Unit Three Gender :

Growing up asBoys and Girls

4
role in the social
and economic lives of
he gender an important
plays or
in teaches
us what kind of behaviour

T people. The society

work is acceptablefor
different roles assigned to
we live
girls and boys on the
basis of their gender.

the boys and girls by the society

The
or the stereotypes

roles as men and

women. Most societies in
prepare them for their future we shall study
differently. In this chapter,
the world value men and women lives, causes
ordering our social and economic
mainly the role of gender in for women
of gender discrimination
and the steps taken by the government

empowerment.

and girls in a family, community, schools and

MEANING OF GENDER in detail.
about them
fact of being publicplaces. Let us study
refers to the
The word 'gender
male or female,especially when considered with Gender Roles in a Family
to social and cultural differences.
In fact, between boys
reference A family makes clear distinction
gender is a social construct and not determined by and girls even before the birth of a child. This is

biological difference. By gender we mean

the many
because, quite often parents want a boy rather
social values and stereotypes our cultures attach
They are involved even in female
than a girl child.
tothe biological distinction of male and female. It
sons and
foeticides. Further, they usuallytreat their

is a term that helps us to understand many of the daughters They give them differernt
differenty. toys
inequalities and relationships between men and Table :Sex Ratio in India :1901-2001
Women in a society.

Year Females per thousand males

Do Vo Kpow ? 1901 972

1911 964
Sex refers to the biological state of being male
1921 955
or female. That is, it is determined biologically.

On the other hand, gender is a socially acquired 1931 950

characteristic,which is expressed in terms of : 1941 945
()socially determined differences between 1951 946
male and female;and
1961 941
(ii) differences in their social roles and
1971 930
behaviour.
1981 934
SOCIAL ASPECTS OF GENDER ROLE 1991 927
There are certain social
2001 933
norms or values that
determine roles expected to be performed by boys 2011 940

142
 Gender Roles in a Community
Stereotypes
A stereotype can be termed as an image or
idea of a particular type of person or thing that has
become fixed through being widely held.
Some examples of prejudices and stereotypes
boy and a in the family
Discrimination between a girl
prevalent in the society regarding boys and girls are
as follows
toplay boys are generallygiven
with. For example,
while girls are given Girls are a burden on their parents.
cars or planes to play with
to the
dolls. These different toys give indication Girls are physically and mentally weak.
have different futures when
children that they will Girls arenot able toplay outdoor games.
they become men and women. Traditionally,
girls
Girls are emotionally weak.

are expected to grow up and

marry, have children,
Girls are full of superstitions.
do the housework and take care of the family. So,
they are brought up to be kind and
gentle. They • Boys arenaughty.
encouraged to learn household chores
are also • Boys are physically and mentally strong.
in order to
and help their mothers in the kitchen
But, our experiences in
enable them to become good housewives and good day-to-day life challenge all
mothers.On the other hand, boys are expected to these stereotypes. For example,
work outside home and earn money to support astronaut Kalpana Chawala
the family. That is why, they are encouraged
to and Sunita Williams cannot
do well in sports and studiesso that they become be considered as physically,

physically strong and mentally sound. Such gender mentally or emotionallyweak.

inequality within a family influencesthe general Many great personalities like
Kalpana Chawala
attitude of the children in a family. the iron lady--Mrs. Indira
Gandhi, Jhansi Ki Rani-Lakshmi Bai, Bachendri Pal,
Table :Literacy Rate in India :1951-2011 Sania Mirza etc. are examples of women who have
Male-Female proved that women are not physically or mentally
Census
Persons Male Female weak.
Year literacy rate gap

