Gender & devt seminar

Gender
responsiveness
and Development in a
Dynamic World
Philippine Military Academy
November 26-27, 2015
Rolando F. Malafu, RGC, MAEd

Ever-changing…..
“Each generation imagines itself to be
more intelligent than the one that came
before it, and wiser than the one that
comes after it.”
--George Orwell

Generation Test
In which generation are you?

Stefani Joanne Angelina
Germanotta

Generations Birth Years Ages by 2015
GI Generation 1901 - 1924 91 -
Silent Generation 1925 - 1945 70 – 90
Baby Boomers 1946 - 1964 51 – 69
Generation X 1965 - 1978* 37 – 50
Generation Y 1979*- 1994 21 - 36
Generation Z 1995 - 2013 2 - 35

SEX vs GENDER
WRITE AS MANY TRAITS, CHARACTERISTICS OR ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE
A MAN OR A WOMAN. THE TEAM WITH THE MOST NUMBER OF WORDS
WRITTEN IN THREE (3) MINUTES WINS

SEX vs GENDER
THE OBJECTIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN LIE
IN THEIR BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS, HOWEVER,
CULTURAL VALUES AND NORMS AND PRACTICES HAVE
ASSIGNED WOMEN AND MEN SOCIAL ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES.

SEX issue or GENDER issue?
WOMEN GIVE BIRTH TO BABIES,
MEN DO NOT

LITTLE GIRSL ARE GENTLE,
BOYS ARE TOUGH.

99% OF DRIVERS IN THE
PHILIPPINES ARE MEN.

MEN’S VOICES BREAK AT PUBERTY,
WOMEN’S DO NOT.

ACCORDING TO UN STATISTICS,
WOMEN DO 67% OF THE WORLD’S
WORK, YET THEIR EARNINGS FOR IT
ONLY AMOUNTS TO 10% OF
WORLD’S INCOME.

WOMEN HAVE LONG HAIR, MEN
HAVE SHORT HAIR.

MEN DO NOT NEED TENDERNESS
AND ARE LESS SENSITIVE THAN
WOMEN.

WOMEN SHOULD HAVE NO
EXPERIENCE IN RELATIONSHIPS
WHEN THEY MARRY,
AND MEN NEED TO BE EXPERIENCED
WHEN THEY GET MARRIED.

GIRLS STAY HOME AND BOYS GO TO
SCHOOL.

IN ANCIENT EGYPT, BOYS STAYED
HOME AND DID THE WEAVING.
WOMEN HANDLED FAMILY BUSINESS.
WOMEN INHERITED PROPERTY AND
MEN DID NOT.

What is Gender?
Middle English gendre,
Anglo-French genre, gendre,
Latin gener-, genus birth, race, kind,
First Known Use: 14th century

Gender symbols. The pink is the female Venus
symbol. The blue represents the male Mars symbol

To save time, many people use
acronyms (words formed from the
first letter of each word in a phrase
or name)
How updated are we?

The language of the world
has also been
Gender-sensitive

“Where no man has
gone before…”
 -Star Trek: The Next Generation

“Where no one has
gone before…”
 -Star Trek: The Next Generation

People
Human beings
Humanity

Mail-carrier
Letter-carrier

We have crossed the digital divide….

Our responses to these dynamic changes
are also varied….
 Binugbog ni Tommy si Miho

are varied….
Resistance

are varied….
Acceptance

are varied….
Bargain / negotiate

are varied….
Compromise

Let’s review
our knowledge
about GAD

What is SEX ?
This refers to the biological
differences between men and
women.

What is Gender
This refers to the social relations
between men and women, and
how this is socially constructed.

What is Gender Mainstreaming
This refers to the process of
ensuring that women and men
have equal access and control
over resources, development
benefits and decision-making at
all stages.

What is Gender Blind ?
The failure to recognize that
gender is an essential
determinant of social outcomes
impacting on projects and
policies.

What is Gender Awareness ?
An understanding that there are
socially determined differences
between women and men based
on learned behaviour.

What is Gender Sensitivity ?
Encompasses the ability to
acknowledge and highlight
existing gender differences, issues
and inequalities and incorporate
these into strategies and
actions.

What is Gender Equality ?
The result of the absence of
discrimination on the basis of a
person’s sex in opportunities and
the allocation of resources or
benefits or in access to services.

What is Gender Equity ?
Entails the provision of fairness
and justice in the distribution of
benefits and responsibilities
between women and men.

