Are you preparing for CSS, PMS, PCS, PPSC, or other competitive exams in Pakistan? Gender Studies has become a scoring subject, but many aspirants struggle to find authentic and updated MCQs with explanations.
👉 This post contains 150 Gender Studies MCQs (with correct answers + explanations) covering basic concepts, theories, feminism waves, gender & development, international frameworks, and women’s rights in Pakistan.
💡 Bookmark this page – it’s a complete preparation package for Gender Studies MCQs.
📖 Table of Contents
- Section 1: Basic Concepts of Gender Studies (Q1–30)
- Section 2: Gender & Development Approaches (Q31–60)
- Section 3: International Conventions & Global Efforts (Q61–90)
- Section 4: Women in Pakistan – Laws & Policies (Q91–115)
- Section 5: Feminist Theories & Contemporary Debates (Q116–150)
📘 Gender Studies MCQs (Section 1: Basic Concepts)
Q1. The term “gender” primarily refers to:
(A) Biological differences between males and females
(B) Socially constructed roles and expectations
(C) Sexual orientation of individuals
(D) None of these
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Socially constructed roles and expectations
📘 Explanation: Gender is about cultural and social expectations attached to being male or female, unlike sex which is biological.
Q2. Which of the following is considered a biological factor rather than a gendered one?
(A) Masculinity
(B) Femininity
(C) Chromosomes
(D) Gender roles
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Chromosomes
📘 Explanation: Chromosomes (XX/XY) are biological, while masculinity and femininity are cultural constructs.
Q3. The idea that society defines what it means to be “male” or “female” is known as:
(A) Gender Identity
(B) Gender Socialization
(C) Gender Equality
(D) Gender Mainstreaming
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Gender Socialization
📘 Explanation: Gender socialization is the process by which individuals learn gender roles through family, education, media, and culture.
Q4. Patriarchy refers to:
(A) A society where men hold primary power
(B) Equal representation of genders
(C) Women’s dominance in society
(D) A form of cultural relativism
✅ Correct Answer: (A) A society where men hold primary power
📘 Explanation: Patriarchy is a system where men dominate political, social, and economic spheres.
Q5. Which term describes the unfair treatment of people based on their gender?
(A) Gender Sensitization
(B) Gender Equality
(C) Gender Discrimination
(D) Gender Mainstreaming
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Gender Discrimination
📘 Explanation: Gender discrimination occurs when opportunities and rights differ based on gender.
Q6. The biological distinction between male and female is called:
(A) Gender
(B) Sex
(C) Sexuality
(D) Gender Identity
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Sex
📘 Explanation: Sex is determined by biology (chromosomes, hormones, reproductive systems), unlike gender.
Q7. A society that promotes equal rights, opportunities, and responsibilities for men and women is practicing:
(A) Gender Stereotyping
(B) Gender Equality
(C) Gender Identity
(D) None of these
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Gender Equality
📘 Explanation: Gender equality ensures fairness in social, political, and economic opportunities for both sexes.
Q8. Which of the following is a gender stereotype?
(A) Women are more emotional than men
(B) Men have XY chromosomes
(C) Women can give birth
(D) Men have higher testosterone levels
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Women are more emotional than men
📘 Explanation: Gender stereotypes are generalized beliefs about traits of men and women, often socially constructed.
Q9. The concept of “Gender Mainstreaming” was emphasized by:
(A) United Nations
(B) World Bank
(C) International Labour Organization
(D) World Trade Organization
✅ Correct Answer: (A) United Nations
📘 Explanation: Gender mainstreaming was promoted by the UN to ensure gender perspectives are included in all policies and programs.
Q10. The term “glass ceiling” refers to:
(A) Transparent leadership
(B) Invisible barriers preventing women from reaching top positions
(C) Gender equality in workplaces
(D) Women-only organizations
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Invisible barriers preventing women from reaching top positions
📘 Explanation: The glass ceiling is an unseen barrier that stops women from achieving leadership roles despite qualifications.
Q11. Which of the following best defines gender identity?
(A) Biological features of males and females
(B) One’s deeply held sense of being male, female, or another gender
(C) The legal recognition of gender
(D) Cultural practices assigned to men and women
✅ Correct Answer: (B) One’s deeply held sense of being male, female, or another gender
📘 Explanation: Gender identity is an internal sense of self and may not always align with biological sex.
Q12. Feminism primarily seeks:
(A) Women’s superiority over men
(B) Equal rights and opportunities for men and women
(C) Male exclusion from politics
(D) Women-only leadership
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Equal rights and opportunities for men and women
📘 Explanation: Feminism advocates for political, social, and economic equality of sexes.
Q13. Which global goal of the UN directly addresses gender equality?
(A) SDG 4
(B) SDG 5
(C) SDG 6
(D) SDG 7
✅ Correct Answer: (B) SDG 5
📘 Explanation: Sustainable Development Goal 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Q14. A gender role is:
(A) Biological trait assigned at birth
(B) Expected behavior linked to one’s gender in society
(C) Legal classification of gender
(D) A feminist concept only
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Expected behavior linked to one’s gender in society
📘 Explanation: Gender roles are socially constructed expectations, like “men should be breadwinners” or “women should be caregivers.”
Q15. The concept of hegemonic masculinity refers to:
(A) Gender equality in workplaces
(B) The dominant form of masculinity valued in a society
(C) Women’s empowerment
(D) None of these
✅ Correct Answer: (B) The dominant form of masculinity valued in a society
📘 Explanation: Coined by R.W. Connell, hegemonic masculinity explains how one form of masculinity becomes culturally dominant.
Q16. Which of the following is an example of gender inequality?
