Gender refers to a set of socially constructed behaviors, expectations and identities associated with belonging to a particular sex. It can mean masculine or feminine gender, as well as non-binary and fluid identities. Gender is distinct from biological sex and reflects a multitude of ways in which individuals perceive themselves and are perceived in society.

  • Biological sex: Biological sex is determined on the basis of our body's sex characteristics (chromosomes, hormones, genitalia, gonads and gametes). Gender identity and gender expression can be expressed independently of biological sex.
  • Gender identity: Gender identity is what we feel, it is the intimate and personal experience of one's gender deeply lived by each and every one of us (I feel male, I feel female, I feel neither, I feel both, I feel alternately female and male, or of another gender). This gender identity may or may not coincide with the gender assigned at birth.
  • Gender expression: Gender expression refers to the way in which a person manifests their gender identity through behavior, clothing, gestures and other forms of non-verbal communication. Gender expression can conform to societal expectations linked to the sex assigned at birth or, on the contrary, defy these norms, reflecting the diversity of gender identities.

 

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