3.0 SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER

• Social construction of gender refers to the systematic processes and institutions which society uses to ascribe roles, responsibilities and expectations to males and females within the cultural context.
• It is a process through which the community’s wisdom; philosophies, customs and skills are learned, internalized and accepted.
• It promotes individuals’ learning of what the society defines as “good” or “bad” and these are passed on from one generation to the other.
• Through socialization processes gender roles, or responsibilities are deliberately and systematically cultivated in females and males over time.

UNITS, INSTITUTIONS, AND SYSTEMS THAT SHAPE GENDER RELATIONS IN SOCIETY

Family and Community

• They define the status and power relations between women and men, girls and boys for example:
• Strong preference for particular sex of a child
• When a child is born its future roles are determined by the types of gifts that it is given for instance a bundle of firewood for a girl and a spear for a boy
• Lineage of inheritance through a particular sex
• Permanent residents of the homestead where children of particular sex are regarded as outsiders
• Insecurity of residence after the death of spouse

The School and Education

• Education reinforces societal ideals and values some of which are already planted in the family.
• Factors in schools which construct and maintain gender roles include:
  • Teachers as role models and as sources of information and instruction.
  • Male teachers’ dominance in science subjects;
  • Headship of schools by men

Religion

• Religion is one of the systems of perpetuating patriarchy and gender disparities. Scriptures are used widely to support certain ideas about male dominance.
• Myths of creation and interpretation of the gender roles in determining the destiny of humanity.
• Presentation of God as a gendered rather than an androgynous being
• Leadership in most churches is by men even though the majority of church goers are women.
• In many churches women are not allowed to preach

Workplace

• Workplaces as social institutions do perpetuate gender disparities. Some examples include:
• Use of criteria for employment, promotions, or training that systematically exclude one gender category, usually females

Other cultural influences

• Many stories, songs and proverbs in Malawian culture reinforce gender stereotypes and relationships.
• For example songs like: Kapilire kunka iweko, or Wamkulu ndani m’banja.
•  In most cases there are a lot of hidden messages and meanings in such songs. The songs are internalized and accepted by individuals and society without considering the implications.

4.0 WHO AFFECTS & IS AFFECTED BY GENDER?

A very simple answer to the question ‘who affects, and is affected by gender?’ is: everyone. Every person of all gender identities is affected by gender norms from the time they are born into a particular family, community, and nation. By the age of five, girls and boys have internalized the gender roles and responsibilities transferred to them by their families and communities. These gender norms have a significant impact on how girls, boys, women, and men access their rights and influence individual, household, and community wellbeing, and can lead to gender inequalities between them. While gender norms change over time, they can also be rigid and can lock girls and boys into patterns of inequality and violence, which may last a lifetime or even transfer across generations. Around the world, women and girls face disproportionate gender discrimination which frequently results in their rights being violated.

How Girls are Affected by Gender

• Discriminatory gender norms act as barriers to girls achieving their fundamental rights, including their right to education, protection, health, expression and participation.
• Discrimination against girls often begins before their birth and pervades their childhood and adolescence.

How Boys are Affected by Gender

• Boys often benefit from gender norms that prioritize their wellbeing and development over girls.
• Rigid gender norms also restrict boys into masculinities which can be harmful for their development by directing them towards action-related, violent behaviors rather than nurturing or care-giving ones. Boys are further commonly encouraged to suppress emotions, to value aggression, and to solve problems without help.
• Boys who witness and experience violence growing up, are more likely to use violence

How Women are Affected by Gender

• Cultural norms related to gender often reflect negative attitudes, stereotyping, and prejudices towards women, which begin in childhood and persist throughout their lives.
• women experience sexual or physical violence which affects their participation in various developmental activities
• Women carry out 2 to 10 times more of the domestic and care work than men and boys, and this is commonly in addition to other forms of productive work; and women around the world still and usually have less control over their income.

How Men are Affected by Gender

• Men have more power socially, economically, politically, and in the home, and they benefit from gender norms that prioritize their wellbeing and development over women.
• Men are far more likely to use violence or commit suicide, and are often discouraged from actively participating in care giving, which can significantly contribute to the welfare