Welcome!
Atty. Allen L. Espino Gender-Fair Communication
for Public Information Officers
President, FORA Communications
Member, National GAD Resource Pool
January 30 to 31, 2019
GENDER-FAIR
Oracle Hotel, Quezon City
LANGUAGE
Webinar
NationalNational Series
GADGAD
ResourceResourceProgramProgram
| November 5, 2020
PhilippinePhilippine
Standards of
Gender-Fair Communication
Portrayal Representation Stereotyping Language
National GAD Resource Program
Philippine Commission on Women
What is it with words?
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
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Let’s try this.
What’s on
your mind?
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Language reflects culture
• Cultural meanings and values
are verbalised and
transmitted through language
• As a result, language
becomes a tool for
perpetuating stereotypes
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“Dalagang
Pilipina”
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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 behaviours
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Ano’ng trabaho
mo?
Wala. Housewife
lang.
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What is sexism in language?
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Gender-Based Discrimination
• Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW): it is 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.
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Elements of Gender-Based
Discrimination
• Action: that distinguishes,
excludes or restricts a person
• Basis: The sex, gender identity
or expression, sexual
orientation of the person
• Purpose or effect: Person
discriminated is denied the equal
exercise of human rights and
fundamental freedoms.
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Sexism in Language
• Use of language that devalues
members of a sex or gender,
and thus fosters gender
inequality
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Why is sexism in language considered
gender-based discrimination?
• Renders members of one sex or
gender invisible or trivializes them
• Perpetuates notions of male
supremacy
• Promotes gender role stereotyping
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What are the kinds of sexist language?
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1.
Language which excludes members of one
sex or gender or renders them invisible
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Fill in the blank:
does not live by
bread alone.
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Fill in the blank:
who hath no sin,
cast the first stone.
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Fill in the blanks:
One small step for ,
one giant leap for .
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Generic “Man”
• All humanity is subsumed in the terms “man,” “father,” “brother,” “master.”
• THE PROBLEM:
• 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”.
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Avoid using the generic masculine
• ALTERNATIVES:
• 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.
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Alternatives to the generic masculine
Current Usage Alternative
man human being, human, person, individual
mankind, men humankind, humanity, people, human
race, society, men and women
man on the street average person, ordinary person
layman layperson, non-specialist,
non-professional
man-made synthetic, artificial
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The Generic “He” and “His”
• THE PROBLEM:
• 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, when used to replace generic “man,” pose the same
problems.
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Use gender-neutral pronouns
• EXAMPLE: “A manager is responsible for his employees.”
• ALTERNATIVES:
• 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 his 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.”
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Terms ending in “man” but refer to
functions performed by either sex
• THE PROBLEM:
• Some professions and occupations have become gendered, often
excluding, or at least discouraging the other sex from pursuing the
profession
• Paints the picture of the ideal person for the profession or occupation
as a man (most often); as a result, women have difficulty entering the
profession or advancing their career
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Terms ending in “man” but refer to functions
performed by either sex
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Eliminate stereotyping:
Avoid terms in titles that refer to sex
• When writing titles or terms referring to occupations, avoid using
words that suggest the job is not normally or properly performed by
one sex or the other.
• EXAMPLE:
• Policeman -> Police officer
• Fireman -> Firefighter
• Congressman -> Representative, Legislator
• Chairman -> Chairperson
• Councilman -> Councilor
• Spokesman -> Spokesperson
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Language use that refers to men by default
• Generic words are used to refer
exclusively to men.
• THE PROBLEM:
• It results in inaccurate depiction of
the situation.
• The generic term does not leave
room to acknowledge existence of
women.
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Language use that refers to men by default
Example
“Evacuees moved west taking their
wives and children with them.”
“The town fiesta revelers dressed in
feathered costumes and accented
their faces with dyes. Women too
painted their faces.”
“People don’t give up power. They’ll
give up anything else first, money,
home, wife, but not power.”
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Language use that refers to men by default
Example Corrected
“Evacuees moved west taking their “Evacuees moved west taking their
wives and children with them.” families with them.”
“The town fiesta revelers dressed in “The town fiesta revelers dressed
feathered costumes and accented in feathered costumes and
their faces with dyes. Women too accented their faces with dyes.”
painted their faces.”
“People don’t give up power. They’ll “People don’t give up power. They’ll
give up anything else first, money, give up anything else first, money,
home, wife, but not power.” home, spouse, but not power.”
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2.
Language that trivializes women,
diminishes their stature
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Feminine suffixes (-ess, -ette, -trix, -enne)
• THE PROBLEM: Unnecessary Current Usage Alternative
reference is made to the actress actor
person’s sex aviatrix aviator
• Usage suggests triviality, comedienne comedian
unimportance, or inferiority of heroine hero
women occupying such a usherette usher
position
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Use of sex-linked modifiers
• THE PROBLEM: Sounds gratuitous, is
patronizing and suggests that the norm
for some occupations is for a particular Current Usage Alternative
sex. lady doctor, doctor
• Implies that they are not real doctors, doctora
lawyers, etc. lady lawyer lawyer
• When you need to point out the female male secretary secretary
aspect of the person occupying the
position, use “female” or “woman” heroic women heroes
instead of lady. male nurse nurse
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3.