(A) Equal pay for equal work
(B) Unequal access to education for girls
(C) Equal voting rights
(D) Equal property rights
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Unequal access to education for girls
📘 Explanation: Gender inequality occurs when opportunities and rights differ for men and women.
Q17. The phrase “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” was written by:
(A) Virginia Woolf
(B) Simone de Beauvoir
(C) Betty Friedan
(D) Mary Wollstonecraft
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Simone de Beauvoir
📘 Explanation: In her book The Second Sex (1949), Beauvoir argued that society constructs “womanhood” through gender roles.
Q18. Which of the following is considered a gendered institution?
(A) Family
(B) Education system
(C) Workplace
(D) All of these
✅ Correct Answer: (D) All of these
📘 Explanation: Institutions like family, schools, and workplaces assign roles and expectations based on gender.
Q19. Gender stereotypes are problematic because:
(A) They promote diversity
(B) They limit individual potential
(C) They encourage equal opportunities
(D) They provide freedom of choice
✅ Correct Answer: (B) They limit individual potential
📘 Explanation: Stereotypes restrict opportunities by forcing people to conform to narrow roles.
Q20. The first wave of feminism primarily focused on:
(A) Workplace equality
(B) Women’s suffrage (voting rights)
(C) Domestic violence awareness
(D) Reproductive rights
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Women’s suffrage (voting rights)
📘 Explanation: The first wave (19th–early 20th century) fought for legal rights, especially voting.
Q21. Gender-based violence includes:
(A) Domestic violence
(B) Sexual harassment
(C) Honor killings
(D) All of these
✅ Correct Answer: (D) All of these
📘 Explanation: Any violence directed at an individual because of their gender falls under gender-based violence.
Q22. Which feminist thinker wrote “The Feminine Mystique” (1963)?
(A) Gloria Steinem
(B) Betty Friedan
(C) Germaine Greer
(D) Judith Butler
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Betty Friedan
📘 Explanation: Friedan criticized how society limited women to household roles, sparking second-wave feminism.
Q23. The concept of intersectionality explains:
(A) How different roads cross
(B) How gender intersects with other identities like race and class
(C) How men and women differ biologically
(D) How education affects gender roles
✅ Correct Answer: (B) How gender intersects with other identities like race and class
📘 Explanation: Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality highlights how overlapping identities create unique experiences of discrimination.
Q24. Which international convention is considered the “bill of rights” for women?
(A) CEDAW
(B) ICCPR
(C) ICESCR
(D) UDHR
✅ Correct Answer: (A) CEDAW
📘 Explanation: The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979) is often called women’s bill of rights.
Q25. In Pakistan, the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act was passed in:
(A) 2005
(B) 2007
(C) 2010
(D) 2012
✅ Correct Answer: (C) 2010
📘 Explanation: This law protects women from harassment at workplaces and promotes safe work environments.
Section 2: Feminist Theories & Waves of Feminism
Q26. Which of the following best describes liberal feminism?
(A) Advocates for equal access to education, work, and politics within existing systems
(B) Calls for the abolition of patriarchy and capitalism
(C) Believes biology determines gender roles
(D) Argues that society should be separated by gender
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Advocates for equal access to education, work, and politics within existing systems
📘 Explanation: Liberal feminism seeks gradual reforms in laws and policies to ensure women’s equality.
Q27. Radical feminism emphasizes:
(A) Gender equality through education only
(B) Patriarchy as the root cause of women’s oppression
(C) Equal political participation
(D) Religious interpretations of gender roles
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Patriarchy as the root cause of women’s oppression
📘 Explanation: Radical feminists argue that social structures must be transformed to end male dominance.
Q28. Socialist feminism combines ideas from:
(A) Liberalism and Constructivism
(B) Marxism and Radical Feminism
(C) Liberalism and Realism
(D) Capitalism and Postmodernism
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Marxism and Radical Feminism
📘 Explanation: Socialist feminism sees both patriarchy and capitalism as systems of oppression that reinforce each other.
Q29. Which feminist theory challenges the binary view of gender?
(A) Liberal Feminism
(B) Postmodern Feminism
(C) Radical Feminism
(D) Socialist Feminism
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Postmodern Feminism
📘 Explanation: Postmodern feminists, such as Judith Butler, argue that gender is fluid and socially constructed.
Q30. The first wave of feminism mainly focused on:
(A) Equal pay
(B) Right to vote and legal equality
(C) Reproductive rights
(D) Workplace harassment
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Right to vote and legal equality
📘 Explanation: First-wave feminists of the 19th–early 20th centuries fought for women’s suffrage and legal rights.
Q31. The second wave of feminism is associated with:
(A) Suffrage rights
(B) Workplace and reproductive rights
(C) Cyberfeminism
(D) Post-structuralist thought
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Workplace and reproductive rights
📘 Explanation: The second wave (1960s–1980s) emphasized equality in employment, family, and reproductive freedom.
Q32. The third wave of feminism emerged in the:
(A) 1950s
(B) 1960s
(C) 1990s
(D) 2000s
✅ Correct Answer: (C) 1990s
📘 Explanation: The third wave focused on diversity, individuality, and intersectionality.
Q33. The fourth wave of feminism is strongly linked with:
(A) Industrial Revolution
(B) Online activism and #MeToo movement
(C) Suffrage movements
(D) Marxist struggles
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Online activism and #MeToo movement
📘 Explanation: Fourth-wave feminism (2010s–present) uses digital platforms to highlight harassment and gender violence.
Q34. Who is considered the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)?
(A) Betty Friedan
(B) Mary Wollstonecraft
(C) Simone de Beauvoir
(D) Germaine Greer
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Mary Wollstonecraft
📘 Explanation: This was one of the earliest works advocating for women’s education and equality.
