Different terms are regularly used in theories of sexuality and gender, for example sex, gender, gender identity, gender expressions, gender roles, sexual orientation. It is important to be clear about the meanings of such terms. Gender is a ‘heavy’ word: politicians and public figures often use it with negative connotations, for example in referring to ‘gender police’, or to ideologies that ‘threaten our kids’. These are examples of how gender can be misunderstood and politicised. There are some languages which do not have a word for ‘gender’. In such cases, the word ‘sex’ is normally used, and in order to distinguish between sex and gender, different terms may be employed, for example ‘biological sex’ may be used to refer to ‘sex’, and ‘cultural and social sex’ may be used to refer to ‘gender’. However, even when the terms exist in the language, ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ are often used interchangeably.
Definitions of sex and genderA number of definitions have been put forward by different organisations. They provide a useful starting point for discussion. The World Health Organisation summarises the difference between sex and gender in the following way: The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence is the first international human rights document that contains a definition of gender. In Article 3, gender is defined as “socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for women and men.” 18 The European Institute for Gender Equality, an autonomous body of the European Union, provides very extensive definitions of sex and gender: See also See also Download in PDF Download in PDF Sex Gender Gender expression can vary for an individual from day to day or in different situations, but most people can identify a range on the scale where they feel the most comfortable. Some people are comfortable with a wider range of gender expression than others. Gender may appear to be a complicated idea, but once the biological determinism common in everyday thinking about differences between women and men is challenged, it becomes easier to understand gender. Aspects of sex will not vary substantially between different human societies and over time, while aspects of gender may vary greatly. Examples of sex characteristics
Examples of gender characteristics
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