and the context of a society. » Gender is an environmental factor that conditions roles and responsibilities of men and women« A facilitator is an environmental factor that promotes the realisation of life habits. »

« An obstacle is an environmental factor that reduces the realisation of life habits

Environmental factors

Facilitator Obstacle

• Some beliefs and cultural perceptions can render women with disabilities ineligible to marriage and motherhood.

Stereotypes on gender and disability and some cultural practices (eg. dowry) represent environmental obstacles

Environmental factors

Facilitator Obstacle

In some cultural contexts the presence of female health workers facilitate the attendance of rehabilitation centers by women

Environmental factors

Facilitator Obstacle

Sexual harassment and gender based violence in school environment hamper disabled girls’ access to school

Equal rights !

An efficient law to facilitate insertion of people with disability and which promote gender equality will have a significant impact on how women and men experience their disability.

Environmental factors

Facilitator Obstacle

Environmental factors

Facilitator Obstacle

Family can be a major facilitator

Environmental factors

Facilitator Obstacle

Family environment is a major factor (overprotection, control, support…) The knowledge of the allocation of tasks, powers and responsibilities within the household between men and women is essential

Life habits

Social participation Disabling situation

« A life habit is an everyday activity

or a social role which relates to and is valued by the person or his/her socio-cultural context according to his/her characteristics (age, sex, identity, etc.). It ensures a person’s survival and well-being »Gender conditions women and men’s life habits. Gender keep them in specific roles and tasks (reproductive role, productive role, community role etc..)

Examples differ with the cultural contexts

Social participation Disabling situation

A situation of social participation corresponds to the full realisation of life habits. Some of those habits are conditioned by gender

Women:

Looking after children

Domestic tasks

Field labour

Supplying in basic goods

dancing

Men:

Working

Protecting his family

Cattle raising

Attending school

Exercing sport

Life habits

The number of women

with disabilties is estimated at 300 million worldwide

© G.M. B. Akash

20 million women become disabled each year after giving birth. Most of them live in developing countries

© Francesco Cito

Over 100 million young girls and women in Africa have become disabled following

genital mutilation

© Pep Bonet

1 % - That is the literacy rate of women and girls with disabilities worldwide.

© Trygve Bolstad

Women with disabilities have a higher risk of being victims of violence than men in a similar situation, and three times more

risk than women without disabilities. © Jeremy Horner

Only ¼ of women with disabilities are estimated to have access to work. They are twice as likely to be unemployed than men with disabilities.

© Jenny Matthews

In Bangladesh, 2% of women with disabilities get married, compared to 48% of valid women. In some African countries they are considered as

non eligible for marriage.

© Frederik Naumann

Why being gender sensitive?

Gender equality : a condition to sustainable development

Disadvantage of women with disability should be addressed so that they can benefit from HI activities

2- GAD Approach

An analytic framework

Data generated by GAD analysis

Sex-disaggregated data. Understanding of gender relations. Analysis of the differentiated impact of

the sexual division of labor. Men and women have differing needs

and interests.

The Four Stages of GAD Analysis

1. Data collection What is the current state of gender relations?

2. Analysis What are the needs?

3. Actions Who? What? How?

4. Results What changes have been made?

Overall Summary

© Adapted by Patricia Thomas (2004)

What’s the added value?

To plan the activities according to men and women different needs, expectations, interests.

Reduce or at least not increase inequalities between men and women in our projects

Measure women participation in projects and gender impacts

Adopt an thoughtful approach (≠ a donor driven approach)

=>Improve the impact of our activities via an equitable benefit for men and women

Gender mainstreaming within HI

Having gender sensitive projects does not mean creating new tools (maintream gender in existing tools: training, M&E etc.)

Strenghtening capacities will be needed at first to facilitate gender mainstreaming (to develop gender sensitive practices)