Language that disparages and
marginalizes women
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Language that disparages and marginalizes
women (or persons of another gender)
• PROBLEM:
• Some commonly used terms inherently represent women as having less
worth than men
• Some words and phrases have, over time and usage, become
associated with negative connotations
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Current Usage Alternative
salesgirls saleswomen
bachelor girl, spinster, old maid unmarried woman
minority women ethnic women
house husbands, housewives homemakers
girl Friday administrative assistant
starlet aspiring actor
young girls teenage women
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4.
Language that fosters unequal gender
relations
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Lack of parallelism
• PROBLEM:
• Language that puts one sex at an unequal footing with the other and
thus perpetuates gender inequality
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Lack of parallelism
Current Usage Alternative
man and wife husband and wife
men and ladies men and women; ladies and
gentlemen
President Bush and Mrs. President Bush and President
Arroyo Arroyo
Martina and Connors Navratilova and Connors,
Martina and Jimmy
men and girls men and women; boys and
girls
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Address men and women uniformly
• In formal correspondence, don’t use “Dear Messrs.,” “Dear Sirs,”
or any similar format when addressing a body of several
individuals.
• Instead, use gender-neutral opening statements:
• EXAMPLE: “Dear board members,” or “Dear councilors”
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Address men and women uniformly
• Use the corresponding title for females whenever a title is
appropriate for males.
• EXAMPLE: “Dr. Gina Ramos” or “Prof. Maria Cruz”
• In letters to unknown persons, be specific instead of using “Dear
Sir,” “Gentlemen” and assuming that the recipient is a male
• ALTERNATIVES: “Dear Colleague” or “Editor” or “Professor”
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Use parallelism
• Same goes for couples
• WRONG: “Mr. and Mrs. Manny Pacquiao”
• CORRECT: “Mr. and Ms. Manny and Jinkee Pacquaio”; “Mr.
and Mrs. Pacquiao”; “Manny and Jinkee Pacquiao”; “Manny
and Jinkee”
• Even in work relationships where one is superior than the other,
stick to parallelism:
• WRONG: “Rep. Arcillas and her assistant Girlie”
• CORRECT: Rep. Arcillas and her assistant Ms. Santos”
National GAD Resource Program
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Use of terms that call attention to a particular sex in
designating concepts, roles, occupations, etc.
• PROBLEM:
• Calls unnecessary attention to the sex of the subject
• Makes unnecessary distinction between women and men,
thereby perpetuating stereotypes
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Use of terms that call attention to a person’s sex in
designating roles, concepts, activities, occupations
Current Usage Alternative
motherhood, fatherhood parenthood
stewardess, steward flight/cabin attendant
headmasters, headmistress principals
girl watching street harassment
cleaning women, cleaning lady cleaners
Chambermaid Housekeeper
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5.
Gender polarization of meanings in the
use of adjectives
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A. Nag-uusap
B. Nagchi-chismisan
C. Naghu-huntahan
D. Nagbabahagi
What word do you think best
E. Nagkukumustahan
describes what they are doing?
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Gender Polarization
• PROBLEM: The terms “womanly,” “manly,” “feminine” and “masculine”
depict each sex as being solely associated with particular attributes, and
therefore perpetuate stereotypes
• ALTERNATIVE:Use specific words instead to express every shade of
meaning
• PROBLEM: Some words have “manly” and “womanly” versions
• ALTERNATIVE:Use a generic word not associated with gender
stereotypes
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Examples
Attribute Male Adjective Female Adjective
forcefulness charismatic domineering
light-heartedness easygoing frivolous
forgetfulness absent-minded scatterbrained
anger outraged hysterical
interest in things curious nosy
ordinary appearance homely or plain
thoughtfulness concerned high-strung
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Sexually derogatory meanings attached to
words referring to women
• Mistress vs. Master
• Hostess vs. Host
• Madam vs. Sir
• Matron vs. Patron
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6.
Lexical Gap
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Lexical Gap
• THE PROBLEM: In the Examples
English language, there is Men are “henpecked” but women are
an absence or lack of not “cockpecked.”
words that refer to We refer to men’s “virility” but there is
women’s experiences not equivalent word for women’s
experience.
There is “patronage” but no
“matronage.”
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7.
Hidden Assumptions
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Compare the statements:
• Statement 1: “Men can care for children just as well as women.”
• Statement 2: “Women can care for children just as well as men.”
