Gender is probably the most important social issue in the world today. It affects and influences every aspect of our lives: politics, economics, religion and leisure. People in the 21st Century strongly believed that every project must get the gender dimension right in order to succeed. But what is gender?

Basically, gender is the expectation that people should do or not do certain things according to their sex. Every normal human being is either female or male. This is sex and it is a biological fact. Indeed, sex is the most conspicuous difference between human beings. The moment we look at a person, we can tell whether that person is a man or a woman, a boy or a girl. The question is if society should use this biological difference to tell people what they should or should not do.

Yet, since time immemorial, this is what human communities all over the world have done. Some African societies bring up their boys to believe that men must be fighters, take whatever they want – by force if necessary and never cry. If anyone asks why they should or should not do this and that, the ready answer is always: you are a man, and that’s what men are supposed to do. Girls are told to be gentle and quiet, to obey men, not to climb trees and not to eat certain kinds of food. A girl who asks why she should not climb trees or speak loudly in public is told, you are a woman, and women don’t do that. In other words, society is always telling us what we can do and what we cannot do just because we are men or women.

In most cases, there is no physical or logical reason for a man or a woman to do or not do certain things. Any girl can climb a tree as smartly as any boy. If a boy wants to go into the kitchen and cook, there is no reason why he should not do so. Indeed, some of the best cooks in the world, called ‘chefs’ are men. Yet in some societies, it is a taboo for a man or boy to enter the kitchen. Similarly, some societies do not allow their women to build houses, even work at building sites, whereas in other societies it is indeed the woman’s role to build houses. Gender is thus society’s assigning of roles to people according to their being male or female.

On the face of it, there is nothing wrong with sharing roles – indeed, there are many cases where it is logical to expect that certain people should do or avoid some activities. For example, it would not be safe for a woman in advance stages of pregnancy to go hunting wild animals or grazing livestock many miles away from home. However, this should not be taken as a blanket excuse to declare that all women must not hunt wild animals. The problem is even worse when some people use gender roles to exploit or oppress other people. Men for example, have for a long time invoked gender roles to force women to do certain things and to prevent them from doing things the women may want to do.

This oppressive practice may be called gender imposition, and it may be seen in all aspects of
society.

In social relations, boys and girls are segregated from the earliest years of life. Members of each sex are strictly drilled into what ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ in behaviour, speech, dress and every activity. Boys and girls are told what work they should or should not do, what places they can or cannot go to. What games to play and even what foods to eat or not to eat; just because they are boys or girls. By the time a person is in his or her teens, he or she has learnt – from both example and direct teaching by older members of society – what exactly is expected of him or her as a man or a woman. These gendered roles often suggest that men should lead and command in everything, be ‘tough’ – meaning hard and even cruel – and ‘strong’, which often means aggressive and violent. The women on the other hand, are required to be soft and kind, submissive and unquestioningly obedient to men. Even in public affairs, such as politics or religion, the gendering of roles leads to some curious situations. In some places of worship for example, men and women are strictly separated.

Several denominations do not permit women to preach in public or to be ordained as priests or pastors. Politics is widely regarded as a man’s field. Some societies insist that a woman cannot be a leader, like President or Army commander. The nagging question, which many women and enlightened men are asking today is: Why not?

This is the challenge to the conventional gendering of roles. Is there any logical reason why a man should not change the nappies of his child, or go into the kitchen and cook? Why can a talented woman not become a top soccer or rugby player, or a bishop or a top business executive? Is it fair to prevent people from eating such nutritious foods as chicken and eggs simply because they are women? Should children be denied the right to inherit their parents’ property on the grounds of sex? Is it not pathetic seeing men inflict beastly violence on their wives and children, or one another simply because men are expected to be ‘tough’ and ‘strong’?

To avoid such absurdities, advocates of gender equity demand that sex should not be the main consideration in dealing with people. Assigning roles to people on the grounds of biological differences is a form of evil discrimination, like racism. A more sensible way of dealing with men and women is to take them strictly on the basis of their individual abilities.

A human being is a human being, whether man or woman and each should be given every opportunity to realize his or her full human potential. An enlightened approach to gender equity is suggested by the old English saying “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander”.

Questions
Q1. (a) According to the passage, what is the difference between gender and sex? (2 marks)
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(b) What is gender imposition? (1 mark)
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(c) How are gender roles passed on? (1 mark)
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(d) Add a question tag to the following:
Any girl can climb a tree as smartly as any boy……………………………… (1 mark)

(e) Identify a phrase in the passage that shows that it is not only women who are concerned
with the problems created by gendering of roles. (1 mark)
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(f) In not more than 60 words write a summary on what women are not allowed to do simply
because they are women. (6 marks)
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(g) In not more than three sentences, paraphrase the author’s argument. (3 marks)
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(h) Change the following question into a statement: (1 mark)
Should children be denied the right to inherit their parents’ property on the grounds of sex?
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(i) What is the meaning of the following: “What is good for the goose is good for the gander.”
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(j) Explain the meaning of the following as they are used in the passage. (3 marks)
(i)Segregated
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(ii)Absurdities
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(iii)Blanket excuse
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Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow.
The envelope had been addressed to Mark who opened it, read the letter and passed it
to her.

