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Femininity and Gender Equality: History and Social Practices

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Gender Equality

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

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Definition

The definition of the term femininity, which appears in numerous dictionaries from various countries, refers to the quality or character of a woman, feminine attitude, or even the entire female sex. Moreover, the term is also associated with a series of qualities and attributes of women or even the very designation of “being a woman.” (HOUAISS, 2015) Thus, femininity becomes, in many cultures, synonymous with the grouping of: attributes, functions, appearances, roles, individual and social subjective expectations, and ways of being, feeling, and living, of what is adequately considered for society as constitutive and defining elements of “women.”

Historical Context

Throughout history, women and men have defined characteristics, behaviors, and social roles to differentiate the genders in their groups. In the West, since the end of the thirteenth century, according to Williams (2011), there are signs of changes in the definitions of the concept of “woman” as a result of the...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. History Faculty, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil

    Ana Carolina Eiras Coelho Soares

  2. Coordinator of the Gender Studies Group, FH/UFG/CNPq, Coordinator of Group for Gender Studies and Research, Regional Section Goiás, National Association of History, Goiânia, Brazil

    Ana Carolina Eiras Coelho Soares

Authors
  1. Ana Carolina Eiras Coelho Soares
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. European School of Sustainability, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Center for Neuroscience & Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Anabela Marisa Azul

  3. Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Passo Fundo University Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Passo Fundo, Brazil

    Luciana Brandli

  4. HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Amanda Lange Salvia

  5. International Centre for Thriving, University of Chester, Chester, UK

    Tony Wall

Section Editor information

  1. Recycle to Save Resources Foundation, Jabalpur, MP, India

    Anagha Paul

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Soares, A.C.E.C. (2020). Femininity and Gender Equality: History and Social Practices. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Wall, T. (eds) Gender Equality. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70060-1_105-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70060-1_105-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-70060-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-70060-1

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