What is gender? A daughter patiently waits her turn before using the family computer, knowing that any arguments will result in her being dismissively told off for being selfish. A working mother furrowed in thought, wondering if she should give up her full-time work to concentrate her time on her children. A father, making his will and wondering how he should divide up his assets while automatically considering that his sons will have the responsibility of providing for their families. A teacher shakes her head in resignation over the lack of effort by her male students at schoolwork, and then strives to make her modules more practical in an effort to gain their attention. A woman being judged through stares and giggles for what she is wearing and doing in public. A waiter automatically giving the bill to the man sitting at the table. A voting citizen, scanning the members of parliament and feeling assured at the numbers of men in suit. The list goes on.

Gender is something that permeates every aspect of our lives. It is an expectation, oftentimes an unconscious thought process that directs our actions, behaviours and relations with one another as men and women, girl and boy. From our interactions in the home with members of family, to different social and public institutions and spaces, we seem to automatically regulate our lives according to gender norms.

Of course, this is not always the case, as there are efforts made by different individuals and organisations to resist these 'rules'; but when so doing, it is with an awareness that we are making an effort for difference and for transformation. The reality remains that we live in a world where gender matters. It shapes our relationships with one another: how, what, where and when we can speak, imagine, acquire, expect, access, control, manage, access, create, be heard and respected.

This can be seen through the myriad of gender gaps that exist. These can usually be measured empirically; like the percentages of women and men who own households, acquire tertiary education in what types of subjects (e.g. 'technical' courses as opposed to 'caring' ones like nursing, social work, teaching etc.), decision making positions in various economic or State institutions, ownership of land and assets and so forth. Gaps like these are prevalent worldwide. Although women make up half of the world's working population, two thirds of the work are carried out by them while they systemically remain the poorest and most wanting sections of society.

Further, there are instances of gender discrimination which help to solidify and widen these gaps. For example, laws that restrict women's capacity for inheritence will perpetuate the gap between men and women to capital accumulation, and the legal inability of women to confer nationality to their husband of another nationality or their children will result in the restriction of their choices in geographical mobility, which may in turn result in them sacrificing all that has been invested in their country for family security.

Gender discrimination can occur even when not explicitly stated or designed as such. It can occur through deliberate silence, such as the lack sexual harassment legislation in the workplace which negatively impacts upon women's ability to contribute and be respected at work, or through apparently gender neutral policies which does not look at the differentiated gender roles that are in existence. For example, State policies that encourage entrepreneurship through small loans in rural agriculture that do not bear in mind gender roles may operate to further discrimination against women. This can be through the conditions stipulated for the loans (e.g. owning assets or having a certain amount of capital) or not considering the multiple roles played by women (domestic work, contribution to 'outside' work etc.).

A significant contribution towards the perpetuation of gender discrimination and gaps lies in patriarchal control and belief. Translated simply, this means the control and monopoly of decision making positions in all aspects of social life, whether in the homes, religious, social and political institutions. This helps to effect and maintain male dominance in various levels and aspects of our gendered lives. Belief in the 'natural' superiority of men in relation to women helps to augment this control.

Usually, this is through phallocentric interpretation of religious texts, reading social roles as biologically concretised (sexism), reliance on and creation of symbols and culture to continue unequal gender roles. For example, thinking that differentiated gender roles are impossible to change by giving reasons such as the presumed superior strength of men, the binding of women to their reproductive functions (giving birth, being a mother), the 'God-given' (male interpreted) dictates of men to lead and women to follow, selective culling of traditions to suit particular ends and so on. When these fail, then violence against women is resorted to for reasserting control.

All these factors work to reinforce the differences between men and women that serves to continue inequality on the basis of expected roles. Gender is not the only variable of course, and is usually intersected with considerations of class, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, age and able-bodiedness.

To unravel the gender danger in your own lives, you will have to take the context, your own experiences and various aspects at play into consideration. But to not think about gender in your daily life is to allow the unthinking perpetuation of a system that disadvantages all of us at the end. We cannot survive on a structure that relies on inequality for its continued existence. Dare to think, and understand the complexities of gender in your own life. Then dare to imagine and work towards a difference.

Jaclyn Kee
31 October 2004

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