Module 2Theories and Views on Gender

Overview

The world has already evolved in such a way that information and knowledge are now easily
accessible. As a result, people now have the opportunity to examine the social and political
climatebetter than when the information was not readily available.

Through the years, there are already many changes in the way societies perceive gender and
sexuality. In some communities during ancient times, there was a high regard for women

because of the concept of divine feminine or the woman (Cartwright,2018) due to her ability
to conceive children. Later, with the rise of paternity, women were confined to the homne, and

disparity in men and women's treatment became evident.

This module will look into the historical roots of our understanding of gender and sexuality. It
will give an insight into how the concept of gender and sexuality evolved through time and how

it affected the variousaspectsof people's lives.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the historical roots of our understanding of gender and sexuality; and
2. Show appreciation of how this understanding evolved through time, affected various
aspects of human life.

1.1. The concept of patriarchy

"Boys will be boys" is typical thinking of most people influenced by the idea that men are
expected to behave in a particular manner. Itis a manifestationof the patriarchal system that

still perpetuated man societies.

Many cultures globally are patriarchies, a male-dominated power structure that women are
expected to submit (Napikoski, 2020). In a patriarchal society, men are more likely to hold
economic, social, and political power. With the belief that men are stronger than women,
patriarchy resulted in women's oppression from ancienttimes until today.

Patriarchy is word patriaches,which refers to a society where power is

derived from the Greek
held by modern sense, a "patriarchal society" denotes
the elder males (Napikoski,2020). In the
a society where men have the power and privilege starting from the family to the workplace.
Patriarchy is a structure that emphasizes male supremacy placing women inferior to men. In a

traditional nuclear family,the prevailing concept is that men are the "leaders," and women are
the "nurturer." With that, women are relegated to house chores and child care and are expected
to obey men being the "leader"of the family.

In the past, do not allow women to inherit property because they are expected to
some societies
leave home and marry a man who can support them financially. There were many restrictions
placed on women, like not studying, voting, or participating in politics. It took many years
before women won the right to vote, go to school, and work. However, there are still cultures

that curtail the rights of women to be equally treated with men.

WATCH: What is patriarchy? by Choices Program at

https://www.youtube,com/watch?v=ROLXAC2PXuU.

Self-StudyQuestions:
1. How does the concept of patriarchy shape the perceptionof men and women?
2. How is patriarchy manifested in modem society?

1.2. Historical Views on Gender

There arevarious historical views on women in ancienttimes. Below are some notable views,
which, in a way, influencedhow women areperceived today.

Country/City Perceptions of Gender

Egypt In ancientEgypt, women are considered equal to men in every
aspectexcept forjobs.Women could choose whom to marry, and
they can also have a divorce. They can administertheir property
and disposed of it as they wish. Also, Egyptian women could buy
and sell and enter into legal contracts.
Greece Women have few rights as compared to men. They cannot vote,
own property,and were only confined in the home and expected to
care for the children.
Rome The perceived role of women is to look after the house and rear the
children. Rome is a male-dominated society, and so women were

considered subordinate.Women have close dependence on their

male relatives, as reflected in the mattersof law and finances.
China Chinese women do not have the same status as men. Their male
family members subordinatedwomen. They are often ill-treated
and were made to compete for their husband's affection with
concubines.
Source: Cartwright, M. (2018)

Gender bias traced its roots in the ancientpatriarchal societies. From being placed in strict and
heavily enforced women have come a long way in asserting their rights.
rules, Through the
feministmovement, women fought for their rights. Yet, despite women's efforts, subtle forms
of patriarchy still exist in such as sexism, gender pay gap, underrepresentationof
society,
women in politics and various fields, sexualization of women, confining women to the home,
and many more.

1.3. Women Empowerment

Women empowerment of the women's liberation movement of the feminism.
is the battle-cry
Alongside movements in the 1960s, the women's liberation movement gained
the civil rights

momentum. The movement called forreforms that focus on various issues confronting women,
 1.3. Women Empowerment
Women empowerment battle-cry of the women's liberation movement of the feminism.
is the
Alongside movements in the 1960s, the women's liberation movement gained
the civil rights
momentum. The movement called for reforms that focus on various issues confronting women,

7 Gender and Society Prepared by: Ann Margarit P. Bersano

such as reproductive rights, violence against women, equal pay, right to vote, legally own
property, and other related matters.

From the emergence of the feminist movement's first wave in the 19h century to the modern
movement, women continue their fight for equality. There are still various cultural and social

inequalities that women have to face. Despite winning the right to participate in politics,

women's underrepresentation is highly observable in many societies. Also, many observers

report that women more work than women because
do they are still expected to take care of the
children and do chores when they go home from work.

Women had "come a long way" through the feminist movement. However,there is still much to
be done the struggle for women's rights. Feminism is basically about fighting for equality.
According to Rodriguez & Rodriguez (2019), a few of the significant points that the movement
demands are the following:

1. Women suffrage -for many years, women were not allowed to vote because they were
viewed as temperamental and cannot make rational decisions. In the Philippines,

women were granted the right to vote after the plebiscite in 1937.
2. Equality in politics and society -women's voices were silenced for a long time. Thus,
there is a need to hear them and their sentiments to restore their rights. Women must be
well represented in politics and society so that there is a genuine concern to their needs,

3. Reproductive ights women should have the right to be in control of her body.
Reproductive rights involve contraception, abortion, and other reproductive options that
must be made available to women.
4. Gender-based violence -domestic violence such as physical abuse and marital rape are
some of the women's concerns, especially those married. Sexual harassment and sexual
violence are also prevalent in many societies. In the Philippines, there is a significant
number of cases of gender-based violence. Despite the existence of R.A. 9262 or the
Anti Violence Against Women and their children, the culture in the country still

dismissed violence against women as “away mag-asawa."

5. Other rights include the right to divorce their husbands, decide on her pregnancy, and
have equal pay and equal employment opportunity.

WATCH: What is Women's Empowerment? by Population Reference Bureau at

https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHIhM4YTbqo.

Self-Study Questions:
1. What is meant by women empowement? How is it manifested?
2. Why is women empowerment at the core of development?