GENDER ISSUES

Lecturer: Dra. Pedro (11-21-2012)

Family & Community Medicine
Edited to Word Format by
OBJECTIVES:
Define gender.
Identify some demographic trends in relation to
gender issues.
Discuss the epidemiology of and national statistics of
the above condition.
Discuss gender issues in the Philippines.

So God created man in His own image, in the image of

God He created him; Male and female He created
them.
Genesis 1: 27

Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our

likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea
and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all
the earth, and over all the creatures that move along
the ground.
So God created man in His own image, in the image of
God He created him; male and female He created
them.
Genesis 1: 26-27

WHAT IS GENDER?
Gender is about women and men, boys and
girls. (United Nations)
It refers to the differences between men and
women. (Wikipedia)
Commonly used interchangeably with sex
Within the social sciences it often refers to
specifically social differences
Known as gender roles in the biological
sciences.
GENDER IDENTITY
"is an individual's self-conception as being
male or female, as distinguished from actual
biological sex. (Encyclopdia Britannica
Online, 2007)
WHY STUDY GENDER ISSUES?
Gender is a significant determinant of health
e.g. Studies shows that Lung cancerincreased number of males having lung
cancer than females
It has an influence on patient care and on the
physician-patient interaction
A female, pregnant patient, most of the
time, will prefer a female OBGynecologist.
Or a male, elderly, with obstructive
urinary symptoms, and most likely have
BPE- would prefer a male urologist to
do Digital rectal exam, than a female
physician.
Insensitivity to the issue of gender is an
important source of bias in health sciences
research and can mar both education and
health care.
There are a lot of studies, researches
correlating significance in sociodemographic differences of male and
female, and this researches have
already made milestone in the different
discoveries
Source: Gender Issues in Family Medicine Research.
Canadian Family Physician. Vol 31: June 1991

GENDER DIFFERENCES

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DIFFERENT BY DESIGN
They think differently
They process emotions differently
They make decisions differently
They learn differently
Bill & Pam Farrel. Men are like waffles, Women
are like spaghetti. Harvest House Publisher.
U.S.A. 2001.
A book by Bill and Pam Farrel, it explain why a
man is like a waffle (each element of his life is in
a separate box), and why a woman is like a
spaghetti (everything in her life touches
everything else). And what these differences
mean.
This book has biblical insights, sound research,
humorous anecdotes, and real-life stories that
made it entertaining and practical.
They show the readers how to achieve more
satisfying relationships.

PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE BRAIN

Human male brains are, on the average,
approximately ten percent larger than female
brains
Certain brain areas in women contain more
nerve cells (L.A. Gender and the Brain;
Washington DC: Society of Neuroscience,
1998.)

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

GENDER AND SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHY

In the twentieth century, life expectancy
increased for both men and women BUT
women live longer on average than men in
preindustrialized countries, including Europe.
Probably due to economic progress
(British sociologist Nicky Hart, 1991)
EXCEPT in few countries in South Asia like
Bangladesh and Nepal where men outlive
women
Reasons:
1. Nutritional deprivation
2. Lessened access to medical care
Outside of South Asia
Males exceed female death rates at all
ages and for the leading causes of death
like heart disease, cancer,
cerebrovascular diseases, accidents,
and pneumonia.
Women tend to suffer from more
frequent illnesses and disability, but
their usual health disorders are not as
serious or as life threatening as those
encountered by men.
Yet women, especially in later life, also
die from the same illnesses as men.
men and women essentially suffer
the same types of problems; what
distinguishes the sexes are the
frequency of those problems and the
pace of death.(Lois Verbrugge,1985)
Source: W.C. Cokerman. Medical Sociology.9th ed.
Pearson Education, Inc. U.S.A. 2004.

DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS IN RELATION TO GENDER

ISSUES
Source: Gender Issues. United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE)

Ageing
Majority of older people (60+) are
women
An increased constraint on social
protection systems, womens work load
escalates affects their health status,
access to paid employment, political
participation, etc.
Population decline
Low fertility and migration slow or
negative population growth
Low fertility may be the result of
unfavorable conditions for women

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Smaller families enhance womens

opportunities
In some countries like CEE (Central and
Eastern Europe), mortality among men
are either rising or steady
Migration
Important factor in the redistributing
population
Since 1990, dramatic migration changes
have occurred in the ECE region
There are gender differences in the
reasons for migration, types of
migration, as well as conditions in
which women and men migrants live.
Refugees
Women and adolescent girls in refugee
setting are especially vulnerable to
sexual harassment, abuse and violence.
Women have specific health needs due
to their reproductive role
Women often carry the heaviest burden
of survival for themselves and their
families in refugee situations.
GENDER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITY SHARING IN
FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS
Source: Gender Issues. United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE)

Traditionally in all societies, there is a sexspecific division of labor, which peaks during
the family formation years.
Changing needs of the families
Increasing number of women have
entered the labor force
Womens lives continue to be
influenced by parenthood to a much
larger extent than mens lives are
A key contention is that we live in a social
environment where gender plays a significant
role in social status and in access to material
resources, health and well-being, and where
roles, responsibilities and power are not shared
equally between males and females
(G. Scambler. Sociology as Applied to Medicine.
Elsevier Science Limited. U.K. 2003)
CHANGES IN THE 20TH CENTURY
Although there have been significant shifts in
gender norms in society, such changes have
occurred within a complex web of power and
advantage that still leaves women with a long
way to go to achieve even material parity with
men. (G. Scambler. Sociology as Applied to
Medicine. Elsevier Science Limited. U.K. 2003)
MENS AND WOMENS POSITION IN SOCIETY
Changes in family size and structure
Between 1961 and end of 20th century
(UK Statistics, G. Scambler. Sociology
as Applied to Medicine. Elsevier Science
Limited. U.K. 2003)
o >1/3-<1/4 traditional families
o 7-30% lone-parent families with
dependent children
80% live with their mother
o increase in number of divorces

o Cohabiting now normally precedes

marriage and many couples
cohabit but do not marry.
Women are getting married later,
having their children in later life and
having fewer children
At present, 40% of all live births occur
to women outside marriage, but for
women below 20 years the figure rises
to 90%
Employment
Equality for the genders is still not
obvious in the general area of paid work
o Pay gaps- according to Equal
Opportunities Commission report
25% gap in marketing and sales
28% in the legal profession
35% in banking
42% in management
Women are twice likely to work in the
public sector, i.e.
o 32% women workers vs. 15% male
workers
Pay in the public sector does not match
the private sector
Women are less likely to reach a higher
level of management and less likely to
get access to benefits
Feminization of poverty
o Unpaid work in the domestic
sphere
o Only 69% of all working women are
in work as compared to 80% of all
working age men
o Part-time working is most common
for mothers
2/3 of mothers with children
under age of 5
Parent gap
o The difference in lifetime earnings
between a mother and father in a
family
Gender issues in work
o Occupational health and work
hazards research and practice
have operated against the interest
of women
o Sexual harassment
THE TWO DISTINCT AND GENDERED SPHERES:
The public
The private
The public sphere
Paid work has higher status than private
sphere
The real world
o Contains institutions and
personnel necessary to create a
functioning society
o Natural sphere for men
The private sphere
The domestic sphere
Gendered female
The domain of unpaid work that is
performed for love
o Where the reproduction and
rearing of children and the
nurturing of families takes place

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A place of leisure and a refuge for a

paid work, especially for men.
Work at home is often rendered
invisible
Work at home is only recognized when
there is a problem and children appear
to be badly cared for or the
housekeeping is deemed inadequate*
o Women might be seen as lacking
in social skills (not a proper
woman) and subject to public
surveillance, or they could even
be classified as suffering from
mental illness
Roles and role conflicts

