Gender

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender diverse people. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they act and interact, and the distribution of power and resources in society. Gender identity is not confined to a binary (girl/woman, boy/man) nor is it static; it exists along a continuum and can change over time. ¹ Gender is a social construct and a social identity.² It is an area that cuts across thinking about society, law, politics and culture, and it is frequently discussed in relation to other aspects of identity and social position, such as class, ethnicity, age and physical ability.³

In short, gender can be broadly defined as a multidimensional construct that encompasses gender identity and expression, as well as social and cultural expectations about status, characteristics, and behavior as they are associated with certain sex traits. Understandings of gender vary throughout historical and cultural contexts.⁴

What’s the relation between gender and sex?

Sex and gender are often used interchangeably, despite having different meanings. ‘Sex’ refers to the physical differences between people who are male, female, or intersex. A person typically has their sex assigned at birth based on physiological characteristics.⁵ ‘Gender’, on the other hand, is a psychosocial construct that is distinct from biological sex, and it is shaped by an individual’s social, historical, and cultural context - particularly their relation to society’s norms and expectations regarding gender roles and identities.

Gender and sex are interrelated but distinct concepts. Understanding their interplay is crucial for social scientists, lawmakers, and healthcare professionals to grasp the environmental, cultural, and psychosocial factors influencing human behavior.

In brain research, for example, observed sex differences in biologic characteristics cannot be readily disentangled from social factors. Gender norms shape dietary habits, physical activities, experience, and education—all of which are connected to brain functioning. Research, for instance, shows correlations between men’s higher education level in many countries and lower prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in these countries.⁶ In other words, it would be inaccurate to assume that sex differentation is not influenced by the psycho-social dimensions of gender.

Gender Identity

Gender identity is a component of gender that describes a person’s psychological sense of their gender. Many people describe gender identity as a deeply felt, inherent sense of being a boy, a man, or male; a girl, a woman, or female; or a nonbinary gender (e.g., genderqueer, gender-nonconforming, gender-neutral, agender, gender-fluid) that may or may not correspond to a person’s sex assigned at birth, presumed gender based on sex assignment, or primary or secondary sex characteristics. Gender identity applies to all individuals and is not a characteristic only of transgender or gender-nonconforming individuals. Gender identity is distinct from sexual orientation; thus, the two must not be conflated (e.g., a gay transgender man has a masculine gender identity and a gay sexual orientation, a straight cisgender woman has a feminine gender identity and a straight sexual orientation).²

Gender Expression

Gender expression is how a person publicly expresses or presents their gender. This can include behaviour and outward appearance such as dress, hair, make-up, body language and voice. A person’s chosen name and pronoun are also common ways of expressing gender. Others perceive a person’s gender through these attributes.⁷

Gender Roles

Gender roles are characteristics and behaviours that are socially constructed. There are expectations and rules based on your assigned sex. These can vary between places, and they can also change over time.⁸ Gender roles are prescriptive, rather than descriptive. They refer to the social expectations and norms that determine how a given culture or society feels people should behave; e.g., how we’re expected to act, speak, dress, groom, and conduct ourselves based upon our assigned sex & gender identity.

Gender Stereotypes

A stereotype is a widely accepted judgment or bias about a person or group. Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair treatment because of a person’s gender. This is called sexism. Extreme gender stereotypes are harmful because they don’t allow people to fully express themselves and their emotions. For example, it’s harmful to masculine folks to feel that they’re not allowed to cry or express sensitive emotions. And it’s harmful to feminine folks to feel that they’re not allowed to be independent, smart or assertive.⁹ Gender stereotypes can also be damaging to gender non-conforming & non-binary individuals, since they often cause people to resist or invalidate the experience of gender that those individuals live and understand.

Development of Gender Identity in Youth

Our understanding of gender and the gender we identify with begins at a very young age. Around age two, children become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls. By age four, most children have a stable sense of their gender identity. All children tend to develop a clearer view of themselves and their gender over time. At any point, research suggests that children who assert a gender-diverse identity know their gender as clearly and consistently as their developmentally matched peers and benefit from the same level of support, love and social acceptance.¹⁰