Q35. Who introduced the concept of “gender performativity”?
(A) Simone de Beauvoir
(B) Judith Butler
(C) Shulamith Firestone
(D) Gloria Steinem
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Judith Butler
📘 Explanation: Butler argued that gender is not fixed but is performed through repeated actions and social norms.
Q36. Which feminist thinker argued that capitalism reinforces patriarchy?
(A) Betty Friedan
(B) bell hooks
(C) Juliet Mitchell
(D) Shulamith Firestone
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Juliet Mitchell
📘 Explanation: Socialist feminists like Mitchell highlighted how economic systems and patriarchy jointly oppress women.
Q37. The book The Female Eunuch (1970) was written by:
(A) Judith Butler
(B) Germaine Greer
(C) Kate Millett
(D) Angela Davis
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Germaine Greer
📘 Explanation: The book criticized traditional gender roles and became central to the second wave of feminism.
Q38. Which feminist scholar is linked with Black feminism and intersectionality?
(A) Kimberlé Crenshaw
(B) Gloria Steinem
(C) Judith Butler
(D) Betty Friedan
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Kimberlé Crenshaw
📘 Explanation: Crenshaw developed the term intersectionality to highlight overlapping systems of oppression.
Q39. “The Personal is Political” is a slogan of which wave of feminism?
(A) First wave
(B) Second wave
(C) Third wave
(D) Fourth wave
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Second wave
📘 Explanation: This phrase highlighted how personal experiences like domestic violence are deeply political.
Q40. Ecofeminism connects:
(A) Gender and environment
(B) Gender and economics
(C) Gender and technology
(D) Gender and war
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Gender and environment
📘 Explanation: Ecofeminists argue that the domination of women and nature are interconnected under patriarchy.
Q41. Who wrote The Second Sex (1949), a foundational text of feminist philosophy?
(A) Mary Wollstonecraft
(B) Simone de Beauvoir
(C) Betty Friedan
(D) bell hooks
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Simone de Beauvoir
📘 Explanation: She argued that “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,” highlighting gender as a social construct.
Q42. Which feminist thinker wrote The Feminine Mystique (1963)?
(A) Germaine Greer
(B) Betty Friedan
(C) bell hooks
(D) Angela Davis
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Betty Friedan
📘 Explanation: Friedan criticized the limited domestic role of women in American society, sparking second-wave feminism in the US.
Q43. Which feminist thinker linked women’s oppression to reproduction and biology?
(A) Shulamith Firestone
(B) Kate Millett
(C) Judith Butler
(D) Naomi Wolf
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Shulamith Firestone
📘 Explanation: In The Dialectic of Sex (1970), Firestone argued that reproductive roles keep women subordinate.
Q44. Which wave of feminism emphasized cultural diversity and individuality?
(A) First wave
(B) Second wave
(C) Third wave
(D) Fourth wave
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Third wave
📘 Explanation: Third-wave feminism embraced diverse voices and rejected the idea of a single universal female experience.
Q45. Cyberfeminism is associated with which wave of feminism?
(A) First wave
(B) Second wave
(C) Third wave
(D) Fourth wave
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Third wave
📘 Explanation: Cyberfeminism explored women’s roles in technology and digital spaces during the 1990s.
Q46. Which feminist thinker is linked with the slogan “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle”?
(A) Gloria Steinem
(B) Kate Millett
(C) bell hooks
(D) Angela Davis
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Gloria Steinem
📘 Explanation: Steinem, a leading figure of second-wave feminism, emphasized women’s independence from men.
Q47. Black feminism mainly argues:
(A) Gender inequality is the only form of oppression
(B) Women of color experience multiple oppressions simultaneously
(C) Men of color are responsible for patriarchy
(D) Race is more important than gender
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Women of color experience multiple oppressions simultaneously
📘 Explanation: Black feminism stresses the intersection of race, gender, and class in shaping women’s lives.
Q48. Who wrote Gender Trouble (1990)?
(A) bell hooks
(B) Simone de Beauvoir
(C) Judith Butler
(D) Mary Wollstonecraft
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Judith Butler
📘 Explanation: Butler’s book challenged the binary view of gender and introduced the concept of performativity.
Q49. Who is the author of Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism (1981)?
(A) Angela Davis
(B) bell hooks
(C) Kimberlé Crenshaw
(D) Alice Walker
✅ Correct Answer: (B) bell hooks
📘 Explanation: bell hooks analyzed the combined impact of racism and sexism on Black women.
Q50. Who introduced the term “intersectionality”?
(A) Angela Davis
(B) bell hooks
(C) Kimberlé Crenshaw
(D) Gloria Steinem
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Kimberlé Crenshaw
📘 Explanation: Intersectionality highlights overlapping systems of oppression such as race, class, and gender.
Q51. What is the focus of eco-feminism?
(A) Women’s rights in politics
(B) Relationship between women and the environment
(C) Cyber technology and gender
(D) Women’s reproductive rights
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Relationship between women and the environment
📘 Explanation: Ecofeminists argue that the exploitation of women and nature are interconnected under patriarchy.
Q52. Which feminist thinker linked women’s liberation with anti-capitalist struggle?
(A) Rosa Luxemburg
(B) Juliet Mitchell
(C) Betty Friedan
(D) Simone de Beauvoir
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Juliet Mitchell
📘 Explanation: She argued that both capitalism and patriarchy must be dismantled for women’s true liberation.
Q53. The slogan “The personal is political” belongs to which feminist wave?
(A) First wave
(B) Second wave
(C) Third wave
(D) Fourth wave
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Second wave
📘 Explanation: It highlighted that personal experiences like domestic violence are part of systemic oppression.
Q54. Who wrote Women, Race, & Class (1981)?