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AT HOME

Has mental and physical health effects
Global issue WHO, 2000
Western countries 20%-30%
Asia, Middle East, Central and Latin
America, and Africa 16% - 52%
(Nicaragua)
Kenya and Uganda 40%
Domestic violence:
Physical, emotional, psychological and
sexual violence
Slaps, murder, harassment to mental
abuse
Mainly directly to females by males
(80%)
Britain, every 6 seconds
Effects on health of domestic violence
Bruising, broken bones, damage
genitalia and facial injuries
Emotional distress depression, loss of
self-esteem, sleep problems and
increased risk of suicide
In Britain, existing culture have disadvantages
to women with home responsibilities and who
are unable to stay late in the evening or get
into work early, or take work home
Childbirth remains a barrier to progress of
women throughout society and, ironically,
paid work culture also now increasingly acts as
a hindrance
WHAT IS GENDER EQUALITY?
It is an integral part of human rights that aims
to promote the full participation of women
and men in society.

 It does not mean that women and men should

be treated the same.
Moreover, equal treatment of women
and men will not necessarily lead to de
facto equality, as living conditions of
women and men differ.
(http://www.unece.org/stats/gender/g
enpol/keyind/families/repshare.htm)
There are differences between the genders
BUT
Should not have negative impact on the
living conditions of both women and
men
Should not discriminate against them
Should contribute to an equal sharing of
power in economy, society and policymaking processes
GENDER ISSUES AND WOMEN CONCERNS
Millennium Development Goal (MDG), 2000
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

Poverty is a cause and effect of gender

inequality.
Poverty reduction efforts need to focus on
women as they are the poorest of the poor.
Women are less endowed with productive
assets than men. Therefore, women should be
given priority in human development
investment.
Women manage natural resources. They are
thus the natural partners in the management
of natural resources and environment.
It is recognized that
Gender equality is important not only as
a goal in itself but is also critical to
achieving all the other goals.
The contributions that women make to
economic development and the costs to
societies of the multiple disadvantages
that women face in nearly every
country. (Gender and the MDGs.
iREVIEW. February 2004)
Dr. Honoria Acosta Sison (1888-1970)
Maria Paz Mendoza Guazon, MD first woman doctor
(1884-1912)

In 2002-2003, the United Nations Development

Fund for Women (UNIFEM) examined womens
progress in:
Literacy and education
Paid employment and political decision
making
Addressing the impact of armed conflict
on women and their important role in
peace building
End of violence against women
While progress has indeed taken place in all
regions, it is everywhere uneven and slow,
subject to setbacks and reversals.

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UNIFEM reported in Progress of the Worlds

Women 2002 that
Gender equality can mean different
things to different societies.
Progress in one area does not guarantee
progress in all areas: women may enjoy
certain rights yet still suffer extreme
discrimination.
FOUR PRIORITIES
1. Achieving gender equality - in education,
health, labor markets, political life, and social
opportunities is fundamental to achieving all
MDGs
According to a World Bank paper
o Attempting to meet the MDGs
without promoting gender equality
will both increase the costs and
reduce the likelihood of attaining
the goals.
If the global community is making up
for the lost time and accelerate the
pace of progress toward Goal 3,
immediate attention must be paid to
the following four priorities that will
help fulfill decades of promises to
women.
2. Investing in the education, health, safety, and
economic well-being of adolescents, especially
girls, is a priority.
3. Reducing womens and girls time-poverty
through well-designed gender-sensitive
infrastructure investments and public policies
that support womens care responsibilities is
critical.
4. Sex-disaggregated data are key to catalyzing
and monitoring progress toward the MDGs.
HOW THEN GENDER EQUALITY ACHIEVED?
Mainstreaming gender issues in all policies
Mainstreaming a gender perspective
Is the process of assessing the implications for
women and men of any planned action,
including
Legislation,
Policies or programs, in all areas and at
all levels.
It is a strategy for making womens, as well as
mens, concerns and experiences an integral
dimension of the
Design,
Implementation
Monitoring
Evaluation
o Of policies and programs in all
political, economic and societal
spheres so that women and men
benefit equally and inequality is
not perpetuated.
The ultimate goal is to achieve gender
equality.
DO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON MENS HEALTH NOW?
Current evidence does little to suggest that
there are fundamental changes taking place in
the power base of society or the gender order
that underpins gender health profiles. (Source:
G. Scambler. Sociology as Applied to
Medicine. Elsevier Science Limited. U.K. 2003)

