Gender of Rearing

Gender of rearing refers to the gender in which a child is mainly addressed, treated, and raised by their environment. This includes not only names, pronouns, or clothing, but also expectations regarding behavior, the body, interests, and social roles. The term is used especially in contexts relating to intersex and transgender experiences.

A person’s gender of rearing is often linked to the sex assigned at birth, but it is not the same as that person’s gender identity. A child may grow up in a particular gender role and later understand or describe themselves differently. For intersex children, gender of rearing may also be connected to medical or legal decisions that were often made early in life and not always based on the informed consent of the person affected.

The term highlights that gender is also conveyed through social expectations and upbringing. A respectful approach means not forcing children and young people into rigid gender roles, taking their self-description seriously, and giving them space to develop names, pronouns, forms of expression, and identities in a self-determined way.