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Other Practical Tips
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Philippine Commission on Women
Eliminate sexism when addressing people
formally
• Use “Ms.” instead of “Miss” or “Mrs.,” even when a woman’s
marital status is known
• Use a married woman's first name instead of her husband’s
(e.g., “Ms. Annabelle Lee” not “Mrs. Herman Lee”)
• Use the corresponding title for females (“Ms.,” “Dr.,” “Prof.”)
whenever a title is appropriate for males
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Eliminate sexism in symbolic representations of
gender in words, sentences and text
• Sexism in contexts: Take the context, analyze the meaning and
find a non-sexist alternative
• EXAMPLE: “feelings of brotherhood,” “feelings of fraternity”
• ALTERNATIVE: “feelings of kinship,” “feelings of solidarity”
• EXAMPLE: “founding father”
• ALTERNATIVE: “founder,” “founding leader”
• EXAMPLE: “Father of Modern Medicine”
• ALTERNATIVE: “Founder of Modern Medicine”
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Preferred Pronouns
• Preferred Pronoun: A term used to describe 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
• Rule #1: If you know the person’s gender identity, use the
appropriate pronoun and title.
• Rule #2: If you don’t know, feel free to ask.
• Rule #3: If you make a mistake and are asked to correct it, do so.
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Source: Duke University. [Link]
Sexist language in quoted material
• Paraphrase the quote using non-sexist language, and give the
original author credit for the idea
• Quote directly and add sic after the sexist part
• Partially quote the material, rephrase the sexist part and name
the source
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POST-TEST
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TO: All Employees
FROM: The Chairman
Please be informed that every employee is directed to work from his
home from August 3 to 15, 2020 to give way for the cleaning lady to
disinfect the office. From August 16 to 30, the office will operate with a
skeleton manpower.
During the period, please email your daily reports to your departments’
respective girl Friday so that she can consolidate them for submission.
For your strict compliance.
National GAD Resource Program
Philippine Commission on Women
[Link]
TO: All Employees
FROM: The Chairman
Please be informed that every employee is directed to work from his
home from August 3 to 15, 2020 to give way for the cleaning lady to
disinfect the office. From August 16 to 30, the office will operate with a
skeleton manpower.
During the period, please email your daily reports to your departments’
respective girl Friday so that she can consolidate them for submission.
For your strict compliance.
National GAD Resource Program
Philippine Commission on Women
[Link]
ANNOUNCEMENT
This year’s virtual Freshmen Orientation Program is happening on
August 24, 2020, at 1:00 PM via Zoom.
We have invited our notable alumni, Senators Nancy and Kiko
Pangilinan, to formally welcome you to the community of future
businessmen, professionals and politicians.
To confirm your attendance, kindly send an email to
freshmen2020@[Link].
National GAD Resource Program
Philippine Commission on Women
[Link]
ANNOUNCEMENT
This year’s virtual Freshmen Orientation Program is happening
on August 24, 2020, at 1:00 PM via Zoom.
We have invited our notable alumni, Senators Nancy and Kiko
Pangilinan, to formally welcome you to the community of future
businessmen, professionals and politicians.
To confirm your attendance, kindly send an email to
freshmen2020@[Link].
National GAD Resource Program
Philippine Commission on Women
[Link]
Computers: Man’s Modern Tool
Since the beginning of time, man has used tools in many aspects
of their lives. Today, these tools abound in different shapes and
forms although they serve the same purpose: to make life easier
for mankind.
Women use tools to maintain an orderly and comfortable home
while men depend on tools for both their hobbies and their work.
Even the little kid has access to a very important tool—the
modern computer—before he even steps into school.
Today, from laymen to professionals, the computer is used by
everyone in ways that Charles Babbage, the Father of Modern
Computing may not have imagined.
National GAD Resource Program
Philippine Commission on Women
[Link]
Computers: Man’s Modern Tool
Since the beginning of time, man has used tools in many aspects
of their lives. Today, these tools abound in different shapes and
forms although they serve the same purpose: to make life easier
for mankind.
Women use tools to maintain an orderly and comfortable
home while men depend on tools for both their hobbies and
their work. Even the little kid has access to a very important
tool—the modern computer—before he even steps into school.
Today, from laymen to professionals, the computer is used by
everyone in ways that Charles Babbage, the Father of Modern
Computing may not have imagined.
National GAD Resource Program
Philippine Commission on Women
[Link]
Our goal
National GAD Resource Program
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Means to an end
• Beyond using non-sexist language in our work-related
communication, acknowledge that both all human beings:
• Have equal abilities
• Must be given equal opportunities
• Must be equally empowered to access these opportunities,
unhampered by stereotypes
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Philippine Commission on Women
Gender
Gap
Index
ranks
countries
according to
calculated
gender gap
between
women and
men in four
key areas to
gauge the
state of
gender
equality in a
country.
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The sustainable answer
to global poverty?
Gender parity.
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Philippine Commission on Women
Link to the Evaluation Form:
[Link]
Thank you very much.
Atty. Allen L. Espino
President, FORA Communications
Member, National GAD Resource Pool
aespino@[Link]
National GAD Resource Program
Philippine Commission on Women
