PHM-Exch> Food for a feminine thought

[Claudio Schuftan]

Human Rights Reader 331



*GENDER INEQUALITY IS THE MOTHER OF ALL INEQUALITIES AND OF THE VIOLATION
OF ALL WOMEN’S RIGHTS.*


-Gender relations are a form of organizing society …as is income.



While sex refers to biological differences between men and women, gender
refers to the roles and responsibilities that society constructs, assigns
and expects of women and of men on the basis of their biological and
physical characteristics. The bad thing about this is that these
expectations create stereotypes.



Gender thus refers to the attributes and opportunities associated with
being male or female and to the relationships between males and females
which, in-last-instance, are socially constructed and learned through
socialization processes. Therefore, gender roles change over time. Ergo:
society *can* change the gender roles!



As regards gender equality, this does not mean that women and men should
become the same, but rather that women and men should have equal access to
opportunities and to achieve equal results. Furthermore, gender equality is
*not* a woman’s issue, but must concern and engage men as well as women.


For the full Reader, go to

http://www.socialmedicine.org/?p=6707

Claudio
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20140125/65832560/attachment.html>