Glossary
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G
- GBV
Gender-based violence (GBV) refers to harmful acts of violence that are directed at an individual based on their gender. GBV is a widespread everyday occurrence across all sectors of society. It is a serious human rights violation and a barrier to development. Women and girls in all their diversity are disproportionately (but not exclusively) affected. The term indicates that violence is rooted in the unequal power relations between the genders, in harmful gender norms and in the resulting experiences of structural discrimination and violence. GBV takes many forms, ranging from sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) to digital violence, harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), child, early or forced marriage, conflict-related sexual violence, and social or structural violence. SGBV occurs in many contexts and means sexual acts that are primarily about power and oppression rather than sexual satisfaction and are imposed or forced on someone against their will or without their consent. Sexual violence covers a broad spectrum and includes sexual harassment, rape and sexual abuse.
- GDP
Gross Domestic Product
- Gender
Gender draws attention to the social implications of gender identity and to the gendered relationships that are influenced by culture and society. The term describes how attributions, behaviours, expectations, attitudes and norms are associated with a specific gender identity. Gender is therefore distinct from sex. It is constructed by society and is therefore context-dependent and capable of change.
- Gender Digital Divide
The gender digital divide refers to the gender divide in access to and use of digital technologies. It is particularly large in low- and middle-income countries: here, 264 million fewer women than men use mobile internet. The digital gender gap does not only affect access and use; it also extends into the areas of digital skills, employment and entrepreneurship in the digital industry.
- Gender equality
Gender equality is a key pillar of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. Gender equality – beyond (theoretical) equal treatment in law – must be understood as a political process. It aims to ensure that people’s diverse interests, needs and priorities are taken into account so that equal treatment is realised in practice. This means that everyone is able to assert their rights, perform their duties and access opportunities on an equal basis. It is about eliminating deep-rooted forms of gender-specific discrimination and enabling political, economic and social participation by all genders based on equal rights.
- Gender identity
Gender identity is the profound, innate and personal conception of oneself as belonging to one gender, several or none. This perceived gender may or may not correlate with the sex assigned at birth. Female, male, trans, non-binary, inter and queer are examples of gender identity.
- Gender ideology
The term “gender ideology” is often used by right-wing populist and anti-feminist movements to discredit advocacy for gender equality, gender mainstreaming or sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Its purpose is to devalue and delegitimise these demands as “ideology”. “Gender” is a concept to which they are collectively hostile. The term “gender ideology” emerged in the 1990s as a counter-response by Catholic groups to the inclusion of “gender” in international negotiations for the first time at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna (1992), the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo (1994) and the World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995).
- Gender roles and stereotypes
Gender roles encompass society’s general expectations relating to the behaviour of specific genders and are culturally mediated. For example, women are often considered to be kind and caring by nature, whereas men are assertive and decisive. Non-compliance with these expectations or demands can often lead to exclusion and discrimination, up to and including hate and death threats. As these tend to be clichéd notions of what it means to be male or female, the term “gender stereotypes” is used.
- Gender-transformative
The purpose of gender-transformative approaches is to bring about sustainable change in the gender inequalities that are the result of patriarchal power relations. To that end, gender norms and binarisms are critically analysed. The approaches aim to raise society’s awareness of the drivers of inequalities in order, on this basis, to transform harmful norms, practices and stereotypes.
- Global North / Global South
The terms “Global North” and “Global South” are not used in a geographical sense, but refer to a country’s privileged or disadvantaged political, economic and cultural status in the global context. For historical reasons, countries of the Global South occupy a socially, politically and economically disadvantaged position within the global system, whereas countries in the Global North are, accordingly, in a favourable position. The terminology also highlights inequality and resulting relationships of dependency. The terms are intended to replace the outdated concepts of “the Third World” and “developing countries”; however, the concepts of “Global North” and “Global South” have also attracted criticism as they are Eurocentric categories.