Femininity is a set of characteristics and behaviors that are associated with, to women, girls and female bodies. Femininity is associated with characteristics like being soft, nurturing, emotional, communicative, not having power, not being in charge of decision-making and largely being secondary (and not primary). Femininity is associated with being the cause, inspiration and victim of violence. Femininity is sometimes associated with objectification and sexualization. Recently, femininity is more deliberately defined by self-reliance and resilience.

Schools and other educational institutions often reinforce deficit portrayals of femininity as, the not-male and therefore as the secondary and not-main. This can come through in pictures and stories in textbooks showing women in traditional “feminine” roles only or teachers asking girls to sweep and boys to move furniture. Gender transformative education seeks to systematically contest the devaluation of femininity and to combat misogynistic attitudes and practices. Gender transformative education emphasizes that all persons can express various masculinities and femininities.