Gender-Fair

Language
EnP. Philip Amiel B. Lopez, RN, LPT
Regional GAD Officer
Member, CALABARZON GAD Resource Pool
Member, National GAD Resource Pool
Session 1: Sexism in Language

Session 2: Guidelines for Gender-Fair

Use of Language

Session 3: Gender Empowering

Language and Language
of Resistance
Objectives

• Explain how gender bias in language can reinforce

gender stereotypes, inequalities and marginalization;
and

• Use gender fair and empowering language in their oral

and written communication, including the language of
resistance.
 Fair
or

Unfair
 Fair or Unfair?
Men are like women in
preparing meals for children.
 Fair or Unfair?
Man has always feared what
he doesn’t understand.
 Fair or Unfair?
My mother is a career woman.
 Fair or Unfair?
Sharon Cuneta is a superb
actor.
 Fair or Unfair?
Our heroes fought for the
freedom of our mother land
during the Spanish era.
 Fair or Unfair?
President George W. Bush and
Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
had a meeting.
 Fair or Unfair?
The chair raised a motion to
suspend the implementation of
the project guidelines.
 Fair or Unfair?
We need more manpower for
the incoming activity.
 Fair or Unfair?
The PDO failed to submit his
report on time.
“LANGUAGE is the BLOOD of
the SOUL into which
THOUGHTS run and out of
which they grow”
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
 “As a format of inferential reasoning,
language may not only be a capacity to
communicate, but fundamentally the way
in which thoughts are encoded.”
-Fodor, 1975, 2008
Language, and how we use it, is virtually
important…
• Where words and punctuation are placed matters.
• How words are placed give meaning, depth and
structure to our ideas.
• How we choose our words matters.
• Words get serious when the situation gets serious.
• Words have weight. -Mia Doering, How the Language We Use Can
Combat Violence Against Women/www.thejournal.ie
Session 1: Sexism in Language

What is sexism in language?

How does it perpetuate

stereotypes?
Sexism in Language

• Use of language which devalues members

of one sex, almost invariably women, and
thus fosters gender inequality
Relationship of Gender and Language
Language articulates consciousness
Language reflects culture
Language affects socialization

Source: UP Center for Women’s Studies: Gender Fair Language – A Primer

Kinds of Sexist Language
A. Language that excludes women or render them invisible
B. Language that trivializes women or diminishes their stature
C. Language which disparages and marginalizes women or persons of
another gender
D. Language that fosters unequal gender relations
E. Language with gender polarization of meanings in the use of
adjectives
F. Language with lexical gaps
G. Language with hidden assumptions
H. Language with metaphors which reflect a male-centered view of the
world or portray women as objects
 A. Language that excludes women or render
them invisible
1. Use of pseudo-generic masculine
Examples:
• Mankind
• Man-made
• One man show
 A. Language that excludes women or render
them invisible
2. Use
of singular masculine pronouns
(when gender of the antecedent is unknown)
Examples:
• The student submitted his report to the teacher.
• The child brought all the materials all by himself.
A. Language that excludes women or render them
invisible
3.Use of terms ending in man to refer to functions
that may be performed by individuals of either sex
Examples:
• Cameraman

• Chairman
• Policeman
 A. Language that excludes women or render
them invisible
4. Use of terms as though they apply to adult males
only, or are appropriated to a particular sex
Examples:
• Farmers found their drought conditions difficult, and so
did their wives.
• It has been falsely said that Greeks mistreated their
wives.
 B. Language that trivializes women or
diminishes their stature
1. Use of feminine suffixes such as -ess, -ette, -trix or -enne,
make unnecessary reference to the person’s sex, suggest
triviality, unimportance, or inferiority of women occupying such
position
Examples:
• Usherette
• Actress
• Heroine
 B. Language that trivializes women or
diminishes their stature
2. Use of sex-linked modifiers sounds gratuitous, is
patronizing and suggests that the norm for some occupations
is for a particular sex
Examples:
• Lady Doctor, Doctora
• Male Nurse
• Male Secretary
• Working Mothers
C. Language which disparages and marginalizes
women or persons of another gender
Examples:
• Lady • House Husband
• Old Maid • Hookers
• Weaker Sex • Chick
• Starlets • Maid
D. Language that fosters unequal gender relations

1. Lack of parallelism
Examples:
• Man and Wife
• Men and Girls
• Men and Ladies
• President Bush and Mrs. Arroyo
 D. Language that fosters unequal gender
relations
2. Use of terms that call attention to a person’s sex
in designating occupations, positions, roles, etc.
Examples:
• Stewardess
• Fathers (religious)
• Motherhood/Fatherhood
 E. Language with gender polarization of
meanings in the use of adjectives
Examples:
• Forceful men are perceived as charismatic while
forceful women are labeled domineering.
• Angry men are described as outraged, while angry
women are described as hysterical.
• Men of ordinary appearance go without mention, while
women of ordinary appearance are labeled plain or
homely.
 E. Language with gender polarization of
meanings in the use of adjectives
• Negative or sexually derogatory meanings
accrue to words referring to woman but not to
equivalent words for man
Examples:
• Hostess
• Madam
 F. Language with lexical gaps

