Ann-Maree Nobelius Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University Australia

1. Gender Competency Training for Medical Educators28th of April 2003Introduction to Programme and Concepts Ann-Maree Nobelius Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University Australia

2. First order of business… Please tell me what these two concepts mean to you: • ‘gender’ • ‘a gender perspective in medicine’

3. Aims of the session… • Difference between sex and gender • Evidence of difference • Clinical consequences of difference • Gender analysis skills • Dealing with resistance • Q&A

4. Programme

5. Presenters • Ms Ann-Maree Nobelius • Ms Jo Wainer • Dr Kaye Birks • Dr Sudesh Arora • Ms Mary Samuhel

6. Definitions • What is the difference between sex and gender? • Sex = male and female • Gender = masculine and feminine

7. Sex refers to biological differences; chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs. • Gender describes the qualities that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine.

8. a real ‘man’, ‘masculine’ or ‘manly’ or a female a real ‘woman’, ‘feminine’ or womanly in one culture may be very different to another • ‘woman’ = female + feminine social role • ‘man’ = male + masculine social role

9. Misunderstandings… • resistance from staff demonstrated the need for training and clarification • ‘gender’ does not mean sex, female or feminism • ‘a gender perspective in medicine’ is not a euphemism for women’s health, feminism or for men needing to ‘get in touch with their feminine side’ • there are times when it is impossible to differentiate the biological from the social determinants of health; convention dictates the use of ‘gender’ rather than ‘sex’ in those cases • misuse of terms is widespread

10. A gender perspective in medicine is multidimensional…because all players in the healthcare process have a gender So from the patient’s perspective • gender perspective in medicine simply acknowledges the differential roles that masculinity and femininity play in men’s and women’s health From the providers perspective • a gender perspective acknowledges the ways in which the gender of the provider impacts on the health care event

11. From an educational perspective • identifies the gendered nature of medical education/texts/teaching styles From an evidence based perspective • acknowledges the clinical consequences of gender blind medical research and the resulting medical evidence …and the list goes on.

12. What does mainstreaming mean? Mainstreaming • mainstreaming a gender perspective in medicine therefore means acknowledging where difference is important throughout the entire curriculum and teaching process and providing balance where needed We are going to focus on the perspectives that are most pertinent to your teaching right now.