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GENDER 1
EQUALITYUnit

1 Critical cartoons
A Building knowledge
Work with a partner or in small groups. Discuss the questions below.

1
2
3
4

Has a woman been the leader of your country or of a major company in your country?
What jobs are commonly done by women in your country? How about men? Why?
What is the message of the cartoon?
Do you think opportunities for women are equal to those for men in your country? Why or why not?

Media link
Erin Brockovich is a movie about a single mother (played by Julia Roberts)
who while working as a legal assistant tries to bring down a California
power company accused of polluting a city’s water supply.
For online resources and videos, go to www.cambridgeinfocus.org

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UNIT 1

2 Core vocabulary
A Scanning and skimming
1 Find and underline the keywords in the text. Try to guess their meanings.
Keywords
authority
discrimination
distribution
dominant
ethicaljustification
motivescenario
traditionallyunstable

The Iron Lady
5

10

15

20

25

What would happen if more women were in positions of
power? Would governments be any different if women had
the authority to start wars, set economic policy, and run
countries? In 1979, Margaret Thatcher took power in the United Kingdom. She belonged to apolitical party that was traditionally run by white males. Many of its party members believed thatwomen belonged in the kitchen and not in the government. Thatcher overcame discrimination in
her own political party to become its first female leader. She then went on to become Britain’s
first female prime minister and was a dominant political force in the 1980s.
Her first major test came in 1982, when the Argentinian military attacked some small islands
claimed by both countries. These were the Falkland Islands, known as the Malvinas in Argentina.
Though Argentina had many motives for the attack, it is possible that it thought a woman would
be less likely to go to war. Its generals felt that the most likely scenario was for Thatcher to go to
the United Nations. They were wrong. The prime minister sent the British military to retake theisland and it defeated the Argentinean forces.
Two years later, Thatcher began some of the most controversial policies in British history. When
she took power, Britain’s economy was unstable and there were many problems. Some industries
needed support from the government because they were losing money. But she thought thattaxing rich people and giving the money to other people was like stealing and not ethical. She
did not support the government’s role in income distribution. This led to her fighting many battles
with the labor unions. She closed or sold many of the weaker companies. Her justification wasthat support for dying industries hurt the country’s economic growth. Naturally, this resulted in
the loss of many jobs. Although the economy finally began to improve, many British working
people grew to hate the “Iron Lady,” as she became known.
So was Margaret Thatcher’s government different because she was a woman? If she is a good
example of a female politician, it seems true to say that a politician’s actions are influenced moreby his or her beliefs than being male or female.

2 Read the titles below. Which would also be a good title for the text?
Circle A, B, or C.

A Britain’s First Female Prime Minister
B Margaret Thatcher and the Unions
C Margaret Thatcher’s Economic Policies
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UNIT 1B Words in context: definitions
1 Look at the definitions of the three keywords below. Find the definition that matches howeach word is used in the text on page 2.
distribution

1 the process of giving things out to people, or spreading or supplying
something

2 the way in which people or things are spread out in a place
unstable

1 describes someone who suffers from sudden and extreme changes ofmental state

2 not firm and therefore not strong, safe, or likely to lastauthority

1 an expert on a subject
2 a group of people with official responsibility for a particular area of activity
3 moral or legal right or ability to control

2 Make your own sentences using the keywords and compare them with a partner. Whichmeanings does your partner use?

1
2
3

C Vocabulary building: etymology

Example: justification

Words with just or ju
judge

jury

justicejustification

unjust1 Use the words in the box to complete the sentences below.
1 Maria tried to2345

etymology
the origin and history ofa word or words, or the
study of word origins

her poor performance in thetennis tournament by blaming her new coach.
There was nofor his rude behavior.
Many people consider that Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment wasThurgood Marshall was the first African-American Supreme CourtA
can have as few as six or as many as 12 members.

.
.

2 Work with a partner. What do you think just/ju means? Write your guess below. Thencheck your answer with another partner.

I think just/ju means.

D Discussion dictation
1 Listen and write down the questions. Then discuss them in small groups.
12
3

2 Form new groups and compare your answers.
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UNIT 1

3 Reading skills
A Pre-reading questions
1 Why are there so few women in positions of power in the world? Suggest two reasons.
2 Which of the following countries do you think has the largest proportion of femalecompany directors: the United States, Germany, or Norway?

B ReadingRead the text and check your answers to the pre-reading questions
above. Then highlight an interesting idea in each paragraph.

What If Women
Ruled the World?
In most countries, women are poorly represented inpositions of leadership and authority. In government,
for example, there are relatively few women and only
one country, Rwanda, has had a majority of females
5 in the national parliament. Developed countries areoften far down on the scale of female representation ingovernment. Of 188 countries, Britain ranks 58th, with
23 percent, and the United States 79th, with 18 percent.
In Asia, South Korea comes 87th, with 16 percent, and10 Japan 122nd, with only 8 percent female representation.

llyelderly, they are traditionallyprovement in the areas
more likely to push for improvementof social welfare and education. Similarly, as more
frequent victims of discrimination than men, womentend to be more sympathetic to minorities and theoppressed. As mothers and grandmothers, women
usually take a long-term view and consider thewelfare of future generations. With climate change
threatening an unstable future, this long-term view isexactly what is needed in leadership.

