Transcript Measuring sex, gender & gender identity Equality and Human Rights Commission, UK.

Measuring sex, gender & gender identity
Equality and Human Rights
Commission, UK
Sex or gender? Definitions
• 'Sex' refers to biological and physiological
characteristics
• 'Gender' refers to socially constructed
roles, behaviours, activities, and
attributes.
Questions used in surveys
• What is your sex? Male or female
• Your gender – are you ... Male, female
• Is the person male or female?
• Rarely there are 3 response categories, e.g.
male, female, other (Census of India)
More definitions
• Gender reassignment – the process of
transitioning from one gender to another
• Trans person – includes transsexual people,
androgyne or polygender people and others
who define as gender variant.
Problems with questions on sex or
gender
• What is being asked for?
• Whose definition?
• Answer categories
Problems with questions on gender
identity
• Transgender added to question on gender or
sexual orientation
• Narrow definition
• Too wordy or difficult to understand
Developing & testing questions
• Focus groups
• Cognitive testing
• Quantitative testing
Focus groups
• Seven groups – four trans & three non-trans
• Obtain views on specific questions &
variants
• General acceptability of asking questions
about gender identity
Cognitive testing
• 16 trans and 16 non-trans interviewees
• Examining the question and answer process
in more detail
• Variations in question wording or answer
categories
Questions on... birth sex
• At birth were you described as...
Please tick one option
– Male
– Female
– Intersex
– I prefer not to say
... Gender identity
• Which of the following describes how you
think of yourself?
Please tick one option
– Male
– Female
– In another way (write-in)
... Gender reassignment
• Have you gone through any part of a process
(including thoughts and actions) to change
from the sex you were described as at birth
to the gender you identify with, or do you
intend to?
(This could include changing your name, wearing
different clothes, taking hormones or having any
gender reassignment surgery)
– Yes (go to next question)
– No (go to end)
... Gender reassignment continued
• Continuing to think about these examples,
which of the following options best applies to
you? Please tick one option
–
–
–
–
–
–
I am thinking about going through this process
I am currently going through this process
I have already been through this process
I have been through this process then changed back
None of the above (write-in)
I prefer not to say
... Trans identity
• Which of the following describes how you
think of yourself? Tick all that apply
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Trans man
Trans woman
Transsexual person
Gender variant person
Cross dressing person
Transvestite person
Intersex person
In another way (write-in)
I prefer not to say
Quantitative testing
• Online survey
• About 10,000 respondents
• Suite of five questions tested: birth sex,
gender identity, gender reassignment (2)
and trans identity
Selected results
• Response rates good – only 18 people
dropped out of the survey
• 100 respondents had gone through any part
of the gender reassignment process
• 15 respondents reported different birth sex
and gender identity
Selected results continued
• Only 4 respondents said that they were
described as ‘intersex’ at birth, while 12
answered ‘I prefer not to say’
• 38 respondents chose to describe themselves
‘in another way’ when asked how they think
of themselves
• Little impact on sex ratios - between 97.8
and 98.1 males per 100 females
Suggested discussion points
• What questions do you use to collect data on
sex or gender?
• Has there been any demand for alternatives?
• Have alternatives been considered and what
was the result?