Gender equality is achieved in written and spoken language when women and men, as well as individuals who do not fit into the binary gender paradigm, are made visible and addressed as people of equal worth, dignity, integrity, and respect. The use of terms that only refer to men is no longer acceptable, as excluding women is considered wrong. As a result, language should be used with great care.
Why is gender-sensitive language important?
Gender-sensitive language is essential because it includes everyone in society and provides a level playing ground for everyone without any kind of discrimination. Using gender-inclusive language, as described by the UN, is a powerful way to promote gender equality and eliminate gender bias. There is evidence that in countries where gendered languages are spoken, women have a lower labor-force participation rate. Even if society argues otherwise, the younger generations are constantly slicing and dicing words and phrases to reassemble them in novel ways that push the boundaries of language structures. Some words become more popular than others, while others are phased out, but the gender-inclusive language movement remains relevant.
Gender-sensitive language and stereotypes
Gender-sensitive language is one of the small steps to reduce gender stereotyping and discrimination. To make languages gender-neutral and to treat men and women symmetrically, two main strategies have been used: neutralization and feminization.
Neutralization is achieved by using gender-neutral pronouns to address any individual. For example, instead of using the words ‘ladies and gentlemen’ to address a group of people, we can use ‘everyone’.
Why do we need to use gender-sensitive language?
Since English as a language was invented all the people who spoke and were able to write have been traditionally taught to use gender binary nouns and pronouns even when their subject was unclear or it had members of both sexes. However, as the years passed by people expressed their gender identities and sexuality more openly and the use of these nouns and pronouns has been reconsidered. So we must be careful about how we express our ideas of gender more accurately. We can express our belief that men and women deserve social equality through our language.
For example here are three strategies to help you improve your gender-sensitive language:
- Use gender non-binary nouns and pronouns.
- Don’t use pronouns too frequently.
- Use gender-specific pronouns when you need to point out the action of an individual whose gender is known to you.
How can we make people aware?
- Community events to approach a particular audience, such as young people.
- Social media provides a chance for the message to spread widely as possible online.
- Culture activities, such as community meetings, presentations, training, and casual social functions that implement interactional and collaborative methods.
- Static and mobile fairs and exhibits
- Pamphlets, posters, illustrations, comic strips are examples of printed materials.
Who does gender insensitivity affect the most?
Masculine generic pronouns such as “his” when the person who is addressed need not be a male, have prominently been presented as male rather than female, even when followed by statements that the reference should be towards both genders. These mental images have adverse effects, such as women being less likely to go after a job where the place is addressed using a masculine generic language rather than a gender-neutral language. Therefore, feminists all over the world have been insisting on using the pronouns “his or her” instead of using the masculine generic “his”. However, it is still not a perfect solution because the female is given a second preference to the male just like many other phrases which are male-first, such as “kings and queens,” “princess and princes,” and “actors and actresses.” Etc.
Gender-Sensitive Language towards LGBTO Community
Gender-sensitive language is a frequently overlooked topic in India due to the prevalence of masculine and feminine nouns throughout the country. This may appear to be a minor issue for everyone, but it is a major issue for gender fluid people because they do not fit into either of the two traditional uses of nouns. Until recently, most of the queer discourse in India was conducted in English. Even though most native Indian languages are gender binary, there are a variety of approaches we can take to address this issue. Regional language textbooks, for example, can teach the use of gender-sensitive language. In recent years many LGBTQ activists all over the globe have mastered the use of gender-inclusive language by creating new non-binary language and by modifying the existing language and its grammar constructions. Gender-inclusive language ensures that no one is left out from a conversation or work. It is still tough to explain to people why they should use gender-inclusive language.
Conclusion
To conclude Gender-sensitive language is the way of speaking and writing in a way that does not discriminate against any gender or a community as well as breaking the old stereotypes attached with gender. There are a variety of strategies that can be used to accurately express gender relationships, such as avoiding the use of language that refers to any gender and ensuring, through inclusionary alternatives and according to the characteristics of each language, the use of gender-sensitive and inclusive language.
