Doing gender

Understand what gender is.

A person's 'sex' is determined by whether they are born male or female, but 'gender' is socially learned behaviour. We learn how to do our 'masculinity' or our 'femininity' through messages we get from our family, school, television, films and sport.

What is considered to be 'acceptable' masculinity and femininity varies at different times, in different cultures and different countries.

Think and talk about the different ways of being boys or girls.

We should be free to do our gender in ways that are most healthy and honest for each of us. 'Acceptable' or popular ways of doing gender might not be right for us.

Talk about what it means to be a boy and what it means to be a girl.

Think about who should decide what is the best way to behave.

Question people's attitudes to behaviours.

Don't accept the attitude that boys need to be tough and strong and girls should be meek and mild.

Challenge people who tell you that you shouldn't do something just because you are a boy or a girl.

Challenge gender violence.

If boys are often expected to be strong and dominant and girls are expected to be soft and compliant, how do you think this affects how we behave and are treated?

Some boys feel that they have no alternative other than to follow the stereotypical masculine image, even when this means being aggressive and harassing and putting-down girls and other boys.

Let people know that these behaviours are forms of gendered violence.

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