What is Gender Analysis ?
Methodology for collecting and
processing information about
gender in order to ensure
development benefits and resources
are effectively and equitably
targeted to both women and men.

What is Gender Planning ?
The process of planning
developmental programmes and
projects that are gender sensitive
and which take into account the
impact of differing gender roles
and gender needs of women and
men.

What is Gender Role ?
Learned behaviors in a given
society/community, or other special
group, that condition which
activities, tasks and responsibilities
are perceived as male and female.

Other Gender Terms to be Aware of

What is Gender Development?
It means that any person regardless
of sex and gender has the right to full
human development.

Do gender stereotypes still exist?
Have the gender archetype & collective unconsciousness changed?

Video 1
 Gender roles in society

Gender Situation Around
the World
Source: Carlos Antonio Q. Anonuevo
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Philippine Office
September 2000

“Women in the field damage
the crop.”

 “Women in the field damage the crop.”
Bangladesh

“It is bad luck to have a
daughter.”

 “It is bad luck to have a daughter.”
Myanmar

“Men are the front legs, women
are the hind legs of elephants.”

 “Men are the front legs, women are the hind legs of elephants.”
Thailand

“A woman has to live nine lives
to be born a man.”

 “A woman has to live nine lives to be born a man.”
Bhutan

“Behind a loser stands a
woman.”

 “Behind a loser stands a woman.”
Philippines

Video 2
 Discrimination Against Women

Gender Situation in the
Philippines
September 2000

 1. The legal framework has provided basic frameworks and processes for
women empowerment and gender
fairness.
September 2000

 Gender and Development Law (5% of government agencies'
budget is for gender concerns)
 Party-List Law (women as a particular sector for
representation in the legislature through party-list
elections)
 Anti-Sexual Harassment Law (defining SH and providing
mechanisms)
 Anti-Rape Law (elevation of rape as crime against person)

 Barangay Day Care Center Law (day care center for every
village)
 Women in Nation-Building Law (allocation of budget for
women from development funds from foreign governments
and multilateral institutions)
 Anti Mail-Order-Bride Law (making the practice unlawful)
 Repatriation Law (repatriation of Filipinas who lost
citizenship by marriage in case of need)
September 2000

 Non-Discrimination Law in Labor Code (women protection
in hiring and pay)
 Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (equal rights for
women to be recipients of land)
 Military Training equality (women can enter the military
and police schools and providing facilities for them)
September 2000

2. Women have made significant advances
in politics. The role of women in
national and local decision-making
can no longer be ignored and their
competence, in some cases, suits up or
even exceeds that of male politicians.
September 2000

Source: Commission on Election
Election Year Chamber Positions Filled
No. of Elected
Legislators
Women Men
1998
Senate 12 2 10
House of Representatives 208 20 188
2001
Senate 13 1 12
2004
Senate 12 3 9
2007
Senate 12 1 11
2010
Senate 12 2 10

Source: House of Representative and Senate
Position
1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010
Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men
President 0 1 0 1 .. .. 1 0 1 0 0 1
Vice-President 0 1 1 0 .. .. 0 1 0 1 0 1
Senators 3 9 2 10 1 12 3 9 1 11 2 10
Congressmen 21 183 20 188 33 172 32 179 45 173 48 174
Governors 9 67 13 65 15 62 15 62 18 62 16 60
Vice-Governors 11 65 9 69 10 67 7 71 13 67 10 65
Board Members 77 596 93 629 120 607 125 623 123 635 120 614
Mayors 136 1,469 233 1,374 241 1,301 244 1,352 274 1,320 294 1210
Vice-Mayors 135 1,470 174 1,433 192 1,356 222 1,375 230 1,365 245 1260
Councilors 1834 11,255 2139 11,007 2198 10,467 2251 10,881 2329 10,797 2314 10103
TOTAL 2,226 15,116 2,684 14,776 2,810 14,044 2,900 14,553 3,034 14,431 3,049 13,498

1998 First Party-List Elections
 Women sectoral groups got a maximum of
3 seats per party in the House of
Representatives--resulted in the winning
of one (1) seat for a single women's party.
 Five (5) other women's party did not
make the minimum votes required.
September 2000