Women’s representation in corporate boardrooms
is no better: men are again dominant. In the UnitedStates, only 12 percent of board members are women.
In Europe, this is often lower: in Germany, 11 percent,
15 Britain, 9 percent, and in Italy, 4 percent. South Korea’s
figure is 2 percent and Japan’s 1 percent. Only in
Norway does the number exceed 30 percent.

Third, women are often more likely than men to havepeace as a motive. Mothers, who make a huge investmentin their children, are less willing to send those children
to war. Figures show that as many as 175 million people
died in wars and revolutions in the twentieth century.
Would this number be as shockingly high if women had
held more positions of political power?

The relatively high figures for Rwanda and Norway
can be explained by the fact that in these countries,
20 there are laws that require a minimum percentage ofwomen in government and business. On the face ofit, the justification for laws such as these is fairness,but are there any other reasons to encourage greater
participation of women in positions of power? There
25 are five reasons for the answer to this question beinga clear yes.
First, when choosing the best people for government,
management, or any other field, it makes sense tohave the widest possible choice. The United States and
30 China win most Olympic medals largely because they
can recruit from the largest populations. Since womenmake up half the population, it makes sense to draw
on their talents to the same degree as those of men.
35

Second, the background and experience of womenmean that they have insights that are often lacking
in men. As the primary caregivers to children and the

40

45

50

Fourth, women have a stronger tendency than men to
avoid risk and pursue compromise. The financial crisis 55
of 2008 was largely due to risk taking on the partof male financial managers. Had the world’s fourthlargest investment bank been Lehman Sisters insteadof Lehman Brothers, would we have experienced the60same scenario?
Finally, women are often superior managers to men.
As the main caregivers and managers of family affairs,
women have to be highly organized. They are natural
multitaskers. These skills are exactly what are required
to successfully manage a company or public policy.

65

For all these reasons, it is time that the distributionof power in the world shifted in favor of women tobetter reflect their numbers in the population. This is
the right thing to do, not just for ethical reasons, butalso because it will result in a better world for all.

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UNIT 1C Understanding the text
Read the questions below and circle the correct answers according to the text.

1 GIST What is this text mainly about?
A Women and discrimination
B Women and power
C Women and politics
2 MAIN IDEA Which of the following statements best describes the main idea of the text?
A Women face discrimination in all areas of life.
B It is a fact that women are more capable than men in all areas.
C There are several good reasons for giving women more power.
3 DETAILS There are more female company board members in Norway because . . .
A Norwegian law requires a certain proportion of women.
B Norway has more educated women than other European countries.
C Norwegian women are powerful.
4 DETAILS If more women were in power, there would be fewer wars because . . .
A women are better managers than men.
B women are more interested in education and welfare than men.
C women as mothers do not want their children to be killed.

D Paraphrasing

paraphrasing

The statements below paraphrase the author’s points of view.
In each case, identify the paragraph that best matches thestatement.

stating something spoken
or written in a shorterand simpler form

1 As mothers and daughters, women often have a greater understanding of welfare issues.
2 Women’s experience in household management makes them better candidates forleadership in government and business.

3 Wealthy countries have surprisingly few women in executive positions in business.
4 To find the best people possible, candidates should be selected on merit.
5 Men take more unnecessary risks than women and therefore women makebetter leaders.

6 Wealthy countries have surprisingly few women in government. Fairness is only one
reason women should be more represented in society.

7 Women as leaders are less likely to engage in conflicts.

E Making inferences
Which one of the following statements by Margaret Thatcher would the author of the text
most strongly agree with? Circle the correct answer. Then compare your answers with apartner.

1 “The battle for women’s rights has been largely won.”2 “Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding
the problems of running a country.”

3 “In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.”
4 “I’ve got a woman’s ability to stick to a job and get on with it when everyone else walks off andleaves it.”Going beyond the text
Work with a partner or in small groups. Ask and answer the questions below.
1 Look back at the ideas you highlighted. Are they the same? What are the differences?
2 The author describes improvements in some areas of life if more women occupied
positions of power. What other things would be different if women had more power?
3 Are there any roles or types of job that should be performed only by women or only
by men?
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UNIT 1

4 Researching a topic
A Information gathering
The Global Gender Gap Index is an indicator of the level of gender equality in a country.
The index goes from 0 to 1. A score of 1 means women and men are equal. Work with apartner. One is Student A; one is Student B. Student A: use the chart below. Student B: use
the chart on page 98. Ask your partner for the missing information and complete the chart.
Global Gender Gap Index (total of 136 countries)
Rank