• Absence or lack of words that refer to women’s

experiences
Examples:
• Men are henpecked but women are not cockpecked.
• There is patronage but no matronage.
 G. Language with hidden assumptions

Examples:
Men can care for children just as well as women.
Women can care for children just as well as men.
H. Language with metaphors which reflect a
male-centered view of the world or portray
women as objects
Examples:
Phallocentric metaphors
• We provide input, we get the thrust of an argument,
we penetrate a problem.
• We “master” material.
H. Language with metaphors which reflect a
male-centered view of the world or portray
women as objects

Examples:
Metaphors referring to women as:
• Sugar
• Cheesecake
• Small Animals
End of Session
Session 2: Guidelines for Gender-Fair Use
of Language

How can one say that the language he or she is

using is gender-fair?

How do you make your statements

gender-fair?
 Language

Language plays a central role in the way human

beings behave or think. Word choices often reflect
unconscious assumptions about gender roles.
(National Council of Teachers of
English)
 Gender-Fair Language
…minimizes unnecessary concern about
gender in your subject matter, allowing both
you and your reader to focus on what people
do rather than on which sex they happen to
be.

-Center for Global Communication+Design

 Gender-Fair Language: How???
In general, different strategies can be used to make language gender-
fair and avoid detrimental effects of masculine generics:
Neutralization
- replacing male-masculine forms with gender unmarked forms.
Feminization
- use of feminine forms to make female referents visible
Combination of the Two

Source: Magda Formanowicz and Franziska Moser: Frontiers in Psychology

 Specific Guidelines
(National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE),
USA)

A. The Pseudo-Generic He and His: Creating Gender Balance

B. The Pseudo-Generic Man: Creating Gender Balance
C. Titles, Labels, and Names: Promoting Gender Equity
D. Gender Stereotypes: Strategies for reducing Negative Effects
E. Textual Citations: Reducing the Effects of Language that is not Gender-Fair
F. SOGIE: Inclusive and Accurate Terms
 The Pseudo-Generic
He and His: Creating Gender
Balance
1. The use of he or his when referring to both a female and a male
excludes the female. To be inclusive, writers and presenters must
use both he and she, and they must consciously balance pronoun
use by sometimes reversing their order.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• If a partner-beneficiary studies hard,
he will succeed.
• If a partner-beneficiary studies hard,
he or she will succeed.
• If a partner-beneficiary studies hard,
she or he will succeed.
• Partner-beneficiaries who study hard
will succeed
2. Sometimes it is possible to drop the possessive form
from his altogether to substitute an article.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• The average student is worried about • The average student is worried about
his grades. grades.

• When the student hands in his paper, • When the student hands in the paper,
grade it immediately. grade it immediately.
3. Often, it makes sense to use the plural instead of
the singular.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• Give the student his grade right away.
• Each grantee will do better if he has a
voice in the decision.
• Give the students their grade right
away.
• Grantees will do better if they have a
voice in the decision.
4. The first- or second-person pronoun can
sometimes be substituted for the third person.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• As a municipal link, he faces • As municipal links, we face challenges
challenges daily. daily.

• When a teacher asks a question, he • When you ask your students a

seeks student response. question, you are asking for student
response.
5. In some situations, the form one/one’s can be
substituted for he/his.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• He might wonder what his response • One might wonder what one’s
should be. response should be.
6. A sentence with he or his can sometimes be recast in the passive
voice. Although the passive voice has been much maligned, it has a
valid function if not overused.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• Each municipal link should hand in his • Papers should be handed promptly.
report promptly. • Taxes are paid promptly by the
• The average citizen pays his taxes average citizen.
promptly.

