GENDER FAIR LANGUAGE

• Standards of Gender-Fair Communication

  • Portrayal
  • Representation
  • Stereotyping
  • Language
• Language articulates consciousness


  • As children, we learn to use language to express our basic needs and feelings
  • As we grow older, we use language to form our opinions and order our thoughts
• Language reflects culture


  • Cultural meanings and values are verbalized and transmitted through language
  • As a result, language becomes a tool for perpetuating stereotypes
• Language affects socialization


  • We learn the norms of the society or group that we are in, and conform to these norms
  • Children learning a language absorb all the underlying meanings of words
  • Inequalities reflected in language can affect the child's beliefs and behaviors
• Gender-Based Discrimination


  Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex, which has the purpose or effect of denying equal exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms in all fields of human endeavor
• Elements of Gender-Based Discrimination


  • Action that distinguishes, excludes or restricts a person
  • Basis is the sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation of the person
  • Purpose or effect is the person discriminated against is denied the equal exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms
• Sexism in Language


  Use of language that devalues members of a sex or gender, and thus fosters gender inequality
• Sexism in language is considered gender-based discrimination because it renders members of one sex or gender invisible or trivializes them, perpetuates notions of male supremacy, and promotes gender role stereotyping
• Kinds of Sexist Language

  • Language which excludes members of one sex or gender or renders them invisible
  • Language that trivializes women, diminishes their stature
  • Language that disparages and marginalizes women (or persons of another gender)
  • Language that fosters unequal gender relations
  • Gender polarization of meanings in the use of adjectives
  • Lexical Gap
  • Hidden Assumptions
• Language which excludes members of one sex or gender or renders them invisible

  • He does not live by bread alone (from the book of Deutoronomy)
  • Him who hath no sin, cast the first stone (from the book of John)
  • One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind (Niel Armstrong)
• Generic "Man"


  • All humanity is subsumed in the terms "man," "father," "brother," "master"
  • Confusion - "Man" is often associated with the adult male and it is difficult to distinguish if it is used in the literal sense or in the generic sense
  • Inequality - It reflects gender inequality because women are never seen in terms of general or representative humanity
  • Othering - "Man" represents the universe and the human while woman is the "other"
• Avoid using the generic masculine
• Alternatives to the generic masculine

  • Replace "man" with specific nouns or verbs that say explicitly what you mean ("labor," "human resources," "personnel" instead of "manpower")
  • Use nouns that encompass both man and woman ("humanity" instead of "mankind")
  • In making general statements, add "women" (Example: "Man is vulnerable." Say "Women and men are vulnerable." instead)
• The Generic "He" and "His"


  There is no gender-neutral singular pronoun in the English language, so by default "he" and "his" are often used in the generic sense. However, these pronouns render women invisible.
• Alternatives to the generic "he" and "his"


  • Plural: "Managers are responsible for their employees."
  • Drop it: "A manager is responsible for employees."
  • Drop and replace with an article: "A manager is responsible for the employees."
  • Repeat the noun: "A manager is a responsible officer. A manager is accountable for employees actions."
  • Use a neutral word: "A manager is responsible for one's employees."
  • Use second-person pronouns: "If you are a manager, you are responsible for your employees."
  • Recast: "Employees are the responsibility of managers."
• Terms ending in "man" but refer to functions performed by either sex

  Some professions and occupations have become gendered, often excluding, or at least discouraging the other sex from pursuing the profession. This paints the picture of the ideal person for the profession or occupation as a man.
• Eliminate stereotyping: Avoid terms in titles that refer to sex
• Avoid terms in titles that refer to sex

  • Policeman -> Police officer
  • Fireman -> Firefighter
  • Congressman -> Representative, Legislator
  • Chairman -> Chairperson
  • Councilman -> Councilor
  • Spokesman -> Spokesperson
• Language use that refers to men by default

  Generic words are used to refer exclusively to men, resulting in inaccurate depiction of the situation and not leaving room to acknowledge the existence of women.
• Language that trivializes women, diminishes their stature

  • Unnecessary reference is made to the person's sex through feminine suffixes (-ess, -ette, -trix, -enne), which suggests triviality, unimportance, or inferiority of women occupying such a position
  • Use of sex-linked modifiers sounds gratuitous, is patronizing and suggests that the norm for some occupations is for a particular sex
• Language that disparages and marginalizes women (or persons of another gender)


  Some commonly used terms inherently represent women as having less worth than men, and some words and phrases have, over time and usage, become associated with negative connotations
• Language that fosters unequal gender relations


  Language that puts one sex at an unequal footing with the other and thus perpetuates gender inequality
• Address men and women uniformly in formal correspondence, use gender-neutral openings and corresponding titles for females whenever a title is appropriate for males
• In letters to unknown persons, be specific instead of using "Dear Sir," "Gentlemen" and assuming the recipient is male
• Use parallelism when referring to couples, and even in work relationships where one is superior than the other
• Use of terms that call attention to a particular sex in designating concepts, roles, occupations, etc.


  Calls unnecessary attention to the sex of the subject and makes unnecessary distinction between women and men, thereby perpetuating stereotypes
• Gender Polarization


  The terms "womanly," "manly," "feminine" and "masculine" depict each sex as being solely associated with particular attributes, and therefore perpetuate stereotypes
• Use specific words instead to express every shade of meaning, and use a generic word not associated with gender stereotypes
• Sexually derogatory meanings attached to words referring to women

  Words like "mistress" vs. "master", "hostess" vs. "host", "madam" vs. "sir", "matron" vs. "patron" have negative connotations for women
• Lexical Gap


  In the English language, there is an absence or lack of words that refer to women's experiences
• Hidden Assumptions


  Statements that imply one sex is the default or norm, e.g. "Men can care for children just as well as women" vs. "Women can care for children just as well as men"
• Eliminate sexism when addressing people formally by using "Ms." instead of "Miss" or "Mrs.", using a married woman's first name instead of her husband's, and using the corresponding title for females whenever a title is appropriate for males
• Eliminate sexism in symbolic representations of gender in words, sentences and text
• When using sexist language in quoted material, paraphrase the quote using non-sexist language, quote directly and add "sic" after the sexist part, or partially quote and rephrase the sexist part while naming the source
• Beyond using non-sexist language, acknowledge that all human beings have equal abilities, must be given equal opportunities, and must be equally empowered to access these opportunities, unhampered by stereotypes
• Preferred Pronouns


  Gender pronouns that a person wants others to use when referring to them, such as he/him/his, she/her/hers, or they/them/theirs. Pronouns may not conform to societal norms.
• Preferred Pronoun Rules


  • If you know the person's gender identity, use the appropriate pronoun and title.
  • If you don't know, feel free to ask.
  • If you make a mistake and are asked to correct it, do so.