What does gender mean?

Answer 1

It depends on the context. Gender is often used interchangeably with the word sex to refer to what physical sexual characteristics and body parts you have.

In transsexual and transgender circles, the word sex refers to the body, and the word gender refers to your nature and who you are. A new understanding in such communities splits this usage of gender into gender identity and gender role. So gender identity refers to who you are, while gender role refers to the things associated with gender in society. So gender identity might be inborn, while gender role is most certainly cultural.

Answer 2

Gender refers to the roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a society considers appropriate for men and women. It is a social construct that can vary across cultures and time periods, and is distinct from biological sex. Gender encompasses a wide spectrum beyond just male and female, including non-binary and genderqueer identities.