- 41 (Registered)
Introduction
Gender issues are increasingly recognized as important in the development process. The more than one hundred signatories to the Beijing Platform on Women’s Equality gave global recognition to twelve critical areas of action as necessary for the achievement of sustainable development and gender equality. In addition, these countries have given support to the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) — a United Nations convention demanding global action to counter forms of gender discrimination.
Equality is only possible when there is increased awareness, a transformation in attitudes, and a removal of unequal practices that are deeply rooted in the society. For this reason gender mainstreaming training for all actors concerned with development issues and communities is valuable.
An increase in gender awareness means gender sensitization, and the recognition of a need to incorporate women and marginalized people into the development process as active participants. Gender awareness contributes to changes in the attitudes and behaviours of individual people, and of groups.
In this module we shall examine the meaning of gender and sex, as well as social construction of gender and how gender roles and stereotypes effects individual members of the society.