Module Gender and the Media is a course in the Media Studies programme in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Namibia

1. ISM 2422 GENDER AND
THE MEDIA
UNIT1
DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

2. DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS
• Gender
• Gender mainstreaming
• Women empowerment
• Masculinity
• Sexual harassment

3. What is Gender?
• Gender is defined as the state of being either male or female
• Either of the sexes (male or female), especially when considered
in the context of social and cultural differences rather than
biological ones

4. GENDER MAINSTREAMING
• Is a strategy towards realising gender equality. It involves the integration of a
gender perspective into the preparation, design, implementation, monitoring
and evaluation of policies, regulatory measures and spending programmes,
with a view to promoting equality between women and men, and combating
discrimination.

5. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
• Women Empowerment refers to increasing and improving the social, economic, political
and legal strength of the women, to ensure equal-right to women, and to make them
confident enough to claim their rights, such as:
• freely live their life with a sense of self-worth, respect and dignity,
• have complete control of their life, both within and outside of their home and workplace,
• to make their own choices and decisions,
• have equal rights to participate in social, religious and public activities,
• have equal social status in the society,
• have equal rights for social and economic justice,
• determine financial and economic choices.

6. DEFINITIONS CONTINUED..
MASCULINITY
• Masculinity has its roots in social constructions and genetics. Therefore while masculinity
can mean different things to different cultures, there are often common aspects to its
definition across cultures. Sometimes gender scholars will use the phrase "hegemonic
masculinity" to distinguish the most dominant form of masculinity from others.
• Masculinity can be defined as having or pertaining to characteristics and qualities associated
with men. For example, having a muscular frame, playing contact sports such as rugby and
wearing certain clothing.

7. DEFINITIONS CONTINUED..
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
• “sexual harassment’’ means any unwarranted conduct of a sexual nature
• towards an employee which constitutes a barrier to equality in employment
• where -
• (i) the victim has made it known to the perpetrator that he or she finds
• the conduct offensive; or
• (ii) the perpetrator should have reasonably realised that the conduct is
• regarded as unacceptable, taking into account the respective positions
• of the parties in the place of employment, the nature of their
• employment relationships and the nature of the place of employment.

8. REFERENCES
• Namibian labour act No 11 of 2007
http://www.lac.org.na/laws/pdf/labouract11of2007.pdf
• https://www.importantindia.com/19050/essay-on-women-empowerment/
• https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/gender
• http://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/what-is-gender-mainstreaming
• http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Masculinity