 Gender-based differences in employment

status within the informal (and formal) sector
Women are more-likely to be ownaccount workers and subcontract
workers and are less-likely than men to
be owner-operators or paid employees
of informal enterprises *
Effects of the gender-based differences in
employment status
Average female income in 2001 was
almost 50% lower than that of males
Women with low skills and in poorly
paid jobs create a condition of
dependency on male incomes
hampers personal autonomy and wellbeing
Low employment opportunities leave the
country
In 2001, 49% of the one million overseas
Filipino workers were women
In 1994, the Philippine Overseas
Employment Agency (POEA) estimated
that 68% of women overseas had been
subjected to physical or sexual violence
and exploitation.
Violence of women is widespread
Effects:
o Health problems
o Affects their earning, job
performances, and ability to keep
a job
Low productivity of women
vulnerability to income
and human poverty
Need to increase participation of women in
politics and governance
Males continue to dominate decision-making
processes

GENDER ISSUES IN THE PHILIPPINES

Gender Assessment, Philippines, 1987
the Government spearheaded the
formulation
of
the
Philippine
Development Plan for Women (1989
1992)
1995-2025
Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive
Development
o Whose preparation and adoption
were coordinated by the
government agency for women,
the National Commission on the
Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW).
More recently, a Framework Plan for Women
was drafted by the NCRFW
Objectives of the Framework Plan:
o economic empowerment of
women
o protection and fulfillment of
womens human rights
o gender-responsive governance
Philippine Scenario
Population (2002): 79.9 million
o 13th most populous country in the
world
o The large average household size
reduces available financial
resources and lessens womens
opportunities to participate fully
in the job market.
The overall poverty level in the
Philippines is severe.
Human development indicators for
health and education are better than in
other Southeast Asian countries BUT
there are still significant gender
imbalances and issues related to the
quality of social services.
o e.g. ARMM =lowest functional
literacy rate for women (50%) and
men (63%)
o Functional literacy = the ability
to use literacy skills for specific
purposes in the community or at
the workplace.
The Philippines continues to have one of the
highest maternal mortality rates (MMRs),
population growth rates and total births per
year (1995-2000) in Southeast Asia.
Effects:
o Health risks
o Reduces womens opportunities to
participate at the labor market.
High population growth decrease in
employment opportunities
High unemployment rate = 17.1% (19972003)
High underemployment rate = 17.1%
(2003)
Womens labor force participation rate
(51.7%) lags behind men (80.8%), 2002

FINALLY
Gender inequality is not a problem that has
no solution.
Ultimately,
political
commitment
and
determination at the highest levels of
international
agencies
and
national
governments are required to end gender
inequality and empower women.
Gender disparities slow down economic
development and deepen poverty.
For effective poverty reduction, the role of
women in development has to be enhanced.
Source: Country Gender Assessment Philippines
Lecture. Asian Development Bank, Southeast Asia
Department.

INVESTING IN WOMEN AND INCREASING THEIR

PERSONAL AUTONOMY ARE LIKELY TO ADVANCE
WOMEN AS ACTIVE AGENTS WHO WILL BENEFIT
THEMSELVES, THEIR HOUSEHOLD, AND THE
WHOLE ECONOMY.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted
you, in order to bring praise to God.
Romans 15:7

-ENDLAHAT TAYO AY PAPASA NANG TAHIMIK AT BUONG... LIGAYA.

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