“At least she is from the country,” he said sounding a bit odd. She looked at him and
then lowered her eyes to the letter. It was characteristically Aoro – brief and to the point.
She felt kind of sorry for Mark. First there had been Becky who had left home
unceremoniously only to return with a white man in tow. A very nice man but apparently not
nice enough for Becky. He had found out that she was having an affair during his trips
abroad and had sued for a divorce. Now she was living alone with the children, financially
well off, but unhappy. It was one thing to enjoy the thrills of an affair, but a different thing
altogether to have a carte blanche to do exactly as you pleased. John had been terribly hurt
of course and Mark had been furious with her.

Then Tony had joined priesthood – Mark resisted it at first but recently, during
Tony’s ordination he had been full of pride for his son – whose face had shone with joy and
youthful dedication.

Vera’s case had been the hardest to accept. Mark thought of the world of Vera, and
deferred to her in everything. Then she had arrived home one day and declared that she
wanted to join the Catholic Prelature of Opus Dei as a non-marrying member. It didn’t help
that Mark had never heard of Opus Dei and could not understand why Vera could not marry.
But he had eventually accepted because he loved her. Because she looked so happy, so
radiant. Anything that could bring such joy and serenity could not be that bad. It was a pity
though that she did not wear a veil or a habit. That way he could at least have bragged about
her a little to his friends. His children were a source of great envy to his less lucky friends.
Vera for one was a fully qualified electronics expert and had a lucrative job in the city with a
large salary and all sorts of benefits. Women like that tended to marry the most amazing
wimps and Mark had held his breath in fear. But in the end all Vera wanted was to dedicate
her life and her work to God, and there was no turning her back.

So Elizabeth secretly hoped that Aoro would bring home a nice girl – naturally a Luo
like himself – who would proceed to have many children – all of ordinary black colour.
She had heard the farm – hand greeting them, and soon afterwards saw the pair
walking through the gate and up to the house. The girl was brown and very slim with long
black hair. Elizabeth noted her large earnest eyes as she looked at her son and in a typically
Elizabeth manner made up her mind immediately about the girl.

Questions
(a) What happens before this excerpt? (3 marks)
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(b) “At least she is from the country.” Who is the ‘she’ referred to in this excerpt? (1 mark)
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(c) “She felt kind of sorry for Mark.” Make notes on why Elizabeth feels sorry for Mark.
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(d) Identify two instances of irony in this excerpt. (4 marks)
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(e) It is apparent that Mark is uncomfortable with the choices made by his children. Cite
evidence in this excerpt to support this statement. (2 marks)
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(f) Describe the character of the following in this excerpt. (4 marks)
(i) Mark
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(ii) Becky
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(g) Mention and illustrate one theme in this excerpt. (2 marks)
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(h) “First there had been Becky who had left home unceremoniously only to return with a
white man in tow.” (Rewrite beginning: Not only ………………..) (1 mark)
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(i) What was the content of the letter that Mark had received? (3 marks)
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(i) Elizabeth made up her mind about the girl. What did Elizabeth conclude? (1 mark)
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Read the Poem below and answer the questions that follow:
The Twist
In a little shanty town
Was on a night like this

Girls were sitting down
Around the town
Like this

Some were young
And some were brown
I even found a miss

Who was black and brown
And really did
The twist

Watch her move her wrist
And feel your belly twist
Feel the hunger thunder
When her hip bones twist

Try to hold her, keep her under
While the juke box hiss
Twist the music out of hunger
On a night like this

a) What is the poem about? (3 marks)
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f) What are the achievements of the persona on this night? (2 marks)
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g) Explain the meaning of:
i) …… a miss (who was brown and black). (1 Marks)
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ii) Twist the music out of hunger. (1 Marks)
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Rewrite each of the following sentences according to the instructions given after each.
(i) We did not know that he was a thief. (Rewrite beginning: Little……)
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(ii) My father would not allow us to go out at night under any circumstances.
(Begin: Under ……………)
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(iii) She does not like either of them. (Rewrite to end …………………. by her)
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Fill in the blank spaces with the correct preposition.
(i) The doctor put me ________________________these drugs.
(ii) Wife beaters have scant regard ______________________ women.
(iii) During the match between the national team and the visiting team, the field was
filled __________________ capacity.

Use the correct form of the word in brackets to fill in the blank spaces.
(i) Her _______________________ (deceive) cost her two million US dollars.
(ii) The minister was impressed by the ______________________ (keen) with
which the students carried the experiment.
(iii) The teacher punished the student for __________________(spell) the word.

Give two possible meanings for the following sentence.
Flying planes can be dangerous.
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Rewrite the following sentences in direct speech.
(i) The girls exclaimed that Miss Kenya was a beautiful lady.
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(ii) The teacher told Juma to go where she was.
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Fill in the blanks with the correct alternative from the choices given.
(i) The girl _____________________ her clothes yesterday. (hung/hanged)
(ii) The Chef _____________________ the mats on the table before serving the food.
(lay/laid)