Note: Gender-conscious language users object to the passive voice when its use allows the performer of an action to escape
responsibility for that action, i.e., She was assaulted.
7. A sentence with he or his can be recast by
substituting a participial phrase for a clause.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• Listen to the two-year-old as he • Listen to the two-year-old using
uses his short, simple sentences short, simple sentences to
to communicate. communicate.
8. When the subject is an indefinite pronoun, a number of
options exist:
A. Recast the sentence to avoid using the indefinite pronoun.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• When everyone contributes his own • When all the MAT members
ideas, the discussion will be success. contribute their own ideas, the meeting
will be a success.
• Does everybody have his cash card? • Do all of you have your cash cards?
The Pseudo-Generic Man:
Creating Gender Balance
1. The use of the word man to represent both women and men
excludes women, and it minimalizes their contributions and their
worth as human beings. Opt to use more inclusive terms.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• Mankind
• Man’s achievements
• The best man for the job
• Man the controls
• Man the ticket booth
• Humanity, human beings, people
• Human achievements
• The best person for the job
• Take charge of
• Staff the ticket booth
2. When describing a job or career both men and women
may perform, avoid using a combined term that specifies
gender.
Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives
• Chairman/Chairwoman • Chair, Coordinator, Moderator
• Businessman/Businesswoman • Business Executive, Manager
• Congressman/Congresswoman • Congressional Representative
• Policeman/Policewoman • Police Officer
• Salesman/Saleswoman • Salesperson, Sales Clerk
• Fireman • Firefighter
• Mailman • Postal Worker, Letter Carrier
Titles, Labels, and Names:
Promoting Gender Equity
1. Identify men and women in the same way. Diminutive or special forms to name
women are usually unnecessary. In most cases, generic terms such as doctor,
judge, or actor include both genders. Only occasionally are alternate forms
needed, and in these cases, the alternate form replaces both the masculine and
feminine titles.
Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives
• Stewardess • Flight Attendant/Steward
• Authoress • Author
• Poetess • Poet
• Coed • Student
• Male Nurse • Nurse

Note: If the gender of a professional is important to a person seeking professional assistance, exceptions may
occur. In such cases, the effects of gender labeling can be mitigated by changing the gender-laden descriptor to a
noun, emphasizing the professional title and deemphasizing the gender i.e. a woman who is a doctor rather than
woman doctor.
2. Seek alternatives to language that omits, patronizes, or trivializes
women, as well as to language that reinforces stereotyped images of
both women and men.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• I’ll have my girl do that job.
• Maria is a career woman.
• The ladies on the committee all
supported the bill.
• Pam had lunch with the girls at the
office.
• This is a man-sized job.
• I’ll ask my assistant to do the job.
• Maria is a professional.
• The women on the committee
supported the bill.
• Pam had lunch with the women at the
office.
• This is a complex job.
3. Treat women and men in parallel manner.
Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives
• The reporter interviewed Chief Justice • The reporter interviewed William Cruz
William Cruz and Mrs. Sandra Santos and Sandra Santos.

• The reading list included Jane Austen, • The reading list included Austen,
Joyce, Proust, and Virginia Woolf. Joyce, Proust, and Woolf.

• They were pronounced man and wife. • They were pronounced husband and
wife.
4. Do not label athletic teams according to
gender.
Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives
• Girl pitcher or lady pitcher • Pitcher
• The Lady Cardinals • Cardinals
5. Use courtesy titles that promote gender equity. Courtesy titles that
label a woman in regard to her relationship to a man or forms of
address that depict a woman as the mere appendage of her husband
trivialize women or render them invisible.

Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives

• Miss, Mrs. • Ms.
• Mrs. Ruben Reyes • Ms. Olivia Reyes
• Mr. and Mrs. Ruben Reyes • Ms. Olivia Reyes and Mr. Ruben
Reyes
Gender Stereotypes: Strategies
for reducing Negative Effects
1. Do not represent certain jobs or roles as only appropriate for, or
held by, women or men, i.e. farmers are men and elementary
teachers are women. Doing so makes gender-based assumptions.
When referring to a job or role, use a gender-specific pronoun only if
the gender of the person is known.
Exclusionary Forms (Avoid) Inclusionary Alternatives
• Dear Mothers, • Dear Families,
Please bake cookies for our Please bake cookies for our
class. class.

• Training attendees and their wives are • Training attendees and their guests are
invited. invited.
2. Do not represent females and males as possessing
stereotypic gender attributes.

Girls are timid and boys are brave

Males are admired for their accomplishments and
women for their physical attributes
Females are passive and males are active
Textual Citations: Reducing the
Effects of Language that is not
Gender-Fair
o Recast the material, changing a direct quotation into
a paraphrase that fits the sense of the discussion and
retains the original author’s intent.

o Point out the gender-biased nature of the passage to

diffuse its power. Thomas Jefferson stated, “All men
are created equal”. Of course, had he written during
current times, he surely would have said all people are
created equal.
oMake substantial revisions or deletions when language
is gender-biased or when stereotyped assumptions
about males and females pervade a passage.

oIf none of these options work, consider avoiding the

passage altogether whenever doing so does not detract
from writing’s content, tone or purpose.
SOGIE: Inclusive and Accurate Terms
(GLAAD Media Reference Guide)
1. Use gay (adj.) or lesbian (n.) to describe people
attracted to members of the same sex.

Offensive Preferred

• Homosexual • Gay man

• Gay person
• Lesbian
2. When referring to relationships, avoid terms that
denigrate people of diverse SOGIE.

