The gender system is expressed in a reality that is treated as normal and predetermined by almost all social institutions – the family, educational institutions, businesses and organisations, media and entertainment, and politics.
At the level of different fields, the gender system in place determines how paid and unpaid work, occupations and professions are divided between the sexes. At the level of human relations and emotional contacts, the gender system is manifested in whether and how the things that are considered feminine and masculine are distinguished and set against each other.
Traditionally, the gender system is expressed in the dominance of the male sex and the lower social status of the female sex. This means that social structures, systems and policies are not gender-neutral, but are based on men’s experiences, without taking into account that women and men do not have the same resources, needs and preferences.
At the level of culture, norms and values, and symbols, it’s possible to analyse how gender identities are defined in culture, what kind of meanings are attributed to them, how gender distinctions and oppositions are represented in speech, language, texts and signs, what the prevailing beliefs and attitudes towards gender are, whether the biological capacity to give birth also determines social relations, etc.
If you feel that you’ve been treated unequally, please contact the Equality Commissioner by e-mail at avaldus@volinik.ee or telephone +372 626 9059. The anonymity of the person is guaranteed when contacting the Commissioner.