(A) Angela Davis
(B) bell hooks
(C) Kimberlé Crenshaw
(D) Judith Butler
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Angela Davis
📘 Explanation: Davis examined the intersection of gender, race, and class in struggles for equality.
Q55. Which feminist thinker emphasized that “One is not born a woman but becomes one”?
(A) Simone de Beauvoir
(B) Judith Butler
(C) Gloria Steinem
(D) Mary Wollstonecraft
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Simone de Beauvoir
📘 Explanation: In The Second Sex, she argued that gender identity is shaped by society, not biology.
Section 3: Gender & Society
Q56. Gender socialization begins primarily in:
(A) School
(B) Family
(C) Workplace
(D) Media
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Family
📘 Explanation: Family is the first institution where children learn gender roles through parents and relatives.
Q57. Which agent of socialization reinforces gender roles through toys, clothing, and expectations?
(A) Religion
(B) Media
(C) Family
(D) Education
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Family
📘 Explanation: Families shape children’s behavior and expectations by assigning gender-specific norms.
Q58. Gender stereotypes are best defined as:
(A) Biological facts about men and women
(B) Fixed, oversimplified beliefs about gender roles
(C) Equal distribution of roles between genders
(D) Legal definitions of gender
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Fixed, oversimplified beliefs about gender roles
📘 Explanation: Gender stereotypes assume how men and women should behave, often limiting opportunities.
Q59. Patriarchy refers to:
(A) A system dominated by women
(B) A system dominated by men
(C) Equal gender roles
(D) A society without gender
✅ Correct Answer: (B) A system dominated by men
📘 Explanation: Patriarchy gives men authority over women in family, politics, and society.
Q60. Matriarchy means:
(A) Rule by fathers
(B) Rule by mothers or women
(C) Rule by both genders equally
(D) Rule by siblings
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Rule by mothers or women
📘 Explanation: Matriarchal societies give women central authority, though rare compared to patriarchy.
Q61. “Gender division of labor” refers to:
(A) Equal pay for equal work
(B) Allocation of tasks based on gender roles
(C) Women entering politics
(D) Industrial division of jobs
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Allocation of tasks based on gender roles
📘 Explanation: Traditionally, men are linked with public work, women with domestic work.
Q62. Gender inequality in the workplace often appears as:
(A) Equal salaries
(B) Glass ceiling
(C) Gender-neutral hiring
(D) Equal promotions
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Glass ceiling
📘 Explanation: The glass ceiling is an invisible barrier preventing women from reaching top positions.
Q63. Which concept highlights that unpaid household work is undervalued in economies?
(A) Gender parity
(B) Feminization of poverty
(C) Care economy
(D) Gender mainstreaming
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Care economy
📘 Explanation: The care economy stresses the economic value of unpaid work (childcare, eldercare, housework).
Q64. Feminization of poverty refers to:
(A) More men falling into poverty
(B) Women forming the majority of the world’s poor
(C) Equal poverty among men and women
(D) Poverty caused by men
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Women forming the majority of the world’s poor
📘 Explanation: Women face structural disadvantages, leading to higher poverty rates compared to men.
Q65. Gender-based violence (GBV) includes:
(A) Only physical violence
(B) Physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence
(C) Only workplace discrimination
(D) Only domestic disputes
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence
📘 Explanation: GBV is a broad term covering all forms of violence rooted in gender inequality.
Q66. Honor killings are linked with:
(A) Protection of cultural pride
(B) Women’s violation of social norms
(C) Men’s education
(D) International laws
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Women’s violation of social norms
📘 Explanation: In some cultures, women are punished violently for perceived dishonor, reflecting extreme patriarchy.
Q67. Gender ideology is:
(A) Scientific truth about gender
(B) Cultural beliefs that justify gender roles
(C) Biological determinism
(D) Legal definition of gender
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Cultural beliefs that justify gender roles
📘 Explanation: Gender ideology legitimizes social norms that maintain inequality.
Q68. Which international campaign focuses on ending violence against women?
(A) CEDAW
(B) HeForShe
(C) UNFCCC
(D) SDG 14
✅ Correct Answer: (B) HeForShe
📘 Explanation: Launched by UN Women, HeForShe engages men in promoting gender equality.
Q69. What is “gender mainstreaming”?
(A) Separating men and women in policies
(B) Integrating gender perspectives in all policies and programs
(C) Creating women-only organizations
(D) Abolishing gender roles completely
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Integrating gender perspectives in all policies and programs
📘 Explanation: Gender mainstreaming ensures equality considerations are built into governance.
Q70. Which sector often shows the widest gender wage gap?
(A) Agriculture
(B) Technology
(C) Healthcare
(D) Education
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Technology
📘 Explanation: Globally, women in technology face larger pay gaps and underrepresentation.
Q71. What is the main focus of SDG 5?
(A) Quality education
(B) Gender equality
(C) No poverty
(D) Decent work and economic growth
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Gender equality
📘 Explanation: SDG 5 promotes empowerment of women and elimination of gender discrimination.
Q72. Which global report highlights gender inequality in economic and political participation?
(A) World Happiness Report
(B) Gender Gap Report (WEF)
(C) UNDP HDI Report
(D) Human Rights Index
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Gender Gap Report (WEF)
📘 Explanation: Published annually by the World Economic Forum, it ranks countries on gender equality.
Q73. Gender quotas in politics are designed to:
(A) Limit women’s participation
(B) Guarantee a minimum percentage of women in legislatures
(C) Reduce men’s participation
(D) Eliminate elections
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Guarantee a minimum percentage of women in legislatures
📘 Explanation: Quotas ensure women’s representation in political decision-making.
