Unit 1: A conceptual framework for gender analysis and planning:gender analysis-sex and gender

International Labour Organization
SEAPAT
South-East Asia and the Pacific Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
ILO/SEAPAT's OnLine Gender Learning & Information Module

Unit 1: A conceptual framework for gender analysis and planning

What is gender analysis?

Sex and gender

Exercise 1: What is "gender" as opposed to "sex"?
Exercise 2: "Because I am... I can.... If I were... I could...."

Sex and gender

To understand what gender analysis is, it is useful to first understand the conceptual difference between the terms "sex" and "gender".

Sex refers to biologically determined differences between men and women; they are universal.

Gender refers to social differences between men and women; they are

learned

changeable over time

very widely within and across cultures

Gender is a socio-economic variable for analysing roles, responsibilities, constraints, opportunities, and needs of men and women in a given context.

The following exercises help clarify the conceptual differences between the terms "sex" and "gender".

Exercise 1: What is "gender" as opposed to "sex"?

Exercise 2: "Because I am... I can.... If I were... I could...."

Module Homepage

For further information, please contact the South-East Asia and the Pacific Multidisciplinary
Advisory Team (SEAPAT) at Tel: +63.2.815.2354 or Fax: +63.2.812.6143
E-mail: seapat@ilo.org

This page was revised by SF. It was approved by WRB. It was last updated on 2 November 1998.

Sex	refers to biologically determined differences between men and women; they are universal.
Gender	refers to social differences between men and women; they are learned changeable over time very widely within and across cultures Gender is a socio-economic variable for analysing roles, responsibilities, constraints, opportunities, and needs of men and women in a given context.