Editing Woman (section)

== Sexuality and gender ==
{{Further|Human female sexuality|Trans woman}}
[[File:Let_S_Dance_(66683119).jpeg|thumb|upright|Most women are [[Heterosexuality|heterosexual]] (sexually attracted to men) and [[cisgender]] (were assigned female at birth and have a female gender identity).]]
[[File:Sandro Botticelli - La nascita di Venere - Google Art Project - edited.jpg|300px|thumb|''[[The Birth of Venus (Botticelli)|The Birth of Venus]]'' (1486, [[Uffizi]]) is a classic representation of femininity painted by [[Sandro Botticelli]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=phnkJIUyjmoC&pg=PA93 Manifestations of Venus: art and sexuality pg 93] By Katie Scott, Caroline Arscott pg 93-"...began its consideration of Venus by describing her as .... who presided over all feminine charms, for..."</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=n2Sv0gysRhUC&pg=PA49 The Pacific muse pg 49] By Patty O'Brien  "The young beautiful Venus wringing water from her tresses was a configuration of exotic femininity that was…</ref>

[[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] was a [[Roman mythology|Roman]] [[goddess]] principally associated with love, beauty and [[sexual reproduction|fertility]].]]
Female sexuality and attraction are variable, and a woman's sexual behavior can be affected by many factors, including [[evolutionary psychology|evolved predispositions]], [[personality]], [[parenting|upbringing]], and [[culture]]. While most women are [[heterosexual]], significant minorities are [[lesbian]] or [[bisexual]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bailey|first1=J. Michael|last2=Vasey|first2=Paul|last3=Diamond|first3=Lisa|author4-link=Marc Breedlove|last4=Breedlove|first4=S. Marc|last5=Vilain|first5=Eric|last6=Epprecht|first6=Marc|title=Sexual Orientation, Controversy, and Science|journal=Psychological Science in the Public Interest|date=2016|volume=17|issue=2|pages=45–101|doi=10.1177/1529100616637616|pmid=27113562|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301639075|doi-access=free|access-date=21 December 2019|archive-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20191202204542/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301639075_Sexual_Orientation_Controversy_and_Science|url-status=live}}</ref>

Most cultures use a [[gender binary]] by which women are of one of two genders, the others being [[men]]; other cultures have a [[third gender]].<ref name="Nadal-re-binary">Kevin L. Nadal, ''The Sage Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender'' (2017, {{ISBN|978-1-4833-8427-6}}), p. 401: "Most cultures currently construct their societies based on the understanding of gender binary—the two gender categorizations (male and female). Such societies divide their population based on biological sex assigned to individuals at birth to begin the process of gender socialization."</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Sigelman |first1=Carol K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M2M1DgAAQBAJ&pg=PA385 |title=Life-Span Human Development |last2=Rider |first2=Elizabeth A. |date=2017 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1-337-51606-8 |page=385 |language=en |access-date=4 August 2021 |archive-date=21 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721050224/https://books.google.com/books?id=M2M1DgAAQBAJ&pg=PA385 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Maddux |first1=James E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q-ChDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1028 |title=Psychopathology: Foundations for a Contemporary Understanding |last2=Winstead |first2=Barbara A. |date=2019 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-64787-1 |language=en |access-date=4 August 2021 |archive-date=21 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721050212/https://books.google.com/books?id=Q-ChDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1028 |url-status=live }}</ref> 
''[[Femininity]]'' (also called ''womanliness'' or ''girlishness'') is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Although femininity is socially constructed,<ref name="books.google.com">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F_F1DwAAQBAJ|title=Gale Researcher Guide for: The Continuing Significance of Gender|isbn=978-1535861175|last1=Shehan|first1=Constance L.|date= 2018|publisher=Gale, Cengage Learning }}</ref> some behaviors considered feminine are biologically influenced.<ref name="books.google.com"/><ref name="Gender, Nature, and Nurture">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R6OPAgAAQBAJ&q=%22biology+contributes%22+%22masculinity+and+femininity%22|title = Gender, Nature, and Nurture|isbn = 978-1135604257|last1 = Lippa|first1 = Richard A.|year=2005| publisher=Routledge }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5KLPlmr9T7MC&q=%22what+masculinity+and+femininity+are%22|title = Masculinity and Femininity in the MMPI-2 and MMPI-A| year=2010 | publisher=U of Minnesota Press |isbn = 978-1452900032}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceC">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SOTqzUeqmNMC&q=%22+biological+or+genetic+contributions%22|title = The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research|isbn = 978-1405143431|last1 = Wharton|first1 = Amy S.|year= 2009| publisher=John Wiley & Sons }}</ref> The extent to which femininity is biologically or socially influenced is subject to debate.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="Gender, Nature, and Nurture"/><ref name="ReferenceC"/> It is distinct from the definition of the biological female sex,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923045700/http://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en|archive-date=2014-09-23|title=Gender, Equity and Human Rights}}</ref><ref>Ferrante, Joan (January 2010). Sociology: A Global Perspective (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. pp. 269–272. {{ISBN|978-0-8400-3204-1}}.</ref> as both men and women can exhibit feminine traits.