Q74. The “glass escalator” effect refers to:
(A) Men advancing faster than women in female-dominated fields
(B) Women advancing faster in male-dominated jobs
(C) Equal promotion for both genders
(D) Men being excluded from care work
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Men advancing faster than women in female-dominated fields
📘 Explanation: Even in jobs like nursing or teaching, men often rise more quickly than women.
Q75. Gender stereotypes in media often portray women as:
(A) Leaders
(B) Caregivers or dependent
(C) Decision-makers
(D) CEOs
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Caregivers or dependent
📘 Explanation: Media reinforces gender norms by depicting women in traditional roles.
Q76. Gender bias in education may appear as:
(A) Equal representation in curriculum
(B) Male-centered examples and textbooks
(C) Women leading teaching staff
(D) Gender-neutral classrooms
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Male-centered examples and textbooks
📘 Explanation: Many curriculums prioritize male achievements, marginalizing women’s contributions.
Q77. Which concept describes the idea that women are naturally suited for caregiving?
(A) Essentialism
(B) Liberal feminism
(C) Intersectionality
(D) Postmodernism
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Essentialism
📘 Explanation: Essentialism assumes gender roles are biologically fixed, reinforcing stereotypes.
Q78. Double burden in gender studies refers to:
(A) Women doing paid work as well as unpaid household labor
(B) Men working in two jobs
(C) Women holding two government positions
(D) Students managing studies and work
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Women doing paid work as well as unpaid household labor
📘 Explanation: Women often juggle formal employment with domestic responsibilities.
Q79. Gender and culture are related because:
(A) Culture is gender-neutral
(B) Cultural norms shape gender roles
(C) Gender creates culture
(D) Neither influence each other
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Cultural norms shape gender roles
📘 Explanation: Gender is socially constructed through cultural practices and traditions.
Q80. “Gender justice” means:
(A) Equal punishment for both genders
(B) Fair treatment of individuals regardless of gender
(C) Giving preference to women
(D) Abolishing laws on gender
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Fair treatment of individuals regardless of gender
📘 Explanation: Gender justice ensures equal access to rights, opportunities, and resources.
Q81. Which feminist approach critiques mainstream media for objectifying women?
(A) Postcolonial feminism
(B) Radical feminism
(C) Ecofeminism
(D) Liberal feminism
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Radical feminism
📘 Explanation: Radical feminists argue media perpetuates women’s oppression through sexual objectification.
Q82. Gendered division of spaces refers to:
(A) Equal access for all genders
(B) Assigning private spaces to women, public spaces to men
(C) Both genders sharing every space equally
(D) Workplace diversity policies
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Assigning private spaces to women, public spaces to men
📘 Explanation: Patriarchy confines women to the domestic/private sphere while men dominate public spaces.
Q83. “Gender double standard” means:
(A) Men and women are judged differently for the same behavior
(B) Equal rules for both genders
(C) Laws against men
(D) Women dominating institutions
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Men and women are judged differently for the same behavior
📘 Explanation: For example, assertiveness in men is praised, while in women it may be criticized.
Q84. Which global campaign addresses child marriage?
(A) Girls Not Brides
(B) UNFCCC
(C) HeForShe
(D) SDG 12
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Girls Not Brides
📘 Explanation: It works to end child marriage worldwide through advocacy and community action.
Q85. Gender mainstreaming in education aims to:
(A) Create gender-segregated schools
(B) Ensure curriculum and practices promote equality
(C) Limit women’s participation
(D) Focus only on boys’ education
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Ensure curriculum and practices promote equality
📘 Explanation: Mainstreaming in education seeks to eliminate gender bias and foster equal opportunities.
Section 4: Gender & Development
Q86. Women in Development (WID) approach emerged in:
(A) 1950s
(B) 1960s–70s
(C) 1980s
(D) 1990s
✅ Correct Answer: (B) 1960s–70s
📘 Explanation: WID highlighted women’s exclusion from development projects and sought to integrate them.
Q87. Which approach focuses on both men and women as partners in development?
(A) WID (Women in Development)
(B) GAD (Gender and Development)
(C) WAD (Women and Development)
(D) RAD (Rights and Development)
✅ Correct Answer: (B) GAD (Gender and Development)
📘 Explanation: GAD emphasizes power relations and seeks gender equality in development.
Q88. Women and Development (WAD) emerged as a critique of:
(A) WID
(B) GAD
(C) SDGs
(D) Feminism
✅ Correct Answer: (A) WID
📘 Explanation: WAD argued that WID ignored structural inequalities and capitalist exploitation.
Q89. The “Triple Role” of women in development includes:
(A) Reproductive, productive, and community roles
(B) Social, cultural, and political roles
(C) Mother, wife, and worker roles
(D) Economic, political, and religious roles
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Reproductive, productive, and community roles
📘 Explanation: Women’s multiple roles highlight their unpaid and undervalued contributions.
Q90. Which UN conference first highlighted “Women in Development”?
(A) Nairobi 1985
(B) Beijing 1995
(C) Mexico City 1975
(D) Rio Summit 1992
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Mexico City 1975
📘 Explanation: The First World Conference on Women (1975) introduced WID at the global level.
Q91. The term “empowerment” in gender development means:
(A) Giving charity to women
(B) Increasing women’s control over resources, decisions, and rights
(C) Isolating women in special programs
(D) Reducing men’s rights
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Increasing women’s control over resources, decisions, and rights
📘 Explanation: Empowerment goes beyond welfare; it builds capacity and independence.
Q92. Which global agenda replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015?
(A) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(B) Paris Agreement
(C) Gender Action Plan
(D) Beijing Platform
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
📘 Explanation: SDGs (2015–2030) are a universal framework, with SDG 5 dedicated to gender equality.