1951 18.33 27.16 8.86 18.30

1961 28.30 40.40 15.35 25.05

1971 34.45 45.96 21.97 23.98

1981 43.57 56.38 29.76 26.62

1991 52.21 64.13 39.29 24.84 Jhansi Ki Rani

Indira Gandhi
Sunita Williams
2001 65.38 76.85 54.16 21.70

2011 74.04 82.14 65.46 16.68 Creating Stereotypes that creates

it is our society
Of course,
statements
related to
We hear the
But,such followed in Stereotypes. this, we grow
gender inequality is not Because of
every family.
Many educated familiesencourage stereotypes
constantly.
pattern.
We accept
in a particular
neir girl child for higher studiesand good jobs. up behaving and Girls
as Boys
Growing up
143
 the social norms without even thinking. We also Women and girls have to fetch water, carry heavy

that each one of us must behave headloads of firewood,wash clothes, clean, sweep
start believing
accordingly. In this way, we become fit into a set and pick up loads which involves heavy physical
image. This image is created around us by the work such as bending lifting and carrying.
society. Many household chores like cooking and

create gender cleaning standing

require for long hours in front
Such prejudices or stereotypes
discrimination among the people. Discrimination of hot stoves. Care giving tasks are also very time

refers to the unfair treatment of a person or group consuming. When a family faces any hardship.

the education of the girls is the first thing to get

on the basis of prejudice or stereotype. If we do
not allow girls to take part in certain activities, live affected.
without fear, wear some specific clothes, etc. we are
Gender Roles in Public Places
discriminating against them.
For centuries, a woman is viewed as an object.
Stereotypes destroy peace and hamper progress
This belief has influenced the attitude of people
and development of a region or country. In fact,
towards women. A serious feature of public
they hinder us from looking at special qualities or of
that an increasing number of incidents
of an individual that are different from others
places is
skills
violence against women is taking place these days.
Ultimately, stereotypesaffect all of us very badly.
A woman is subjected to acts of eve-teasing
Gender Roles in Schools and molestation in public places and sexual
Schools are the temples of learning. Children harassment at workplaces.
gatherhere to gain knowledge and develop various
VALUING WOMEN'S WORK
They learn many social behaviours like
skills.

discipline, team spirit, and

co-operation, rules The roles men and women play or the work
regulations in the schools. Though many rules and they do within and outside their home, are not
regulations are same forboys and girls, but some valued equally. They do not have the same status.
rules are different also. For example, school Household work in a family is the prime
uniforms. In addition,textbooks often represent responsibility of a woman which is often not
the gender biased ideology present in the society. considered as work. It is also assumed that this is
The illustrations given in the books often reinforce something that comes naturally to women. So,
gender biased notions. Often teachers give more these works are not considered worthy of being
attention and encouragement to boys than girls paid for. These chores are made invisible and not
like, they give leadership tasks to boys, boys are valued.
made class captains or encouraged for sports More than 80% of the domestic workers in
activities etc. The choice of subjects taught in
urban areas are women. They do a lot of work
school also reinforce traditional rules. Girls are
such as sweeping and cleaning, washing
suggested to take Home Science
clothes and dishes, cooking, looking
whereas Science and Technology are
considered to be predominantly the
subjects for boys. Sufficient
encouragement is not given to girls
in the field of sports and physical
education.

In the villages, girls spend a large

part of their day doing household
chores. They are not considered to Woman doing
household work Woman looking after elderly and sick people
be the breadwinners of the family.

Social Science- POLITICAL SCIENCE::7 144

after young children, elderly or sick people. Here we consider the household work and the
If

also, the wages are low.This is because, domestic work women do outside their home, we find that
work does not have much value. Moreover, despite women spend much more timeworking than men.
the hard work they do, their employers often do They also have much less time for leisure. Apart
not show them much respect. from working outside, they also work in their
homes. Thus, they aredouble burdened with work.

Table: Working Hours Spent by Men and Women Each Week

Women Paid Women Unpaid Women Men Paid Men Unpaid

State (Workhours (Housework per
(Total (Work hours (Housework Men
week) (Total)
per week) hours perweek) per week) hours per week)

Haryana
23 30 38 2

Tamil Nadu 19 35 40 4

INVISIBILITY OF WOMEN'S LABOUR

In most the work done by men and
societies,

women are not valued equally. Women's labour

is often invisible, de-valued and undermined. The

work she does at home is not taken into account.

