Gender and Sex

Sex is usually categorized as female or male but there is variation in the biological attributes that comprise sex and how those attributes are expressed.

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender diverse people.

Definition of Gender-

1. Gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men, such as norms, roles and relationships of and between groups of women and men. It varies from society to society and can be changed. 

                      - The world Health Organization(WHO)-

2. Gender is not something we are born with, and not something we have something we do.

                     - West and Zimmerman 1987-

3. Gender is the range of characteristics relating to, and differentiating between, masculine and feminine.

Definition of Sex-

1. Sex refers to the biological distinctions that make us male or female. sex chromosomes, reproductive organs, hormones, secondary characteristics

2. Sex refers to physical or physiological differences between males and females including both primary sex characteristics and secondary characteristics such as height and muscularity.

                           -Male and Female-

3. Males or females considered as a group.

                         -Evelyn Anthony-

•     Gender is a term that refers to social or cultural distinctions associated with being male or female.
•      A person's sex as determined by his or her biology, does not correspond with his or her gender.
•     Therefore, the term sex and gender are not interchangeable.
•     Since we use the term sex refers to biological or physical distinctions, characteristics of sex will not vary significantly between different human societies.                                                                       Ex; All persons of the female sex in general, regardless of culture eventually menstruate and develop breasts that can lactate.