Gender Sensitivity

INDEX
• Understanding Gender
• Patriarchy : The structure of Male-
dominated Societies
• Women in Male-dominated Societies
• Stereotyped Images of the Two
Genders
• Gender Discrimination at Workplace
• How to Develop Gender Sensitivity
• Linguistic Bias against Women
• Gender Sensitivity across Cultures

Understanding Gender
• Sex is a biological
phenomenon. It indicates
whether a person is born a
male or female.
• Gender is a social and
cultural phenomenon. It
shapes a person’s behavioural

Patriarchy: the Structure of
Male-dominated Societies.
Most societies across the world are
organised on the patriarchal model.
In a patriarchal set-up, the
responsibility for the family welfare lies
primarily with man.
Man is regarded as the breadwinner,
woman the nurturer.
The result is male-dominated societies.
Women have started moving out of the
four walls of the house but this has
added to their burden. In a way, they

Women in Male-dominated
Societies
In male-dominated societies, women
became economically dependent on men
and their status was reduced to that of
unpaid slaves.
They lost decision-making powers.
When they began to work, they were
paid less than men for the same amount
of work.
In cases of transfer, the wife was
expected to relocate, not the husband.

Stereotyped Images of the
two genders
Men
• The stronger sex
• Bold, aggressive, capable
of taking risks.
• Think from the ‘brain’.
• Good at ‘tough’ activities.
• Good leaders.
• Competent negotiators
• Ought to be ambitious
• Not expected to make a
public display of
emotions.
Women
• The weaker sex
• Docile,
submissive,cannot
take risks.
• Think from the ‘heart’.
• Good at creative arts.
• Good followers.
• Cannot be good
negotiators.
• Ought not be

Gender Discrimination at
Workplace
Women are often denied top executive
jobs on account of discrimination
attitude towards them. The attitudinal
barriers are described as the glass
ceiling syndrome.
The glass ceiling syndrome is caused by:
• Husbands’ unwillingness to share family
responsibilities.
• Long office hours that put undue stress
on women.

Gender Discrimination at
Workplace
 Other forms of discrimination include :-
• Lesser payment than men for the same kind of
work.
• Subjection of women to uncharitable and
uncalled for comments.
Sexual Harassment
• Women face a lot of sexual harassment at the
workplace. Sexual harassment of women is the
worst form of discrimination against them,
because it not only violates their sense of
dignity and the right to living but is also an
assault on their sense of self worth. It
belittles them in their own eyes and makes
them feel small and helpless.

How to Develop Gender
Sensitivity
At the individual level
1. It is important that men fully realise the fact that
being born a woman is being born different and not
inferior. Since men are responsible for the long
deprivation and subjugation of women, it is primarily
their responsibility to restore their dignity and
their Legitimate place in the social structure.
2. In the fight for their rights, some feminist activists
have veered to the other extreme and are indulging
in the politics of hate against men. These women
should realise that men and women complement each
other and the polarisation of the two genders is an
unnatural phenomenon. To build a healthy and

How to Develop Gender Sensitivity
At the organisational level
1. Managements should be gender sensitive and
should adopt gender-friendly policies, which
means that there should be gender parity in
recruitment as well as in promotions.
2. Law of equality should be honoured both in letter
and in spirit. Work assigned to a person should
be determined by their competence and not
their gender. Equal work should be rewarded
with equal wages.
3. Discriminatory practices, whether against men
or women should be completely stopped.
4. Women-friendly policies like flexibility in

Gender-specific term gender-neutral term
Chairman Chairperson
Salesman/sales girl Salesperson/Sales staff
Fireman Fire fighter
Housewife Housemaker
Waiter/Waitress Wait staff
Spokesman Spokesperson
Linguistic Bias against Women
Our language is heavily loaded with a bias
against women and we are trying hard to
get liberated from it. Gender- specific
terms like businessmen are being gradually
replaced by gender neutral terms like
business person or business executive some
other such uses are;

Gender Sensitivity across
Cultures
While communicating interculturally, we should
be respectful towards the gender sensitivities
of the other culture.
• In traditional Islamic countries, the two
genders do not normally interact, except in
families. So women have to be approached
preferably through female staff. A man trying
to interact with women will be ridiculed or
punished. So either there are separate shops
and banks for female customers or there are
sections within the same premises meant
exclusively for women. This custom, if it exists
somewhere, has to be acknowledged and
respected.
• If an Arab man runs his hand backward across