The sex that our children are born with influences their chances in life, alongside a number of other important variables such as socio-economic class or caste, race, or ethnicity and disability. The biological differences become vital only when children reach puberty, but social roles are assigned from the moment of their birth. Different societies assign different roles, attributes and opportunities to girls and boys. They are socialised to perform the roles expected from people of their society, based on the ideas in each society how women and men should or should not behave.

Sex refers to the biological differences between women and men that are universal and don’t change. For example, only women can produce.

Gender refers to the social differences and relations between girls and boys, women and men that are learned and vary widely within and between cultures. They also change over time and from one generation to another. For example in many cultures women take care of children but men too have started looking after their children.

Gender equality or equality between women and men refers to the equal rights, responsibilities, treatment, opportunities and evaluation of women and men at work place and in relation between work and life.

By Walakira Nyanzi, a writer with Ultimate Media

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