According toa study, if all activities including
cooking, housekeeping, maintenance of kitchen,
gardensand pantry, grinding foodgrains, collecting
water and firewood, etc. are taken into account,
Jitu Rai
88% of rural women and 66% of urban women can
be considered economically productive. But, their
employment in families, farms or business is not
recognised as economicaly productive.All credit to

generating any income in the family goes to men.

Women are paid less than men for the same kind
Apurvi
of work, even at their work places.But of course,
Chandela
times are changing now.

GENDER EQUALITY
All these facts show the role of gender in
Creating unequal and hierarchical relations in
a society. Although gender inequalities are
still
prevailing in our yet the
society, opportunities
available to women have considerably
Overthe broadened
years. In the present
scenario, women are
not only
competing but also walking with their Abhinav Bindra
headsheld high Sarnobat
in all walks Rahil
of life.

up as Boys and Girls

Growing
145
 Our constitution lays down the principle of has also made it mandatory for
several villages. It

equality. It does not discriminate among people organisations have creche facilities if there are
to
on the basis of gender or sex. But, in reality, this more than 30 women in the organisation. The child
discrimination exists.Our government is trying to care centres and creche facilities enable
Women
understand the reason of this discrimination and to take up work outside their homes without
work for more equality and rights to women. The worrying for their children. It has also facilitated

government also understands that most women more girls to come school who had to earlier
to

cannot go out forwork because they have to look stay at homes to look after the younger ones in tho
after their families. To solve this, the government family.

has set up anganwadis or child care centres in

IMPORTANT WORDS
• Gender: The fact being a male or female.
of
Caregiving : Giving care, looking after and
• Stereotype:A fixed image of any person or thing. nurturing someone.
• Prejudice: An opinion that not based on reason
is •Devalued :Not getting due recognition.
or actual experience. Double-burden : Double load of work,
Breadwinner :A person who earns money to generally used for those women who do both

support family. household chores and work outside.

CONCEPT MAP

Growing Up As Boys and Girls

Gender Roles in a Family Gender Roles in Community

• Parents generally prefer boys over girls.

Even today, there are instances of In schools

female foeticides. In public places
• School uniforms often confirm
Women is viewed as an
They treat boys and girls differently, the traditional gender. While boys
object.
give them different toys to play and wear trousers, girls are made to
support different social behaviour for wear skirts. They are often subject
to violence in public.
both. Leadership activities are assigned
• They face haressment
Generally, girls are supposedto learn to boys.
house hold chores, look after the in their workplaces and
They are encouraged to take part
young ones, marry and take care of in school sports.
public places like bus
the husband and his family. stands, stations, etc.
School textbooks generally have
• Boys are encouraged to go to school, the main character leads as men. They suffer eve-teasing
complete their higher education and and molestation.
• Girls are encouraged to take
do jobs and earn money. They are also
Home Science, while boys take
allowed to play sports and perform
Science, and Technologysubjects.
outdoor activities.

Social Science- POLITICAL SCIENCE::7 146

 EXERCISES
AS PER NEP 2020

I. OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

A. Choose the correct answer. Conceptual Learning Knowledge Application

1 Which one of the following factors refer to the inequalities and relationships between men and women
a society ? in

(a) Sex (6) Gender

(c) Male (d) Female

2. Which one of the following evils is the most challenging social evil of the present age ? Hors

(a) Female foeticides (b) Women's education

(c) Starvation (d) None of these

3. Which one of the following bodies creates stereotypes ?

(a) Government
(b) Society

(c) Non-Government organisations (NGOs) (d) None of these

4. Stereotypes destroy HOrs

(a) peace and progress of the society (6) social evils

(0) religious rigidity (d) none of these

5. Which of thefollowing is/are the example(s) genderdiscrimination in our

of society ?
(a) Parents want a boy rather than a girl child

(b) Some parents are involved in female foeticides

()When a family faces a hardship, the education of the child is the
girl first thing to getaffected
(d) All of these

B.In the columns 'A and 'B'write the names of 3activities, that you generally see the men and
women doing in your surroundings. Conceptual Learning Problem Solving

Column A (Men/Boys) Column B (Women/Girls)

Activity 1. 1.

