It seems like a rather peculiar question to ask, doesn’t it? The average person would respond that women are girls, females, or perhaps anyone opposite the male gender. Categorically, women are defined as adult female human beings. Biological sex (colloquially referred to as sex) is assigned at birth. Traditionally this sex is regarded as being either male or female. However, as cultures and societies evolve so has the traditional concept of sex assigned at birth, which has been amended to include a set of variations considered as intersex.
When considering the question of who can be classifies as women, intersex plays a vital role as it encompasses a variety of conditions where a person’s anatomy does not fit the typical definition of male and female. Variations can be both internal and external. Intersex variations are a natural occurrence with many people only discovering later in life, sometimes not at all, that they are born with some form of intersex variation.
It was necessary to first understand the abovementioned biological definitions and considerations before we discuss the societal understanding of gender. Gender speaks to societal attitudes, roles and ‘appropriate’ behaviour stereotypically assigned to men and women. We differentiate gender from biological sex because the latter refers to the biological differences between male, female and intersex persons. Historically, gender has been categorised according to the binary concept of male and female which informed identifying as either a man or woman. Before we proceed any further, gender identity is termed as one’s ability as an individual, to identify along a spectrum of gender that may or may not be in alignment with their biological sex assigned at birth.
When considering the question of who can be classifies as women, intersex plays a vital role as it encompasses a variety of conditions where a person’s anatomy does not fit the typical definition of male and female. Variations can be both internal and external. Intersex variations are a natural occurrence with many people only discovering later in life, sometimes not at all, that they are born with some form of intersex variation.
It was necessary to first understand the abovementioned biological definitions and considerations before we discuss the societal understanding of gender. Gender speaks to societal attitudes, roles and ‘appropriate’ behaviour stereotypically assigned to men and women. We differentiate gender from biological sex because the latter refers to the biological differences between male, female and intersex persons. Historically, gender has been categorised according to the binary concept of male and female which informed identifying as either a man or woman. Before we proceed any further, gender identity is termed as one’s ability as an individual, to identify along a spectrum of gender that may or may not be in alignment with their biological sex assigned at birth.
Gender identity finds its foundation in one’s ability to identify, which differs from gender expression that is found on a more individualist approach to how one engages with one’s gender identity and how you express yourself, which varies from person to person. Therefore, gender identity gives a name to your gender and gender expression is your gender’s OOTD. It is vital to note that sexual orientation is separate and different from gender. Sexual orientation denotes the gender to which one is attracted and is removed from the gender with which one identifies. Where sexual orientation is explicitly focused externally, gender is completely internal.
Gender in the binary sense (the way the world primarily defines gender – male or female - with nothing in between), speaks to the socially constructed characteristics of women, men, girls and boys. This social construct includes societally predetermined standards, conduct and positions associated with being either gender including their relationships with each other. The construct is traditionally binary and based on fundamentally sexist ideas regarding the roles men and women play in their communities and society. However, gender can be viewed in a non-binary way, as a spectrum or as expansive.
The intention of this piece is to introduce you to concepts and definitions relating to gender that you will come across not only in this series of writings but in everyday life. Understanding gender as a concept and its various understandings is important when answering the question of who women are, at the conclusion of this written piece, it is safe to deduce that when the TuksRes Women in Leadership Academy refers to women it refers to female human beings who identify as such without discrimination or prejudice.
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