In 2011, labor force participation rate for women (50.4%) was significantly
lower than that of men (79.0%). In terms of employment rate, the latest
data show that women enjoy a higher employment rate at 93.3% than their
male counterparts at 92.7%. Equivalently, there is a higher unemployment
rate among men (7.3%) than women (6.7%)
Employment Indicator
2008 2009 2010 2011
Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men
Labor Force 14,132 22,673 14,719 23,175 15,164 23,730 15,661 24,345
Labor Force Participation Rate 48.6 78.8 49.4 78.7 49.7 78.5 50.4 79.0
Employment Rate 92.9 92.4 92.8 92.4 93.1 92.4 93.3 92.7
Unemployment Rate 7.1 7.6 7.2 7.6 6.9 7.6 6.7 7.3
Soource: National Statistics Office

Source: National Statistics Office
Major Occupation Group
2008 2009 2010 2011
Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men
Officials of Government and Special
Interest-Organizations, Corporate
Executives, Managers, Managing
Proprietors and Supervisors
2,372 1,955 2,520 2,202 2,625 2,354 2,720 2,497
Professionals 1,047 479 1,100 508 1,155 531 1,183 549
Technicians and Associate Professionals 444 432 484 449 495 458 505 480
Clerks 1,094 621 1,154 706 1,250 754 1,308 801
Service Workers and Shop and Market
Sales Workers
1,716 1,679 1,865 1,808 1,947 1,891 2,102 2,039
Farmers, Forestry Workers and Fishermen 856 5,143 834 5,015 843 4,904 840 4,875
Traders and Related Workers 597 2,134 564 2,099 579 2,213 576 2,193
Plant and Machine Operators and
Assemblers
225 2,129 189 2,031 219 2,040 247 1,998
Laborers and UnskilledWorkers 4,759 6,262 4,926 6,462 4,970 6,652 5,104 7,013
Special Occupations 19 128 22 128 30 126 33 129
The increasing proportion of women holding key positions in government as well as
private establishments is seen here.

3. The women's voice in the society
is very strong due the vibrant
women's movement.
September 2000

4. The statistics on women remain
indicative of the deep-rooted and
widespread problems they encounter
in their daily lives.
September 2000

The social image of a Filipina is still that of a
weak person, poster girl of domestic help,
expert in double burden, and a sexual object.
September 2000

While the mainframe of gender
politics is changing, the struggle of
women to escape from the traditional
mold of everyday life continues.
September 2000

 When we talk about gender, it is not about
women, but how men and women can
complement each other’s efforts in building
their society and nation

2nd
ROUND
AGREE ? Or DISAGREE?

 Women are Flowers of the World

Agree
* Women are beautiful in every way
* Women are like flowers. They attract many people by their
different styles of dressing like flowers with their different
forms and colours.
* Women play important reproductive roles like flowers.
• Without women, the world would be a very dull place.
• Women make life pleasant for the family as do flowers which bring
pleasure to those who see them

Disagree
• By saying women are flowers, we reduce them to mere decorations with
no real value, except to be seen and admired.
• Women have multifaceted roles to perform. These roles are very
important for the survival of family and society. They must not be
ignored.
• Women are multi-talented, they can be roots, stems, leaves, branches, etc.
not only flowers.
• Women also have a productive role and support the family economically.
* If women were flowers, they would be put on a pedestal, be
confined and fade away. They would not have a chance to grow.

When we refer to women as flowers, we are only
talking about one of women’s multifaceted roles.
By ignoring women’s role as producers we may be
perpetuating the view that devalues women’s
contribution.

Women can be as good
engineers as men

Agree
Women are careful and good at detailed work
In some countries, women make up almost half of the total number of
Engineers
Given proper education and training opportunities, women can be as
successful as men
Some women are engineers and functioning well. There is no reason
to believe that this job is “unnatural” to women
Given enough role models for women, there will surely be more women engineers.

Disagree
Women, by nature, are not technologically-oriented
Engineering takes a lot of intelligence and concentration. It is too complicated
for women
The work is too hard, and women are physically weaker than men
Women’s nature is not conducive to engineering work. That’s why there are
not many women engineers

Sex = not a determining factor of a
person’s ability to function well in
a job.
 Except for few tasks that require especially hard physical labour, there is no
proven physical reason why women cannot be good engineers.

 Similarly, there is no reason to believe that certain jobs
or tasks should be reserved for women, e.g.,
dressmaking, artificial flower making.
 On the contrary, if these tasks all go to women, some
men who could excel in them would be deprived of the
opportunity to do so.