Most women are [[cisgender]], meaning their [[assigned female at birth|female sex assignment at birth]] corresponds with their female [[gender identity]]. Some women are [[transgender]], meaning they were [[assigned male at birth]].<ref name="apa.org"/> [[Trans woman|Trans women]] may experience [[gender dysphoria]], the distress brought upon by the discrepancy between a person's gender identity and their sex assigned at birth.<ref>{{cite web|title=Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People (version 7) |publisher=The World Professional Association for Transgender Health |page=96 |url=http://admin.associationsonline.com/uploaded_files/140/files/Standards%20of%20Care,%20V7%20Full%20Book.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924061804/http://admin.associationsonline.com/uploaded_files/140/files/Standards%20of%20Care%2C%20V7%20Full%20Book.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-09-24 }}</ref> Gender dysphoria may be treated with [[Transgender health care|gender-affirming care]], which may include social or medical [[Gender transition|transition]]. Social transition may involve changes such as [[Name change|adopting a new name]], [[Hairstyle#Gender|hairstyle]], [[Clothing#Gender differentiation|clothing]], and [[Preferred gender pronoun|pronoun]] associated with the individual's affirmed female gender identity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sherer |first=Ilana |date=2016-03-01 |title=Social Transition: Supporting Our Youngest Transgender Children |journal=Pediatrics |language=en |volume=137 |issue=3 |pages=e20154358 |doi=10.1542/peds.2015-4358 |pmid=26921284 |doi-access=free }}</ref> A major component of medical transition for trans women is [[feminizing hormone therapy]], which causes the development of female [[secondary sex characteristic]]s (such as [[breast]]s, redistribution of body fat, and lower [[waist–hip ratio]]). Medical transition may also involve [[gender-affirming surgery]], and a trans woman may undergo one or more feminizing procedures which result in anatomy that is typically gendered female.<ref name="Beidel-2014">{{cite book |last1=Beidel |first1=Deborah C |author-link1=Deborah Beidel |last2=Frueh |first2=B. Christopher |last3=Hersen |first3=Michel |title=Adult Psychopathology and Diagnosis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rF3OAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA618 |access-date=12 December 2017 |edition=7th |date=30 June 2014 |publisher=Wiley |location=New York |isbn=978-1-118-92791-5 |page=618 |oclc=956674391 |archive-date=30 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330190955/https://books.google.com/books?id=rF3OAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA618 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Koellen-2016">{{cite book |last=Köllen |first=Thomas |title=Sexual Orientation and Transgender Issues in Organizations: Global Perspectives on LGBT Workforce Diversity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=60kWDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA138 |access-date=12 December 2017 |date=25 April 2016 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-29623-4 |page=138 |oclc=933722553 |archive-date=30 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330195550/https://books.google.com/books?id=60kWDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA138 |url-status=live }}</ref> Like cisgender women, trans women may have any sexual orientation.