• at one time the word 'gender' did simply mean the fact of being male or female.
• many languages do not even have an equivalent word for gender for example in Zambia they say Ni muntu bwanji: 'what type of person is it'.
• in the 1970's, sociologists, looking for a word that could be used to describe the way that society has determined the roles and responsibilities of men and women, hijacked 'gender' and gave it a broader meaning.
• the word 'gender' now embraces the socially determined characteristics of men and women and the social organisation of relations between them. This reveals that in all societies it's men who hold the power and have access to the resources.
• women account for over fifty per cent of the world's population, they perform two thirds of the world's work, yet they earn just one tenth of the world's income.
• women are disadvantaged in every area:
  • education
  • health
  • work
  • economics
  • decision making
• it's because women are disadvantaged in every area of society that UN and other organisations have been putting a greater emphasis on the position of women in society. This has led people to believe that 'gender' is only about women.
• both men and women are partners in bringing about change that will benefit not just women, but society as a whole.

NOTE: Find the latest statistics to back up these statements.

See:

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
'Human Development Report'

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
'State of the World's Population' reports

The World Bank report