Men can take care of babies as good as
women

Agree
• When men want to and get an opportunity to learn to raise babies, they can be
good at it
• Men have not and cannot develop the gentleness and sensitivity required in
raising children
• More and more men take good care of young children. This can be done
• As more women work outside the home, it will become necessary
for more men to help rear children,
• Intensive involvement of men in child rearing will help children
become more balanced.

Disagree
* Women have natural maternal instincts
* Only women can breastfeed
• By carrying the baby for nine months, mothers have a closer natural
link with the baby
• Women are good at childcare because they have so much experience caring for
other people’s children before they have their own. Men do not have that
opportunity.

 Women are childbearers and breastfeeders. Their natural
parenting skills stop there. Skills are acquired early in life, e.g.
through looking after siblings, nieces, nephews, etc.
Therefore, to say that only women can look after children
would be misleading.

 In fact, women who take good care of children do so
because they have had a lot of “training” since their early
age. Boys could also benefit from participation in caring for
younger children. Most importantly, when men take an
active part in childcare they develop good qualities, such
as tenderness and patience, and experience the real joy of
fatherhood.

 Men are the elephant’s front legs, and women are its hind legs

Agree
Men are heads of their families. They earn income to support their families.
Men are better at making Decisions
Women are weaker, so men should take a lead to protect them.
Men are freer to go around and therefore more equipped to lead.
Men are stronger physically.

Disagree
Nowadays, more and more women earn their own income and support families.
Their contribution to the well-being of the family is as important as that of men.
Fathers and mothers need mutual support like an elephant that cannot walk on its
front or hind legs alone.
Women have been prime ministers of nations and good leaders in many other
areas but there are not enough of them.
If women were inherently inferior, we would never have examples of women
with initiative and courage

Disagree
Limited mobility of women comes with culture. In many societies, this limitation
has decreased. Women have shown they can be in control of their movement and
available to perform their tasks.
Some tasks are too demanding for women, physically. But women have been
active in wars, alongside men.

 Experience has shown that in families where women and men respect
each other and share leadership, mutual respect and happy family life
result.
 Some women excel in traditionally male domains. And the same is true
for men.
 It seems reasonable to assume that it would be advantageous to train
women to be leaders to enable them to share this important
responsibility with men.

 DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo is sworn in as a member of MOVE

Why Men Have a Stake in Gender Equality
Women are disadvantaged by the
main patterns of gender inequality,
 Thinking it is "women's business" , we see that it is of
no concern to men and boys.

Men Have Much to Gain
stereotypes put pressure on them to be ‘tough’ and to be
the ‘breadwinner’ resulting in conditions of labor that are
often harsh and that may involve injury, violence, crime,
and imprisonment (military service, policing, fire-fighting,
etc.).

Macho images of masculinity lead men to engage in unsafe
sex that jeopardizes their partners’ and their own well-
being.

Men are victims of many forms of personal and institutional
violence – primarily at the hands of other men – and have a
great deal to gain from moving towards gender equality

Why Men Have a Stake in Gender
Equality
in most cultures men are not expected to play a
significant role in caring for children and sick
parents, or to show affection and express their
vulnerabilities in distress.
Societal pressure to uphold stereotyped notions of
masculinity means men must often suppress this
aspect of their human persona

Equality
 Moving toward gender equality does not mean loss of
masculinity. It does mean that men as a group will be
able to share and be part of a broader, healthier,
safer, and richer cultural experience

Equality
Society Benefits as a Whole
The formation of dominant and violent military
masculinities in conflict zones around the world
creates extreme forms of gender oppression

Equality
The active involvement of men and boys in
promoting gender equality is a critical resource in
peace-building, peacekeeping and social
reconstruction.

Equality
Men’s violence against women – in times of peace as
well as war – produces staggering economic, health
and social costs that detrimentally affect economic
performance and efficiency

Equality
Gender systems are diverse and changing
they arise from different cultural histories in
different parts of the world, have changed in the
past and are undergoing change now (Connell 2002; Ferree
et al. 1999; Holter 1997; Walby 1996)

Video 3
 Gender Equality Works

Why It is Difficult
to Involve Men in
Achieving Gender
Equality?