Q93. Gender mainstreaming in development policies was emphasized in which UN conference?
(A) Beijing 1995
(B) Rio 1992
(C) Copenhagen 1980
(D) Mexico 1975
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Beijing 1995
📘 Explanation: The Beijing Platform for Action declared gender mainstreaming a critical global strategy.
Q94. The Beijing Platform for Action focused on how many critical areas of concern?
(A) 6
(B) 10
(C) 12
(D) 20
✅ Correct Answer: (C) 12
📘 Explanation: It outlined 12 priority areas including education, health, violence, and political participation.
Q95. Which development approach highlights that poverty affects women more severely?
(A) Feminization of poverty
(B) Human Development Approach
(C) Dependency Theory
(D) Structural Adjustment
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Feminization of poverty
📘 Explanation: Women face systemic barriers in property, wages, and resources, leading to poverty.
Q96. Which economist developed the Capability Approach, central to human development?
(A) Adam Smith
(B) John Maynard Keynes
(C) Amartya Sen
(D) Karl Marx
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Amartya Sen
📘 Explanation: Amartya Sen emphasized freedom and opportunities as measures of development.
Q97. UNDP introduced the Gender Development Index (GDI) in:
(A) 1990
(B) 1995
(C) 2000
(D) 2005
✅ Correct Answer: (B) 1995
📘 Explanation: GDI adjusts HDI for gender disparities in education, income, and life expectancy.
Q98. Which index measures gender inequality in reproductive health, empowerment, and labor?
(A) HDI
(B) GDI
(C) GII
(D) GEM
✅ Correct Answer: (C) GII (Gender Inequality Index)
📘 Explanation: Introduced by UNDP in 2010, it highlights gender gaps in human development.
Q99. Microcredit programs, like those pioneered by Grameen Bank, are linked with:
(A) Male entrepreneurs
(B) Women’s economic empowerment
(C) Agricultural mechanization
(D) Industrial development
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Women’s economic empowerment
📘 Explanation: Microcredit enables poor women to access small loans for businesses.
Q100. The concept of “gender budgeting” means:
(A) Separate budgets for men and women
(B) Analyzing budgets to ensure gender equality in resource allocation
(C) Cutting women’s spending
(D) Increasing taxes on men
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Analyzing budgets to ensure gender equality in resource allocation
📘 Explanation: Gender-responsive budgeting promotes fair distribution of resources.
Q101. Women’s unpaid care work contributes to:
(A) GDP underestimation
(B) Gender wage gap reduction
(C) Male unemployment
(D) Higher industrial growth
✅ Correct Answer: (A) GDP underestimation
📘 Explanation: Traditional GDP ignores unpaid domestic and care labor, undervaluing women’s role.
Q102. Which theory argues that development policies often exploit women in the Global South?
(A) Postcolonial feminism
(B) Liberal feminism
(C) Marxist feminism
(D) Radical feminism
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Postcolonial feminism
📘 Explanation: It critiques Western-centric development that marginalizes women in developing countries.
Q103. “Women empowerment is smart economics” was a slogan used by:
(A) World Bank
(B) UNDP
(C) IMF
(D) UNESCO
✅ Correct Answer: (A) World Bank
📘 Explanation: It highlights that investing in women boosts economic growth.
Q104. Gender and development policies often promote:
(A) Women-only projects
(B) Gender equality and equity in all development areas
(C) Exclusion of men from development
(D) Women as passive beneficiaries
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Gender equality and equity in all development areas
📘 Explanation: GAD approach integrates both genders and power dynamics.
Q105. Which global report annually publishes gender gap rankings?
(A) UNDP HDR
(B) World Bank Development Report
(C) WEF Global Gender Gap Report
(D) IMF Outlook
✅ Correct Answer: (C) WEF Global Gender Gap Report
📘 Explanation: It ranks countries on economic, educational, health, and political gender gaps.
Q106. The Beijing Declaration (1995) is linked with:
(A) Peacekeeping missions
(B) Women’s rights and gender equality
(C) Climate change
(D) Free trade agreements
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Women’s rights and gender equality
📘 Explanation: It reaffirmed global commitment to women’s empowerment.
Q107. Which feminist economist argued for including unpaid labor in national accounts?
(A) Ester Boserup
(B) Amartya Sen
(C) Sylvia Walby
(D) Marilyn Waring
✅ Correct Answer: (D) Marilyn Waring
📘 Explanation: Her book If Women Counted critiqued economics for ignoring women’s unpaid work.
Q108. CEDAW was adopted in:
(A) 1965
(B) 1979
(C) 1985
(D) 1995
✅ Correct Answer: (B) 1979
📘 Explanation: CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) is called the international bill of women’s rights.
Q109. Which country was the first to adopt gender budgeting nationally?
(A) India
(B) Australia
(C) Sweden
(D) Canada
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Australia
📘 Explanation: Australia pioneered gender-responsive budgeting in the 1980s.
Q110. The concept of “care economy” highlights:
(A) Industrial labor
(B) The economic value of caregiving and household work
(C) Agricultural mechanization
(D) State security
✅ Correct Answer: (B) The economic value of caregiving and household work
📘 Explanation: It emphasizes recognizing and valuing unpaid and paid care work.
Q111. SDG 5 aims to achieve gender equality by:
(A) 2025
(B) 2030
(C) 2040
(D) 2050
✅ Correct Answer: (B) 2030
📘 Explanation: The UN’s 2030 Agenda sets this deadline for eliminating gender disparities.
Q112. Which feminist scholar wrote Women’s Role in Economic Development (1970)?
(A) Ester Boserup
(B) Betty Friedan
(C) Simone de Beauvoir
(D) Gloria Steinem
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Ester Boserup
📘 Explanation: She highlighted women’s role in agriculture and critiqued gender-blind policies.
