Workshopping Gender

This week I was invited to do a workshop on gender which is always a topic I love and I also find it challenging but inspiring. It was a beautiful experience to be a part of the whole day organized for the lecturers of Hogeschool Rotterdam that was held at New Grounds in Rotterdam - a really cool venue for this time of activity.

Although due to the short time it was a bit of a challenge to dive deeper into the concept of gender also because I think it’s something that is also still changing and evolving. And yet I am very happy that it is a language that we are developing to make the world more inclusive, connected and inspiring. My task was to take a glimpse into the gender concept as a whole.

According to the World Health Organisation gender refers to the characteristics of people that are socially constructed.  This includes norms, behaviours and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy, as well as relationships with each other. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time.

Sex however is a trait that determines an individual's reproductive function, male or female, in animals and plants that propagate their species through sexual reproduction. The type of gametes produced by an organism defines its sex.

I was extremely excited to share this time with the group and to challenge them to seek out more answers or acknowledge their feelings of being overwhelmed or confused. It’s always a great thing to step into a conversation.