Why It is Difficult
to Involve Men in Achieving Gender Equality
 Peer pressure, social norms, and available
institutional/organizational rules influence
adherence to gender specific stereotypes

Why It is Difficult
 In many parts of the world, men’s supremacy is
justified on grounds of religion, biology, cultural
tradition or organizational mission
 (for example, in the military or police force)

Why It is Difficult
 Since men continue to benefit from these ‘patriarchal
dividends,’ there remains a strong resistance to gender
equality among certain men

Male Non-participation
 The male socialization process in many parts of the
world has led some men to believe that women are
second class citizens—unequal, less strong, less able
and defined by their roles as caretakers, mothers,
homemakers and wives.

 It is difficult to deconstruct the socialization process;
to unlearn what has been viewed as innate. As such,
although the vast majority of men do not attack or
harass women, those who do are unlikely to think of
themselves as deviant.

 Stereotypic views of gender roles and widespread
indifference among both men and women affect male
participation in gender discussions and activities that
promote greater gender justice.
 As a result of a belief in the inherent rightness of the
current social order, men feel dismayed at the
increasing emphasis on women and women’s issues.

 Often, unconsciously, they view women’s concerns as peripheral
as and less important than their own.
 They are, after all, the breadwinners, the ones who have
historically provided for their families—at least economically,
although seldom emotionally.
 Women’s roles and work have been less valued and, hence, there
is reluctance on the part of men to get involved.

 Barriers to men’s involvement include a lack of
experience with discussing gender and violence issues;
 a lack of opportunities for men and boys to engage in
open discussion; and a concern among men and boys
about how they will be perceived by their peers.

 Men fear being derided and ridiculed by other men; they
feel pressured by other men to conform to masculine
stereotypes.
 Fear of criticism silences many men.
 Therefore, the lack of involvement of both formal and
informal male leaders has a significant impact on the
involvement of other men.

 Some men may fear that others will think that they are
not living up to the demands of manhood; others will
resist changing their ideas, behaviors and beliefs—much as
we all resist change.

Resistance
 Some men accept change and women's rights in theory,
but still engage in routine practices that sustain men's
dominance of the public sphere, and still assign
traditional domestic labour and childcare to women.

Resistance
 In strongly gender-segregated societies it may be difficult
for men to recognize alternatives or to understand
women's experiences
 (Fuller 2001; Kandiyoti 1994; Meuser 2003)

Varying Reasons for Resistance
 IDENTITY PROBLEMS ABOUT CHANGE
 if social definitions of masculinity include being the
breadwinner and being "strong", then men may be offended by
women's professional progress because it makes men seem less
worthy of respect.
 Similarly, caring for children, the elderly, or the sick may seem
unmanly or feminizing. If fear of femininity is combined with
homophobia, anxieties about change may be severe.

Varying Reasons for Resistance
 IDEOLOGICAL DEFENSE OF MALE SUPREMACY
 research on domestic violence suggests that male
batterers often hold very conservative views of
women's role in the family (Ptacek 1988).

Men Can Make a Difference
 Men continue to occupy positions of power and
privilege in patriarchal social systems, and without
their active involvement, a gender equitable society
will neither be achievable, nor be sustainable.

Men Can Make a Difference
 Yet, when men take an active role in promoting gender
equality, the entire society benefits.

Reasons for change from the
perspective of men and boys
Relational interests.
When "men" are considered statistically as an
aggregate of individuals, they appear to have
an unshakeable interest in defending
inequality. But in reality, men are not isolated
individuals.

 For instance, very large numbers of men are fathers,
and about half of their children are girls.
 Some men are sole parents, and are then deeply
involved in caregiving – an important demonstration of
men's capacity for care (Risman 1986).

 Even in intact partnerships with women, many men
have close relationships with their children, and
psychological research shows the importance of these
relationships (Kindler 2002).

Relational interests.
 Many men make sacrifices for their children, and desire
a more active fatherhood.
 To make sure that daughters grow up in a world that
offers young women security, freedom, and
opportunities to fulfil their talents, is a powerful
reason for many men to support gender equality.

Personal well-being.
The relative exclusion of women from
paid employment is associated with a
widespread model of the man as
"breadwinner."

Social and economic pressures on men to
compete in the workplace, to increase
their hours of paid work, and sometimes
to take second jobs, are among the most
powerful constraints on gender reform.

Desire for a better work/life balance is
widespread among employed men.

Collective interests
 Men may support gender equality because they see its
relevance to the well-being of the community they live
in.
 In situations of mass poverty and underemployment,
for instance in cities in developing countries, flexibility
in the gender division of labour may be crucial to a
household which requires women's earnings as well as
men's.

