Summary of Study Session 3

In Study Session 3, you have learned that:

1. Sex is a natural attribute that identifies a person as male or female. Gender is a social attribute ascribing some characteristics or norms and modes of behaviour to men and women.
2. Traditional gender roles result in men and women not being treated equally even though they have the same human rights.
3. Gender inequality is a major issue in WASH. Women are usually responsible for fetching water and inadequate sanitation has greater impact on them than men, and yet they are excluded from decision-making processes.
4. In Ethiopia, gender mainstreaming is government policy, but this has not had a significant impact in practice.
5. Women’s empowerment means enabling women in a number of ways to overcome gender discrimination and take control of their lives.
6. Monitoring is important for assessing changes in gender equality. Both quantitative and qualitative data are needed but gender-related data is often lacking.