Q113. Which South Asian country introduced reserved seats for women in parliament in 1954?
(A) Pakistan
(B) India
(C) Sri Lanka
(D) Bangladesh
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Pakistan
📘 Explanation: Pakistan pioneered women’s reserved seats, later expanded in 2002 reforms.
Q114. Gender equality in development is not just a women’s issue because:
(A) It benefits men as well
(B) It accelerates economic growth and stability
(C) It reduces poverty and conflict
(D) All of the above
✅ Correct Answer: (D) All of the above
📘 Explanation: Gender equality contributes to stronger economies and fairer societies.
Q115. “Gender and Development (GAD)” differs from WID because it:
(A) Focuses on men only
(B) Analyzes power relations and structures causing inequality
(C) Ignores development issues
(D) Excludes men completely
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Analyzes power relations and structures causing inequality
📘 Explanation: GAD shifts focus from women-only projects to transforming systemic inequalities.
Section 5: Feminist Theories & Contemporary Debates
Q116. The book The Second Sex (1949) was written by:
(A) Betty Friedan
(B) Simone de Beauvoir
(C) Gloria Steinem
(D) Germaine Greer
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Simone de Beauvoir
📘 Explanation: A foundational text of modern feminism, it argued that “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.”
Q117. Which wave of feminism is associated with the suffrage movement?
(A) First Wave
(B) Second Wave
(C) Third Wave
(D) Fourth Wave
✅ Correct Answer: (A) First Wave
📘 Explanation: The first wave (19th–early 20th century) focused on women’s right to vote and legal reforms.
Q118. The slogan “The personal is political” became popular during:
(A) First wave feminism
(B) Second wave feminism
(C) Third wave feminism
(D) Postmodern feminism
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Second wave feminism
📘 Explanation: It linked personal issues like domestic violence to broader structures of power.
Q119. Who is the author of The Feminine Mystique (1963)?
(A) Kate Millett
(B) Betty Friedan
(C) Angela Davis
(D) Judith Butler
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Betty Friedan
📘 Explanation: This book critiqued women’s confinement to domestic roles in post-war America.
Q120. Radical feminism focuses on:
(A) Women’s equal participation in politics
(B) Abolishing patriarchal structures
(C) Gender-neutral policies
(D) Economic reforms only
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Abolishing patriarchal structures
📘 Explanation: Radical feminists see patriarchy as the root of women’s oppression.
Q121. Which feminist theory emphasizes women’s unpaid labor in capitalism?
(A) Marxist feminism
(B) Liberal feminism
(C) Radical feminism
(D) Postmodern feminism
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Marxist feminism
📘 Explanation: It analyzes how capitalism exploits women, especially in domestic and low-wage roles.
Q122. Liberal feminism advocates:
(A) Gender equality through legal reforms and equal opportunities
(B) Revolutionary overthrow of patriarchy
(C) Focus on cultural identity
(D) Male dominance in society
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Gender equality through legal reforms and equal opportunities
📘 Explanation: It emphasizes education, employment, and political rights for women.
Q123. Who developed the theory of gender performativity?
(A) Judith Butler
(B) Simone de Beauvoir
(C) bell hooks
(D) Andrea Dworkin
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Judith Butler
📘 Explanation: Butler argued that gender is constructed through repeated social performances.
Q124. Intersectionality as a feminist concept was coined by:
(A) Angela Davis
(B) Kimberlé Crenshaw
(C) bell hooks
(D) Audre Lorde
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Kimberlé Crenshaw
📘 Explanation: It highlights how race, class, and gender intersect to shape inequality.
Q125. Which wave of feminism is most associated with digital activism (#MeToo)?
(A) First wave
(B) Second wave
(C) Third wave
(D) Fourth wave
✅ Correct Answer: (D) Fourth wave
📘 Explanation: Fourth wave feminism uses social media to challenge harassment and gender violence.
Q126. Postmodern feminism critiques:
(A) Biological determinism
(B) Universal definitions of “woman”
(C) Legal reforms
(D) Economic dependency
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Universal definitions of “woman”
📘 Explanation: Postmodern feminists reject one single female identity, stressing diversity.
Q127. The term “hegemonic masculinity” was introduced by:
(A) R.W. Connell
(B) Michael Foucault
(C) Antonio Gramsci
(D) Pierre Bourdieu
✅ Correct Answer: (A) R.W. Connell
📘 Explanation: It describes dominant forms of masculinity that marginalize others.
Q128. The slogan “Sisterhood is Global” is linked to:
(A) Robin Morgan
(B) Gloria Steinem
(C) bell hooks
(D) Germaine Greer
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Robin Morgan
📘 Explanation: She highlighted the importance of transnational feminist solidarity.
Q129. Ecofeminism links:
(A) Gender and technology
(B) Women’s oppression and environmental degradation
(C) Male dominance in industries
(D) Gender and law
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Women’s oppression and environmental degradation
📘 Explanation: Ecofeminists argue that patriarchy exploits both women and nature.
Q130. Black feminism emphasizes:
(A) Class inequality only
(B) Intersection of race, gender, and class
(C) Universal female oppression
(D) Cultural feminism
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Intersection of race, gender, and class
📘 Explanation: Black feminists argue that mainstream feminism often ignores racial oppression.
Q131. The slogan “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” is linked to:
(A) Gloria Steinem
(B) Germaine Greer
(C) Betty Friedan
(D) Andrea Dworkin
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Gloria Steinem
📘 Explanation: The phrase humorously rejected women’s dependence on men.
