Measuring sex, gender

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Measuring sex, gender gender identity

• Equality and Human Rights Commission, UK

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Sex or gender? Definitions

• 'Sex' refers to biological and physiological
  characteristics
• 'Gender' refers to socially constructed roles,
  behaviours, activities, and attributes.

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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)

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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.

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Problems with questions on sex or gender

• What is being asked for?
• Whose definition?
• Answer categories

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Problems with questions on gender identity

• Transgender added to question on gender or sexual
  orientation
• Narrow definition
• Too wordy or difficult to understand

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Developing testing questions

• Focus groups
• Cognitive testing
• Quantitative testing

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Focus groups

• Seven groups four trans three non-trans
• Obtain views on specific questions variants
• General acceptability of asking questions about
  gender identity

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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

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Questions on... birth sex

• At birth were you described as...
• Please tick one option
• Male
• Female
• Intersex
• I prefer not to say

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... Gender identity

• Which of the following describes how you think of
  yourself?
• Please tick one option
• Male
• Female
• In another way (write-in)

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... 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)

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... 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

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... 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

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Quantitative testing

• Online survey
• About 10,000 respondents
• Suite of five questions tested birth sex, gender
  identity, gender reassignment (2) and trans
  identity

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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

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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

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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?