Country

Score

Rank

Country

Score

34

Argentina

0.72

3

Norway0.84

62Brazil0.69

135

Pakistan

0.55

Canada

5

0.78

69

China

0.69

127

Saudi Arabia

2

Finland

0.84

58

Singapore

0.87

111

South Korea

0.64

India

0.66

4

Sweden0.81

98

Indonesia

0.66

66

Tanzania

0.69

6

Ireland

0.78

65

1

Japan

0.69
Turkey16

Lesotho

0.75

109

102

Malaysia

0.65

18

Mexico
121

0.59

23

Nepal

0.61

United Arab Emirates

0.64
0.74

United States

136

0.74
0.51

Source: World Economic ForumB Interpreting and reporting results
1 Work in small groups. Discuss the questions below.
1234What trends in the data can you identify?
What unexpected data did you find? Give reasons for your answers.
Do you think it is possible for a country to achieve a score of 1? Give reasons.
The Global Gender Gap Index considers four areas: economic participation, education,
health, and politics. Which do you think is most important? Why?

2 Share your group’s ideas with the class.
There is a clear correlation
between . . . and . . .

In our view, it would only
be possible to . . . if . . .

We were really surprisedthat . . . because . . .

One possible reason
for this is . . .

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UNIT 15 Critical thinking
A Fact or assumption?
Below is part of a speech by a senior female politician. Work with a partner and decide if
her promises are based on facts (F) or assumptions (A).

1
2
3First, I promise to make two years of university education free for everyone.
Our investment in education for our young people today is an investment
in a rich future tomorrow.
Second, I promise to reduce the size of the armed forces. The Cold War
is over, and we have no obligation to become the world’s police force.
Finally, I promise to manage the national budget efficiently. As a motherand household manager, I am an expert on budgets.

B Mind map
Work in small groups. Below is a mind map showing the possible consequences of women
having more power. Add your own ideas to the mind map. Add boxes as necessary. You
may want to refer back to the text on page 4.

Women in power
Different insights from men

1
Experienceascaregivers

1
Experienceofdiscrimination

Improvement

Sympathetic
to minorities

More funding
for schools
and welfare
facilities

Passing laws
to makediscriminationillegalin education
and welfare

Peace as a motive

C Writing
The mind map has notes for three topic sentences:
1 Women often have different insights from men.
2 Women are more likely than men to have peace as a motive.
3 Women have a stronger tendency than men to avoid risk.

Avoidance of risk

topic sentence
A sentence that explains
the main idea or ideas of aparagraph. It is often the first
sentence of the paragraph.

Each of these parts might correspond to a paragraph in a short essay on women in power.
Choose one topic sentence from your completed mind map and write an outline for aparagraph. An example is shown below.
Topic sentence Women often have different or better insights than men.
Main point 1
One reason for women’s different insights is that they often have experienceas caregivers.
DetailThis can lead to improvement in education and welfare.
ExampleAn example of this improvement is more funding for schools and welfare
facilities.

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UNIT 1

D Discussion
Norway is a progressive country when it comes to gender equality. Norway also has these
two laws:
1 Forty percent of the directors of public companies in Norway must be women.
2 Women can be drafted into the Norwegian military in the same way as men.

1 A new government wants to pass similar laws in your country. Work in small groups.

Group A: think of reasons to support the proposed laws. Group B: think of reasons tooppose the proposed laws. Choose A or B. Use the chart to help you organize your ideas.
Things to consider
Proposed new law

In favor

Against1 Forty percent of the

EconomyEffect on company staff
Fairness
Gender equality
Talent pool

Government control
ExpenseFairness
Implementation issues
Selection made on genderversus talent

2 Women can be drafted

Fairness
Equality
Talent pool

Gender differences
Effect on military
Effect on men and costdirectors of publiccompanies must be
women.

into the military and fightin the same way as men.

2 Form new groups. Students from Group A should

join students from Group B. Share your ideas.
Ask follow-up questions and explain your reasoning.

We think the mostimportant thing toconsider is . . .

One positive/negative
effect of this new law
would be . . .

A factor that we must thinkcarefully about is . . .

We believe there are twomain reasons for supporting
this law. One is . . .

Listening
Remember to listen carefully
to what the other person says.
If you only think about what you are goingto say, you will miss the important partsof a discussion. We learn by listening tothe other side of the argument. It’s also
important to show the speaker you arelistening. Make eye contact and provide
regular feedback to show you understand,for example by nodding or using short
expressions, such as I see or uh-huh.

3 Who has the strongest arguments? Vote on each proposal as a class. Would the proposals
succeed or fail in becoming law?

Quotable Quotes

Final thoughts . . .

We’ve begun to raise daughters more likesons . . . but few have the courage to raise
our sons more like our daughters.
Gloria Steinem
American journalist and social activist

1 Explain the quote in your own words. Does it need courage
to do what Gloria Steinem suggests?

2 What are some ways girls and boys are raised differently inyour country?

3 Should parents raise girls and boys differently? Why or why not?
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