Q132. bell hooks is known for her work on:
(A) Liberal feminism
(B) Intersectionality and cultural criticism
(C) Ecofeminism
(D) Postmodern feminism
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Intersectionality and cultural criticism
📘 Explanation: bell hooks explored race, gender, and culture in works like Ain’t I a Woman?
Q133. Which feminist thinker wrote Sexual Politics (1970)?
(A) Kate Millett
(B) Judith Butler
(C) Gloria Steinem
(D) Shulamith Firestone
✅ Correct Answer: (A) Kate Millett
📘 Explanation: She analyzed how literature and culture perpetuate patriarchy.
Q134. Shulamith Firestone argued for:
(A) Gender equality through legal reforms
(B) Liberation from biological reproduction via technology
(C) Intersectionality
(D) Women’s participation in politics
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Liberation from biological reproduction via technology
📘 Explanation: In The Dialectic of Sex, she argued technology could end women’s oppression.
Q135. Which wave of feminism emphasized reproductive rights and workplace equality?
(A) First wave
(B) Second wave
(C) Third wave
(D) Fourth wave
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Second wave
📘 Explanation: It expanded focus beyond voting to workplace, family, and sexuality.
Q136. Feminist standpoint theory emphasizes:
(A) Women’s biological superiority
(B) Knowledge from women’s lived experiences
(C) Legal reforms
(D) Gender-neutral policies
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Knowledge from women’s lived experiences
📘 Explanation: It argues marginalized groups have unique insights into social reality.
Q137. Which country first granted women the right to vote?
(A) USA
(B) UK
(C) New Zealand
(D) Finland
✅ Correct Answer: (C) New Zealand (1893)
📘 Explanation: It was the pioneer in women’s suffrage.
Q138. Which Pakistani woman became President of UNGA in 1961?
(A) Benazir Bhutto
(B) Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan
(C) Shaista Ikramullah
(D) Begum Nasim Jehan
✅ Correct Answer: (D) Begum Nasim Jehan (also known as Sir Muhammad Zafarullah Khan’s successor in global representation roles, sometimes listed as Begum Jehanara Shahnawaz depending on source).
📘 Explanation: Pakistan played a historic role in women’s international leadership.
Q139. Which law in Pakistan criminalized sexual harassment at the workplace?
(A) Women Protection Act 2006
(B) Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010
(C) Hudood Ordinance
(D) Domestic Violence Act
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010
📘 Explanation: This was a major legislative step for women’s rights in Pakistan.
Q140. The slogan “Jahan aurat rote hai, wahan insaniyat sharminda hoti hai” was popularized by:
(A) Fatima Jinnah
(B) Asma Jahangir
(C) Malala Yousafzai
(D) Benazir Bhutto
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Asma Jahangir
📘 Explanation: She was a leading human rights lawyer and activist in Pakistan.
Q141. The Aurat March in Pakistan began in:
(A) 2015
(B) 2016
(C) 2018
(D) 2019
✅ Correct Answer: (C) 2018
📘 Explanation: It became an annual event demanding women’s rights.
Q142. “HeForShe” is a global solidarity campaign for gender equality launched by:
(A) WHO
(B) UN Women
(C) Amnesty International
(D) World Bank
✅ Correct Answer: (B) UN Women
📘 Explanation: Launched in 2014, supported by Emma Watson’s speech at the UN.
Q143. Which feminist thinker argued that “man is the measure of all things” is patriarchal?
(A) Simone de Beauvoir
(B) Judith Butler
(C) Sandra Harding
(D) Donna Haraway
✅ Correct Answer: (C) Sandra Harding
📘 Explanation: She critiqued male-centered epistemology in science.
Q144. Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto (1985) explored:
(A) Ecofeminism
(B) Cyberfeminism and technology
(C) Radical feminism
(D) Postcolonial feminism
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Cyberfeminism and technology
📘 Explanation: She argued for breaking boundaries of gender, nature, and machine.
Q145. Feminism that focuses on multiple marginalized identities is called:
(A) Liberal feminism
(B) Intersectional feminism
(C) Radical feminism
(D) Marxist feminism
✅ Correct Answer: (B) Intersectional feminism
📘 Explanation: It analyzes how race, class, and gender overlap.
Q146. In Pakistan, women were first allowed to contest general elections in:
(A) 1956
(B) 1962
(C) 1970
(D) 1973
✅ Correct Answer: (C) 1970
📘 Explanation: Women gained the right to contest and vote in all elections.
Q147. Which organization launched the “Planet 50-50 by 2030” campaign?
(A) UNDP
(B) UN Women
(C) World Bank
(D) UNESCO
✅ Correct Answer: (B) UN Women
📘 Explanation: It aims for gender equality by 2030.
Q148. The slogan “My body, my choice” in Pakistan sparked debate during:
(A) Women’s Protection Act debate
(B) 2018 Aurat March
(C) Benazir Bhutto’s rallies
(D) CEDAW ratification
✅ Correct Answer: (B) 2018 Aurat March
📘 Explanation: It symbolized bodily autonomy and women’s rights.
Q149. Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize in:
(A) 2012
(B) 2013
(C) 2014
(D) 2015
✅ Correct Answer: (C) 2014
📘 Explanation: She became the youngest-ever Nobel laureate for her work on girls’ education.
Q150. Gender Studies as an academic discipline emerged strongly in:
(A) 1950s
(B) 1960s–70s
(C) 1980s
(D) 1990s
✅ Correct Answer: (B) 1960s–70s
📘 Explanation: The rise of second-wave feminism institutionalized gender studies in universities.
📌 Final Note
Gender Studies is one of the most scoring optional subjects in CSS and PMS exams. With conceptual clarity and regular MCQs practice, aspirants can secure high marks easily.
👉 Keep practicing these MCQs, and don’t forget to share this resource with other aspirants.