A GLOSSARY ON FEMINISM FOR THE ENGLISH CLASS
By Pilar Aznar Cabot, English teacher at IES Lloixa in Sant Joan d’Alacant (Spain)
This is a list of, words and phrases, with their corresponding definitions which can be taught in the English class in order to provide our students with a basic vocabulary on the topic.
This terms have been compiled from the following websites:
https://eige.europa.eu (website of the European Institute for Gender Equality)
https://trainingcentre.unwomen.org
- Discrimination against women
Treating women differently from men in a way which
prevents them from enjoying their rights. Discrimination can stem both from law
or from practice.
- Double standards
It means that the criteria used to evaluate and
regulate women often differ from those for men, benefiting the latter.
- Emancipation of women
Process by which women have been striving to liberate
themselves from the authority and control of men and traditional power
structures, as well as secure equal rights for women, remover gender discrimination
from laws, institutional and behavioural patterns, and set legal standards to
promote their full equality with men.
- Empowerment of women
The process by which women gain power and control over
their own lives and acquire the ability to make strategic choices. Women’s
empowerment has five components: women’s sense of self-worth; their right to
have and to determine choices; their right to have access to opportunities and
resources; their right to have power and control their own lives; and their
ability to influence the direction of social change to create a more just
social and economic order.
- Equal opportunities for women and men (Equality between women and men)
Absence of barriers to economic, political and social
participation on grounds of sex and gender.
- Equal pay for work of equal value (Equal remuneration of women and men)
Equal pay for work to which equal value is attributed,
without discrimination on grounds of sex or marital status.
- Equal sharing of domestic responsibilities
Women and men equally sharing care tasks in the family
as well as tasks relating to all aspects of household work.
- Feminism
Social and political movement and commitment to change
the position of women and promote gender equality.
- Gender bias
Prejudiced actions or thoughts based on the
gender-based perception that women are not equal to men in rights and dignity
- Gender discrimination
Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the
basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the
recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women of human rights and fundamental
freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other
field.
- Gender equality
Equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of
women and men.(Opposite: gender inequality)
- Gender gap
Gap in any area between women and men in terms of
their levels of participation, access, rights, remuneration or benefits.
- Gender parity
Equal contribution of women and men to every dimension
of life, whether private or public.
- Gender quotas
Positive measurement instrument aimed at accelerating
the achievement of gender-balanced participation and representation. It
establishes a defined proportion (percentage) or number of places or seats to
be filled by or allocated to women and/opr men.
- Gender roles
Social and behavioural norms which, within a specific
culture, are widely considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a
specific sex.
- Gender stereotypes
Preconceived ideas whereby females and males are
arbitrarily assigned characteristics and roles determined and limited by their
gender.
- Gender violence (Violence against women)
All acts of gender-based violence that result in, or
are likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm or
suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary
deprivation of liberty.
- Glass ceiling
Artificial impediments and invisible barriers that
militate against women’s access to top-decision making and managerial positions
in an organisation, whether public or private.
- Pay gap
Difference between the earnings of female and male
employees.
- Sexual harassment
Form of gender-based violence encompassing acts of
unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature, which have
a purpose or effect of violating the victim’s dignity and creating an
intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
