Gender, Religion and Caste

Lesson

Every society has differences. When do they help democracy, and when do they hurt it?

In this lesson you will

Explain the sexual division of labour and how it shapes women's lives
Describe how women's movements made gender a political issue
Use evidence on literacy, work, sex ratio and representation to assess women's position in India
Explain reservation for women in local bodies and the debate on reservation in legislatures

The chapter at a glance; part 1 covers gender

Concept

Gender is learnt, not born

Boys and girls are brought up to believe that certain jobs and roles suit them. These roles come from customs and expectations that society teaches, not from nature.

Table pairing stereotypes with reality: cooking is said to be women's work but many famous chefs are men; girls are said to be weak in science but do as well as boys in board results; politics is said to be for men but women lead governments and panchayats
Stereotype	Reality check
"Cooking is a woman's job"	Many of the world's best-known chefs are men
"Girls are not good at science"	Girls do as well as boys in board results
"Politics is for men"	Women lead governments, panchayats and movements around the world

Diagram

The sexual division of labour

Men often do these "home" tasks for pay outside the home: as cooks, tailors, drivers. It is the unpaid version that is pushed on to women.

Cookies