Gender & Power
Theme: Being the bigger voice for gender equality.
To enable boys to fully understand gender and how to use their voices to advocate for gender equality; understand differences in gender roles and how they lead to (in)equality.
Main definitions
Sex, the biological fact of being male or female (boys have male reproductive organs; girls have female reproductive organs).
Gender, the social construction that society sets for how girls and boys, men and women should act. Gender changes depending on culture, traditions, race and country.
Gender equality, the state where girls and boys enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protection. Gender inequality affects all people, not just girls.
Gender stereotypes, unfair beliefs about boys/girls or men/women that are seen as true and unchangeable.
Gender roles, duties and responsibilities attached to being a boy or a girl.
Power, the possession of control and authority over others.
Voice, a particular opinion expressed.
Short discussion
1. Where do you see power imbalances in your relations with girls at school, home, etc.?
2. What gender stereotypes and roles exist in your communities?
3. How can you use your power to promote gender equality? What can you do to be advocates for gender equality?
Common kinds of gender stereotypes
Personality, girls are expected to be timid and emotional; boys expected to be bold and aggressive.
Domestic roles, girls expected to cook and mop; boys expected to fetch water, firewood.
Jobs/careers, boys are 'better scholars'; teachers and nurses are women while pilots, doctors and engineers are men.
Physical appearance, girls expected to be slender; boys expected to be muscular.
Activity: Is it a girl thing or a boy thing?
Read out the list and ask for hands up if the boys think it's a girl thing, no hands up if a boy thing (or vice versa):
Science • Mathematician • Crying • Teacher • Blue • Cleaning • Nurse • Doctor • Lawyer • Cooking • Engineer • Pink • Mechanic.
Then ask: Is it true these are just girls' or boys' things? Where do these ideas come from? Are there exceptions where girls do what boys do, and vice versa?
Power, imbalances and patriarchy
Some gender stereotypes create an imbalance in power relations between boys and girls. If men are expected to be the decision-makers in the home, it makes them feel superior to women.
Power imbalances in Uganda and elsewhere are due to patriarchy, a social system in which men and boys hold power and predominance in leadership roles and have control over resources.
Activity, Agree / Disagree / Neutral
Step (a): Prepare three papers labelled Disagree, Agree, Neutral. Place them apart with enough room for small groups.
Step (b): Read the statements. Boys think through and stand at the label matching their view.
Step (c): Ask each group to explain their stand.
Statement 1: "Girls invite trouble by the way they dress." No, girls do not invite trouble by the way they dress. We should all be respectful and have self-control. Inability to control oneself says a lot about one's morals.
Statement 2: "Boys are better scholars than girls." No, both boys and girls can be good scholars. Performance depends on one's ability to work hard.
Statement 3: "A school needs a boy as its Head Prefect." No, leadership is for both girls and boys. Several schools are headed by girls.
Statement 4: "A girl's most important role is to assist in taking care of her home and family." NOT true. Girls also have responsibilities of studying, and boys too may assist at home. In a gender-equal family, they share domestic chores.
- What a boy can do, so can a girl.
- Be a good example to your friends, family and community.
- Respect people regardless of their gender.
- Create a safe space for everyone, including girls, to express themselves.
- Be a change agent and speak out against gender inequalities.