Collective interests.
 Movement towards gender equality makes it more
possible for men to adopt historically "feminine" styles
of nonviolent negotiation and conflict resolution, as
illustrated by women's recent role in negotiating to
overcome intractable civil conflicts.

Video 04
 Closing the Gender Gap

How to Engage Men to Promote Gender
Equality
Basic Working Principles

Equality
1. Human Rights Framework
Framing gender equality issues in the language of
human rights and social justice enables men to see
their engagement in gender issues as an action that
helps improve human rights of all, as opposed to
diminishing their own privileges

Equality
2. Integrated Social Vision
The urgent need to move from an adversarial role to
a partnership between men and women
Policies where men and women play complementary
roles

Equality
3. Life Cycle Approach
Life cycle-based strategies should start with early
childhood education and care (within the home
environment
Mothers have a crucial role in educating boys in how
to treat their future spouses and female partners

Equality
4. Multi-sectoral Partnerships
Involving a whole range of stakeholders in the
process: governments, multilaterals, the private
sector, trade unions, civil society, religious
organizations, non-governmental organizations, the
army and the police, research institutes, community
agencies, the media

Equality
5. Pragmatic Incrementalism
Since values and social norms do not change
overnight, a pragmatic and incremental approach is
imperative
The goal should be to get men into action by
identifying their common points of concern

Equality
5. Pragmatic Incrementalism
Men might be enlisted for some other concern,
perhaps to support the suffering of other men, but
they might eventually see the underlying issue of
gender inequality as the root cause and join in that
fight.

Equality
Education Strategies
 Education, in all its diverse • formats and contents –
formal, non-formal, supplementary, informal, lifelong
learning, etc., – is widely recognized as a key
contributing factor to the social reproduction of gender
inequality.

Equality
 Even when learning environments have students of
both sexes; gender differentiated learning assignments,
learning tracks and teacher expectations continue to
exist.

Equality
 Research shows that boys who are strongly connected
to school or excel in various activities such as dance,
music, and sports, also seem to have a greater freedom
to explore gender equitable behaviors.

Equality
 Boys should be presented with such extended
opportunities to excel and define themselves through
formal and non-formal education and developmental
programmes

Equality
Institutional Strategies
 The workplace, including the education sector, is a
major site of inequality between women and men that
thrives on gender stereotypes of work roles.
 Employer policies such as training gender competencies
for staff, paternity leave, flexible work hours, enforced
anti-sexual harassment policies, and childcare facilities
for male employees should be considered too

Equality
Institutional Strategies
 Training programmes for men in childcare and other professions considered as
feminine would enable them to accept opportunities outside of gender
stereotypes
 It is critical to work with men in positions of power and have them publicly
endorse and enforce gender equality in their own practices to mobilize others.
 Male dominated institutions such as police force and military can play a positive
role in promoting and protecting gender equality through appropriate education
and sensitization campaigns

Equality
Communication Strategies
 Allies should be identified using the existing forms of
social network: churches, mosques, microfinance
agencies, school principals, government officers,
community elders and so on

Two Areas Where Change Is Needed
Sharing of family responsibilities
 Increase the participation of men in domestic work and
family responsibilities by encouraging the
reconciliation of family and working life for both men
and women

Two Areas Where Change Is Needed
Men as agents of change in the
workplace
 Men have an important role in promoting women’s
economic rights and independence

FOR EVERY WOMAN
by Nancy Smith
For every woman
who is tired of acting weak
when she knows she is strong
There is a man
who is tired of appearing strong
when he feels vulnerable

For every woman
who is tired of acting dumb
There is a man
who is burdened with the constant
expectation of “knowing everything”.

For every woman
Who is tired of being called
“an emotional female”
There is a man
who is denied the right
to weep and be gentle

For every woman
who feels “tied down” by her children
There is a man
who is denied the full pleasure
of shared parenthood

For every woman
who is denied meaningful
employment and equal pay
There is a man
who must bear full financial
responsibility for another
human being.

For every woman
who was not taught the
intricacies of an automobile,
There is a man
who was not taught the
satisfaction of cooking

FOR EVERY WOMAN
WHO TAKES A STEP FORWARD HER OWN
LIBERATION
THERE IS A MAN
WHO FINDS THAT THE WAY
TO FREEDOM HAS BEEN MADE
A LITTLE EASIER

Gender & devt seminar

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