engendering

Engendering is the act or process of causing something to come into existence or to be produced. The term is the gerund form of the verb engender, meaning to give rise to or generate. It commonly refers to actions that produce a particular outcome, condition, or phenomenon, whether tangible or abstract. The object of engendering is usually a noun phrase describing what is generated, such as trust, poverty, disparities, or attitudes.

In the social sciences, engendering is used to describe how social structures, practices, or policies create or reinforce certain states or relations. In gender studies, engendering is used to analyze how processes produce gender identities, roles, and norms, or how policies and environments engender gendered outcomes. The term is often used alongside gendering to mark the dynamic process of creating or shaping gendered realities.

In policy, design, and management, engendering often appears in phrases like engendering outcomes or engendering policy to indicate that considerations of gender must be explicitly integrated into processes and evaluations. Critics note that engendering can be vague when not tied to specific examples; some prefer gendering or gender-responsive language for clarity.

Etymology: engender derives from Middle English engendren, from Old French engendrer, and ultimately from Latin ingenerare, meaning to beget or to generate.