Learning Outcomes

• Understand the social theory of gender, the hierarchy of gender roles, and other intersections in how they contribute to the attainment of equity.
• Recognize that gender is a vulnerability and an integral element in successfully addressing HIV/AIDs in SubSaharan Africa.
• Ensure that human rights and gender equality are a central part of HIV programming in the workplace in Sub-Saharan Africa

Gender refers to “the widely shared expectation and norms within society about appropriate male and female behaviour, characteristics and roles. Gender refers to the attitudes, feelings, and behaviours that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex. Behaviour that is compatible with cultural expectations is referred to as gender-normative; behaviours that are viewed as incompatible with these expectations constitute gender nonconformity. Gupta adds that gender is a social and cultural construct that distinguishes women from men and also defines how they relate to each other” (Gupta, 2000). Because gender is socially and culturally constructed we are not born with assigned gender roles but they are imparted from one generation to the next. This is done through a process of socialisation which varies by geographical and regional contexts.

Gender affects power, femininity, masculinity, roles, social status, norms, values, responsibilities, expectations, sexuality and division of labour and distribution of resources. These power dynamics that come with gender ar
asymmetrical and create imbalances in relations and this impacts women and men differently. Women have a significant impact on the vulnerability to HIV and AIDs. Gender roles reinforce women’s social status reinforced gender roles typically leave women especially vulnerable to HIV infection and its impacts, but it is also important to recognize that gender roles affect men’s vulnerability as well. Therefore gender is not a static individual identity but must also be viewed as an ongoing social process that changes over time. Sex is a biological marker that you are born with and is universal across the world and does not change over time unless one undergoes a medical intervention