“The window of my prison
I’m the reflection
A distorted goal-maybe-almost-not-quite
My trapped body in the glass of the Carnival Mirror.
Everything I am, But the flaws I am not.”
Antigoni Dimopoublos, Carnival Mirror
Do Sex and Gender mean the same thing?
Do you get confused between gender and sex? Well, this article aims to bring clarity to these two concepts. Gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men and gender-diverse people. It involves how an individual identifies. It is made up of non-binary forms as it is a broad spectrum. These identities may include transgender, non-binary or gender-neutral. Confused about the differences among the different types of gender identities? Well, in the upcoming series, we will be explaining each of these terms! On the other hand, sex refers to biological attributes of humans which include physical features, chromosomes, hormones and anatomy. An individual’s sex assigned at birth based on their physiological characteristics including their genitalia and chromosome composition, is called an individual’s natal sex. For example, at birth, female-assigned people have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone and typically have two copies of the X chromosome while the assigned males have higher levels of testosterone and usually have one X and another Y chromosome. However, even if the chromosome doesn’t have a particular marker, some individuals can be born with more than two chromosomes and female babies can have a Y chromosome! Do you know that biologists have even started considering sex as a spectrum just like gender? For example, if an individual is born female, at a later stage in life, they might choose to identify themselves with the third gender or gender fluid.
Cis-male is the one whose gender identity corresponds with the sex assigned during his birth i.e., male. Similarly, cis-female refers to the female whose gender identity corresponds with the one assigned at birth i.e., female. For example, if the individual is a straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or asexual and still identifies themselves as the sex assigned at birth they come under the umbrella of the cisgender. This is different from sexual orientation i.e., the virtue of being straight. This means that one can identify themselves as a male but can be sexually oriented towards the same sex person.
Ortner and Whitehead proposed a model of prestige structure based on gender. This means that male prestige is linked to public roles and female prestige is defined in relation to men, in roles such as wife, sister and mother. We must have noticed that men are addressed by only one prefix Mr. while women are addressed in relation to their male family members or relatives. This is a classic example of gender stereotypes.
Credits: Apoorva Jyoti, Graphics Head at Mandonna
Gender exists as a conventional social construct that is determined by one and only – society. The difference between a biological male and a sociological man is based on the difference between sex and gender. Who decides what should be an appropriate gender and what is not? Can gender and sex be even called appropriate in the first place?
Why do Sex and Gender matter?
Do you know that the tobacco industry “feminises” cigarettes for targeting women? It attracts women by packaging the cigarettes in pink packaging paper or vanilla-flavoured cigarettes. Though it is true that smoking has long been associated with the male sex, this industry is capitalising on outdated female stereotypes as a marketing gimmick. People often use the terms “sex” and “gender” interchangeably but this has implications beyond wrong and right. This has implications for building society’s perception and acceptance of the gender spectrum. Isn’t it another way of upholding the rigid patriarchal and rigid sex binary system? It can also lead to the normalisation of discrimination against people with unconventional gender identities, thus violating their basic human rights. The socially constructed gender roles impact almost every sphere. For example, sexual minorities constitute one of the most marginalised sections of society. This is due to a lack of access to basic resources like education, and healthcare facilities among others. Their voices remain unheard in the political sphere which in turn leads to a lack of affirmative action for their development.
- Health: A WHO report highlights the ways in which gender stereotypes and stigmas influence health coverage, accountability and inclusivity within health systems throughout the health systems of the world. There is a complex relationship between gender and physical and mental health. According to a PubMed Central review by the National Institutes of Health, these gender-based inequalities reinforce exclusive gender binaries, which in turn amplify other social inequalities. This raises important questions do women of all castes, colours, races, and communities have equal access to health services? How equitable, affordable and accessible are health systems for transgender individuals? According to Amnesty International, around 25 million unsafe abortions take place every year. This violates basic human rights which include reproductive rights and bodily autonomy.
- Education and Workplace: Gender discrimination is omnipresent; from the streets to the web and even our own mindset! Based on the eye-opening statistics published by the World Bank, 35% of women worldwide have experienced physical intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence. For example, in India, the girl child is a victim of child marriage, and sex trafficking among other forms of violence. Education and availability of other opportunities depend on gender. From the feminist intersectional lens, unequal access to education for women from minority communities and the LGBTQ+ community surfaces in the work sector. What amount one gets paid is determined by one’s gender! From sports to the cinema, gender matters. Gender inequality in the workplace includes unequal pay, sexual harassment, unequal promotions, racism, sexism, barriers to promotion and maternal leaves. The victims are generally women of colour, LGBTQ+ and immigrant women. The cycle repeats as there is an underrepresentation of women from these communities in the halls of power.
Therefore, it is important to differentiate between sex and gender in order to understand the various gender issues. There is a need for a proper constitution of committees for addressing sexual harassment grievances like Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) (POSH) committees in India, active gender-sensitisation cells in educational institutions, and the creation of gender-sensitive curricula at the school level. There should also be policies in place for positive discrimination in favour of the vulnerable communities based on gender, to build a more gender-just world.
References
- Sex and Gender article, Sex and Gender Council of European Portal, retrieved from https://www.coe.int/en/web/gender-matters/sex-and-gender
- Newman Tim, Sex and Gender: What is the difference? Medical News Today, March 31, 2023, retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232363
- Wooll Maggie, Gender Inequality in the Workplace: The Fight Against Bias, October 15, 2021, retrieved from https://www.betterup.com/blog/gender-inequality-in-the-work-place
- Gender-based violence, Gender Matters, Council of Europe Portal, retrieved from https://www.coe.int/en/web/gender-matters/what-is-gender-based-violence
Authorship Credits
Sourishree Ghosh is currently pursuing her bachelor’s in Political Science from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. She is passionate about social and political issues and loves to write about them. Her hobbies include reading fiction books, painting, sketching and creative writing.