Activity 2. 2.

Activity 3. 3.

and Girls
Growing up as Boys
147
 Conceptual Learning Problem Solving

C. State True or False

1. Sex is determined biologically.

the
the general attitude of
the family influences
2. Gender inequality within
children in a family.

3. Educated people create stereotypes.

the family.
considered to be the breadwinners of
4. Girls are generally
creating unequaland hierarchical
5. The gender plays a significant role
in

relations in our society.

Critical Thinking
D. Assertion Reason
Assertion (A) and the
two statements are given-one labelled
For question numbers 1 to 4, from the codes (a), (b), (c)
correct answer to these questions
other labelled Reason (R). Select the
and (d) as given below :
the correct explanation of the Assertion.
(a) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is

not the correct explanation of the Assertion.

Both Assertion and Reason are true but Reason
is
(b)

(c) Assertion is true but Reason is false.

(a) Assertion is false but Reason is true.

1. Assertion (A) :Generally,women are not allowed to play sports.

Reason (R) : They are considered physically weak.

2. Assertion (A) :Household jobs have no value.

Reason (R) :Nowadays,women are also joining sports and defence services.

3. Assertion (A) : Women do not go out for work at all.

Reason (R) :Generally,women are paid less than men for the same amount of work.

4. Assertion (A) :Creche facilities take care of children while their mothers are out for Work.

Reason (R) : These facilities have not helped women.

Knowledge Application
II. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. Differentiate between 'sex' and'gender'.S
2. Discusshow a girl child is descriminated against boys in the family.

3. "Girls are physically and mentallyweak". Refute this prejudice with the help of some examples.
4. Explain how you think stereotypes about women affect their right to equality.

III. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS Knowledge Application Critical Thinking

1."The familymakes clear distinction between boys and girls in the family". Justify the statement with the
help of examples.

2. Explain how a society creates stereotypes.

3. What aregender roles in schools ? Explain.

4. Discussabout the gender roles in public.

Social Science- POLITICAL SCIENCE::7 148

 Analysing Critical
IV.PICTURE STUDY
Thinking

The eraph show's literacy rate in India:1951-2011. Study the graph carefully and answer the questions
that follows :

904 Male Female 82.14

76.85
80
70 64.13 65,46

56.38
60 54.16

50 45.96
40.40 39.29
40
29.76
30 27.16
21.97

20 15.35
8.86
10

0
1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

Years

1. Inwhich census year the male literacy rate was highest?

2. In which census year the female literacy rate was lowest ?

3. Calculate the difference between highest and lowest femaleliteracy rate.

4. In which years was the male-femaleliteracy rate gap highest and lowest ?
5. What inference can you draw about the status of femaleliteracy by looking at the graph ?

KnowledgeApplication Experiential Learning

V.COMPARATIVE STUDY

Topic :Gender Inequality working together.

1. Draw or paste a scene where men and women are
Or

Draw or paste the pictures of different types of work performed by men and women.

men and women in early days and today.

2. Compare the role of

women days Role of men and women today

Role of men and in early

Approach
Multidisciplinary
GROUP DISCUSSION Communication
Collaboration
with
Do you agree
an education".
"Poorgirls drop out of school becausethey are notinterested in getting
discussion
on thetopic.
the statement? Divide the class group
into groups and organise a
Growing up
asBoys and Girls

149
 Critical Thinking Communication Collaboration

LIFE SKILLS

Topic :Treating Men and Women Equally.

on "how people discriminate
on the basis of genderr
v
Organise a group discussion
discussion must include questionssuch as
in the class
:
(Also,answer these questions
on your own):

1. Who cooks food in your house ?

in your house?
2. Who brings vegetables
who cleans the utensils ?
3. In the absenceof maid servant,
family ?
4. Who works and earns for the
?
5. Is there any such work which can be performed only by women or only by men
home.
6. Now, completethis table of work performed by your mother and father at

