BUILDING WOMEN’S CONFIDENCE IN CLOSING THE GENDER GAP Professor Friday Okonofua MARCH 8, 2016
Wha hat t is is Gender? Gender? In In a a discu discussion of ssion of th this n is natu ture, e, th that bring t brings tog s toget ethe her r • people peo ple of of div diver erse se bac backg kgroun ounds, ds, it it wil ill l be a be appo pposi site te to to first define what is meant by the term “Gender”. The he i is s be beca cause use of of th the te e tend nden ency y for or peo people (bo ple (both th • aca academics demics and and non non-ac acad ademics emics alik alike) e) to to see see gen gende der r as as being the being the pr promotion of omotion of women onl omen only. By By con contr trast, ast, gen gender der focu ocuses ses on the on the r rela elationship tionship • be betw twee een n men men and and w wome omen, n, th their eir roles, oles, ac acce cess ss to to and and con contr trol ol over r er resour esources, ces, the the compar comparativ tive e divi divisi sion on of of la labor bor, , the their ir inter interests ests and and nee needs ds. It is It is a soc a sociologica iological c l con onstr struc uction tion th that t ha has dif s differ eren ent t • inter interpr preta etations tions and and conce conceptu ptuali aliza zation tion in d in dif iffer erent ent cultur cultures. es.
Definition of Definition of Gender Gender The term “Gender” came into use in 1972 as a result of • the the need need to r to ref efer er to the social r to the social rela elationship tionship bet between een men and men and wome omen It It ca came ou me out of t of a ne a need ed to to ad addr dress ess th the un e uneq equa ual l • dif differ erenc ences betw es between een men and men and women, omen, specificall specifically, , bey beyond ond the the w wor ords used to di ds used to differ erent entia iate betw te between een people people (c (class lass, , sta status, tus, race ace, et , etc) c) Being referred to as “male” and “female” are sex • categories, while “masculinity” and “femininity” are gen gender der ca cate tegor gories ies Se Sex ca x can be n be seen seen as dic as dicho hoto tomou mous s var varia iable ble while hile ge gend nder er • cou could ld be defined be defined as as a cont a continuum inuum
Definition of Definition of Gender Gender • “The relations between men and women, both perceptual and material” – FAO • “The socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women” – WHO • Suggested Conference Definition: The social meaning given to the biological differences between men and women and the socially constructed relations between men and women.
Gender and Human R Gender and Human Rights ights Within ithin the co the conte ntext xt of of g globali lobaliza zation, tion, gend gender has er has • incr increas easing ingly y beco become a me a major major huma human rights n rights dis discour course se The UN he UN recogniz ecognizes es all all humans as humans as ha having ving • inaliena inalienable ble and equal and equal rights rights to to oppor opportunities tunities - the the tenden tendency to y to deny deny thos those rights e rights to to women omen in in all all par parts ts of of the the wor orld is ld is a f a for orm m of of huma human rights n rights viola violation tion. Ther here is e is a g a growin wing g recog ecognition nition tha that Human t Human • De Developm elopment ent if if not en not engend gender ered is ed is endanger endangered ed Indices Indices for measuring or measuring gender gender, , human right human rights s and and • de developm elopment ent ha have eme e emerged in ged in the the global lobal ar arena. ena.
Equity Equity, J , Justice ustice The er he eradica adication tion of of all all for orms ms of of discrim discrimina ination, tion, be the be they y • eco economic, nomic, social, social, politi political cal and and cultur cultural, al, is is indis indispen pensa sable f ble for the pr or the prote otection of ction of human human rights, a rights, a commitment commitment tha that all t all go gover ernment nments s ha have e en endo dorsed sed It It is is a ma a matter tter of of justi justice, ce, fair airness, eq ness, equity uity and and equ equal al • repr epresent esentation tion Most ost sta states ar tes are par e parties ties to a variety o to a variety of nor norma mativ tive e • do docu cumen ments ts (CE (CEDAW, Beiji Beijing ng, , Cair Cairo, , et etc) th c) that pr t provide vide ref efer erenc ence e to specific man to specific manda dates tes and and inter interna national tional commitments commitments for the pr or the prote otection of ction of inter interna national tional commitments commitments Go Gover ernment nments s must must alw always b ays be r e reminded of eminded of the these se • shar shared ed values. values.
Engendering Human Righ Engendering Human Rights ts ---- ---- Gende Gender r inequa inequali lity ty exists w xists when hen ther there i e is s und under er-valua valuation tion • and and non non-rec ecog ognition nition of of wome omen n in in wor ork Inequality Ineq uality is is not not onl only a y a pr problem of oblem of acc access ess to to the the • means but a pr means but a problem of oblem of fr freed eedom om den denied ied or or cu curta tail iled ed Human De Human Development elopment reco ecogniz gnizes es gen gender der discrim discrimina ination tion • in: in: – Freedom to eedom to ent enter er int into o contr contractual actual rela elations tions and decide on and decide on pr proper operty ty – Freedom to par eedom to partici ticipa pate i te in public lif n public life and ha e and have politi e political cal leader leadership ship – Freedom to r eedom to receiv eceive tr e training, aining, enter enter and to and to compete in t compete in the he la labor mar bor market et – Freedom to liv eedom to live e (inc (including luding the pr the prevention ention of of gender gender-based based mor mortali tality ty)
Gender De Gender Development elopment Inde Index (GDI) x (GDI) • Me Meas asur ures es ac achie hievem emen ent t in the in the sa same me ba basic sic ca capa pacities cities as as HD HDI, I, bu but t tak takes es no note te of of ine inequ quality ality in in ac achie hievem emen ent t be betw twee een n wome omen n an and d men men • The he grea eater ter the the ge gend nder er dis dispa parity rity in ba in basic sic capabilities, the lower a country’s GDI co comp mpar ared ed with with HDI HDI • The he GDI GDI reflects eflects ge gend nder er imbalan imbalance ces s in in ba basic sic he health, alth, ed educ ucation tion an and inc d incom ome
Gender Gender Empo Empower erment Inde ment Index (GEI) x (GEI) • Exa Examine mines w s whe hethe ther w r wom omen en an and d me men n ar are e able ble to to ac activ tivel ely y pa participa ticipate te in in ec econ onom omic ic an and d po polit litica ical l lif life • Thr hree ee dimen dimension sions: s: – Economic Economic par participa ticipation tion and decision and decision making making as as measur measured ed by by the % the % of of f female administr emale administrator tors s and mana and manager gers, s, pr prof ofessionals essionals and tec and technical hnical wor orker ers. s. – Political olitical par participa ticipation tion and and decision decision making making as as measur measured ed by by % % of of sea seats ts in par in parliament liament by by women omen – Power o er over econom er economic r ic resour esources ces is is mea measur sured ed by women’s estimated earned income.
Gender and R Gender and Repr epresenta esentation tion Equal Equal inc inclus lusion ion of of men men and w and women omen in in all all asp aspects ects • of of de developm elopment ent and and soc society iety pay pays s of off for the or the coun countr try y as as a a whole hole. Na Nations tions cannot af cannot affor ord d to to ignor ignore e the contributions the contributions • and economic and economic and social and social ca capacities pacities of of both both men men and w and women omen in in all all sph spher eres. es. T The he de developm elopment ent of of any any coun countr try tha y that t does does wil will l ultima ultimatel tely y suf suffer in er in the the medium medium and long and long ter term. Lack of Lac k of par participa ticipation tion of of w women omen w would ould mean mean tha that t • a maj a major or par part of t of the the ski skilled lled and w and well ell educ educated ted human r human resour esources ces would be w ould be wasted asted
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