Gender Studies MCQs - 2025

Feminist perspectives distinguish themselves by prioritizing gender as a key lens for analyzing social structures (A). Options B and C are flawed assumptions not representative of mainstream feminist thought.

Black feminism (e.g., Kimberlé Crenshaw) highlights intersectional oppression (race + gender) (B), making D the most inclusive answer.

The Hudood Ordinances (A, 1979) criminalized extramarital sex (zina), disproportionately affecting women. Activists like Asma Jahangir campaigned against these laws.

Obaid-Chinoy (B) is an Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker (Saving Face, A Girl in the River), though her work intersects with activism (C).

The GDI (A) compares gender gaps in health/education, GEM (B) assesses political/economic participation, and HDI (C) includes gender disparities in its calculations.

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) refers to any harmful act directed at an individual based on their biological sex or gender identity. It includes violence against women, girls, men, boys, and people of diverse gender identities, though it disproportionately affects women and girls.

• A) is too narrow — GBV includes more than just violence by men against women.

• B) is also narrow and misleading.

• C) self-directed violence (like self-harm) is not typically categorized as GBV.

• D) correctly captures the definition — GBV is rooted in power imbalances and gender norms.

Thus, D is the most accurate and comprehensive answer.

Each of the options A, B, and C has indeed been central to feminist theorizing:

• A) Male domination in society – A foundational concern in feminist theory, especially in early liberal, radical, and socialist feminism.

• B) The gendered character of knowledge – Explored deeply by feminist epistemologists like Sandra Harding and Donna Haraway, who question objectivity and androcentrism in knowledge production.

• C) The experience of Black women – Central to Black feminism and intersectionality, particularly highlighted by scholars like bell hooks and Kimberlé Crenshaw.

Since all of the options have been central themes, the correct choice is D) All of these — meaning none of them is excluded from central feminist theorizing.

Betty Friedan’s 1963 book (B) sparked second-wave feminism by critiquing domestic gender roles.

While MDG 3 promoted gender equality, specific political participation targets were introduced later in the SDGs (2015).

"Gender roles" (C) refer to socially constructed expectations (e.g., "men should be assertive"), while "sex roles" (B) describe biological functions.

Rebecca Walker (B, daughter of Alice Walker) coined the term in 1992, emphasizing intersectionality and inclusivity, unlike Friedan’s second-wave focus (A).

Simone de Beauvoir’s 1949 work (D) laid the foundation for modern feminism with the famous line: "One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman."

Gender shapes trafficking (A, mostly women), refugee care roles (B), and trade’s impact on women workers (C), making (D) correct.

Gender mainstreaming integrates gender perspectives into policies, leading to efficiency (A), effectiveness (B), and accountability (C) in achieving equality goals.

Roe v. Wade (A) established the constitutional right to abortion in 1973. Planned Parenthood v. Casey (B, 1992) later modified but upheld Roe’s core ruling. The other cases addressed contraception rights.

Radical feminism (B) values personal narratives to challenge patriarchy, unlike liberal feminism’s focus on legal equality or socialist feminism’s class analysis.

Gendered toy preferences (C) are learned, not innate. Option B is biological, while A reflects systemic inequality (not a construct itself).

"Sex" denotes biological traits (A). "Gender" covers social/psychological aspects (C), while B is unrelated.

The 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, the first women's rights convention in the U.S., was primarily organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton (C) and Lucretia Mott. Susan B. Anthony (A) became prominent later, while Sojourner Truth (B) and Alice Paul (D) were key figures in abolition and suffrage movements, respectively.

GAD critiques patriarchy (C), promotes gender equality (A), and emphasizes women’s agency (B), making (D) the most comprehensive answer.