Work done by my mother Work done by my father

WEB LINK Digital Literacy

For more information log on to the following link:

•htp:/lkwww.wikigender.org/index.plhp/Gender-Equality-in-India

Bocial Science-
POLITICAL SCIENCE :7 150
 AS PER

PRACTICE TEST PAPER1*NEP

(Based on Chapters l to 4) 2020

I. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Choose the correct option for each of the following questions:
1. Most countries in the world today have form(s)of government(s).
(a) democratic (b)monarchical (c) dictatorship (d)all
2. In this question, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A)and Reason (R).Mark your
answer as per the codes provided below:
Assertion (A) :The MLAs belonging to the majority party elect their leader who becomes the
Chief Minister on the Governor'sinvitation.

Reason (R):The political party that forms the government is called the opposition party.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanationof A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanationof A.
(c) A is true but R is false.

(d) A is false but R is true.

3. Our Constitution recognisesevery person as :

(a) educated (b)uneducated (c) equal (d) unequal
4. See the picture and read the statements?
(i) It is an essential featureof a democracy.

(i) It is based on the principle of equality.

(ii)It is the base for elections to the government.
all levels of

(iv) It means that all adults in the country are allowed to vote.

What is being talked about in the above sentences ?

(a) Equality before Law (b)Election Commission of India
(c) Universal Adult Franchise (d) Equal Opportunity
5. Which option correctly matches the following columns ?
Column-I Column-II
A. Dengue (i) Communicable disease
B. Cholera
(ii) Non-communicable disease
C. Primary Health Centres (ii) Profit motive
D. Private Health Services (iv) Rural healthcaresystem
(a)A-(ii), B-(i), C-(iv), D-(iii) (b) A-(i), B-(iv), C-(i), D-(i)
(c) A-(iv),
B-(ii), C-(i), D-(i) (d)A-(iii), B-(iv), C-(i), D-(i)
II. Short
Answer Type
Questions
I. List any two
Constitutional provisions for equality.

"As per Rationalised

NCERT Content 2022

151
 Collect Pictures of lgncous, Metamorphic and Sedim
down tha c. in the project fil

in our life. Give reasons

work very slowly to reduce inequality
2. The government initiatives

set up anganwadis
?
3. Why has the government
ministers ? Explain.
4. How do some MLAs become
India ?
the condition of public health services in
5. What is

III. Long Answer Type Questions

1. What is the role of elections in a democracy ? Explain.

government to promote equality ?

2. What steps have been taken by the
over the state executive ?
control
3. How does the state legislature exercise
Do you agree with them ? Support your answex
4. Mention three stereotypes formed against girls.

with examples.

IV. Source Based Questions

that follow:
Read the given paragraph and answer the questions
the nutritional standing
This programme is designed to better
programme has many
of school-age children nationwide. This
advantages :
attending school.
• More poor children have begun enrolling and regularly
they would not return back but now, their
Earlier the children would go home for lunch, generally
attendance has improved.
to feed their children athome during
• mothers were interrupted in their work as they had
Earlier
the day. It is not so now.
because all studentseat together.
• This programme has helped a lot by reducing caste prejudices

1. Which programme is being discussed in the above paragraph ?

(a) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (b) School Chalo Abhiyan
(d) Mid-day Meal Scheme
(c) Kuposhan Mukt Bharat

state in India to launch this scheme ?

2. Which was the first

(b)Tamil Nadu (c) Jharkhand (d) Karnataka

(a) Kerala

3. The name of the programme has been changed to in September 2021, by the

Ministry of Education.
(a) PM-BHOJAN (b) PM-Food Guarantee Yojana
(c) PM-POSHAN (d) PM-Tithi Bhojan Yojana

4. Which of the following is not an advantage of this programme ?

(a) This programme insures equality.

(b) It increasesenrolment of poor children in school.

(c) It improves attendance and regularity of children in school.
(d) The programme supplies free lunches on non-working days for children.

5. Which of the following images is the logo for this programme ?

(a) (b) (c) (d)

u w.wà we

152