Give each participant a numbered card. Place the MAN and WOMAN place cards in two comers of the room. Ask the participants to decide whether the activity shown in their card is usually done by MEN or WOMEN in our society.
As each number is called, the participant must explain their card to the others, and then go to the MEN or WOMEN comer of the room.
Now introduce the ALL card and explain that there are more than two gender identities, even though society usually acknowledges only MAN and WOMAN.
Keep the ALL card on the third corner of the room. Tell the participants that they can shift to that corner if it applies to their card.
Those who do not shift are invited to explain their point of view in the bigger
group. The participant can move to the third corner if they change their mind.
Thank the participants, collect the cards, and ask them what they learnt.
This game is to think about how people are more the same than different. Even though we look different, apart from very few things specific to biology, most activities can be done by everyone.
But society focuses on our differences and has different expectations from MEN and WOMEN. These expectations are continuously reinforced in the family, society, culture and religions.
The word Gender refers to these unequal social expectations. Socially created differences are not fixed. That is why Gender roles change in time, culture, even family to family.
Stereotyped division of Gender roles creates pressures on everyone:
MEN are expected to be physically stronger, bear all the responsibility for earning, and have careers in engineering, medicine or the army. They are valued more in our society
WOMEN are expected to pay attention to their physical beauty, get married, look after the home and children. They are valued less in our society
We can create a society that is more accepting, so that people can do what makes them happy while sharing responsibilities equally.
For example, in a typical family, wherever Men share the burden of housework, just as Women share the burden of earning, they lead more fulfilling lives.