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40 discussion questions about gender and gender roles

Practice your English with these discussion questions about gender and gender roles.

Practice your English speaking skills and engage in lively conversations with these discussion questions about gender and gender roles.

When actress Emma Watson addressed the UN, she famously said “It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideas.” It will be fascinating to see how you and your speaking partners feel about this important topic.

40 discussion questions about gender

  1. What are some differences between men and women?
  2. What are some similarities between men and women?
  3. Do you identify as one gender?
  4. What are your pronouns?
  5. Do you believe that gender is a construct? Why or why not?
  6. What are some gender stereotypes that men deal with?
  7. What are some gender stereotypes that women deal with?
  8. Do you think that single-sex or co-ed schools are better for students?
  9. What obligations does a father have to his family, if any?
  10. What obligations does a mother have to her family, if any?
  11. Can a mother fulfill a father’s obligations?
  12. Can father fulfill a mother’s obligations?
  13. Were gender roles traditional in your childhood home?
  14. Are women better than men at certain things?
  15. Are men better than women at certain things?
  16. Would you prefer to have a female boss, or a male boss? Why?
  17. Do you prefer to have female or male colleagues? Why?
  18. List as many male-dominated industries as you can.
  19. List as many female-dominated industries as you can.
  20. Do you agree with women fighting in the military? Why or why not?
  21. Do you think that women should be able to 
  22. Do you relate to male or female friends more easily? Why?
  23. Are all genders treated equally or differently in your country?
  24. Do you think men or women make better leaders?
  25. Does a leader’s gender make a difference?
  26. Has your country ever had a female leader?
  27. Does your country have a “macho” culture?
  28. Does your country have different laws based on gender?
  29. Is it legal for people to change their gender in your country?
  30. Do you think gender roles are changing in your country?
  31. Is it okay for clubs and societies to exclude people based on their gender?
  32. What barriers do men and women face in the workplace?
  33. What challenges do men and women face in society?
  34. What challenges do non-binary persons face in society?
  35. What challenges do transgender persons face in society?
  36. Should parents raise children differently, based on each child’s gender?
  37. Do you think society treats boys and girls differently?
  38. Is it okay for a girl to be a tomboy?
  39. Is it okay for a boy to play with dolls?
  40. How are you expected to behave because of your gender?
  41. Have you ever seen or experienced sexism? What happened?
  42. Have you ever seen or experienced chauvinism? What happened?
  43. Why does humanity typically depict gods and deities as men?

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Cameron Smith

Cameron Smith is an English Communication Coach based in Vancouver, Canada. He's the founder of Learn English Every Day, and he's on a mission to help millions of people speak English with confidence. If you want longer video content, please follow me on YouTube for fun English lessons and helpful learning resources!

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