Offensive Preferred
• Homosexual relationship • Relationship
• Homosexual couple • Couple
• Homosexual sex • Sex
3. Avoid terminologies that suggest that being gay
person, lesbian or bisexual is a choice and can be or
should be cured.
Offensive Preferred

• Sexual preference • Sexual orientation

• Gay/Lesbian lifestyles • Gay/Lesbian lives
4. Avoid terminologies that suggest that being gay
person, lesbian or bisexual is somehow shameful
or inherently secretive.
Offensive Preferred
• Admittedly • Openly
gay/lesbian/bisexual gay/lesbian/bisexual
• Avowed homosexual • Out
5. Transgender should not be used as a noun but
an adjective.

Offensive Preferred
• Transgender • Transgender person
• Transgenders • Transgender people
6. Avoid overemphasizing surgery when
discussing transgender people or the process of
transition.
Offensive Preferred
• Sex change • Transition
• Pre/post-operative
7. Avoid over-simplifying complex subjects.

Offensive Preferred
• Biologically male/female • Assigned male/female at
• Born a man/woman birth
• Genetically male/female • Designated male/female
at birth
PRINCIPLES:
Respect for the inherent dignity,
worth, or rights of all people
Inclusiveness
Gender Equality
 Balancing the Representation of
Females and Males
As important as language is, making minor changes
in vocabulary and usage to achieve gender fairness is
virtually futile if underlying assumptions about gender
restrict the people represented in texts to traditional
roles.
 Balancing the Representation of
Females and Males
Simply changing cavemen to cave dwellers or actress
to actor will do little to promote gender fairness when
female voices are absent or underrepresented in texts.
Attempts must be made to provide gender balance
through the careful selection of materials.
 How about
promoting gender-
fair discourse?
• Praise, encourage, and respond to
contributions of females and males equally.
• Call on females as often as males to answer
both factual and complex questions.
• Create an atmosphere where females are not
interrupted by others more often than males.
• Establish collaborative groups composed of both
males and females to provide opportunities for all
voices to be heard.
• Value intellect; avoid references to appearance and
physical attributes.
• Choose females for leadership positions as often as
males.
• Avoid comments or humor that demean or
stereotype males or females.
Let’s see how far you’ve
learned… 
Luisa M. Ocampo is a scholar of Expanded Students Grant-in-Aid Program
for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA) under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program of DSWD. Her family has been a beneficiary of the program for
almost five years. Luisa is the eldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ocampo.
She lives with her parents and two siblings in Iloilo City wherein their
mother tongue is Hiligaynon. She has always been reminded by her
parents to never be ashamed of their dialect wherever she goes because
their forefathers have told them to always be proud of their origin. Mr. Henry
Ocampo is a well-known repairman in their locality while her mother, whom
she considers as her heroine, is part of the working mothers in the nearby
barangay. In 2010, her entire family transferred to Cavite Province for
business opportunities.
Being a Lady Doctor was one of Luisa’s greatest dreams. She was inspired by
one of the nurses in the hospital who is so dedicated in doing her
responsibilities. To fulfill this dream, she enrolled as a BS Nursing student at
Cavite State University. Being a freshman, she already encountered challenges
in studying as she tries to balance her time for her studies and being a student
assistant to earn extra income for her educational expenses. She also joined in
one of the organizations in her course as she wanted to experience the feeling
of brotherhood. She is eager to develop a trustful brotherhood with the rest of
the members of the organization where she learned to believe that all men are
created equal. After four years in college, she managed to graduate as the only
Suma Cum Laude of her batch. In her speech, she encouraged other graduates
to be man enough and never give up in pursuing their dreams. She was quoted
for saying that “as one grows older, he becomes more effective”. As a proud
alumna of her alma mater, she promised herself that she will be a career
woman someday.
At the age of 30, Luisa has attained a lot of achievements in her
career as a Municipal Link of DSWD Field Office IV-CALABARZON
under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Since Luisa is
already in her early 30’s, her parents already wanted her to get
married because during their generation, a lady is considered an old
maid at the age of 25. As part of being a GAD advocate, she upheld
the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders. She made
an initiative to teach young women to know their rights and encourage
them to promote gender equality and women empowerment.
1.
Luisa M. Ocampo is a scholar of Expanded Students Grant-in-
Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA) under the
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of DSWD.
2.
Her family has been a beneficiary of the program for almost
five years.
3.
Luisa is the eldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ocampo.

Luisa is the eldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ocampo.

4.
She lives with her parents and two siblings in Iloilo City wherein
their mother tongue is Hiligaynon.

She lives with her parents and two siblings in Iloilo City wherein
their mother tongue is Hiligaynon.
5.
She has always been reminded by her parents to never be
ashamed of their dialect wherever she goes because their
forefathers have told them to always be proud of their origin.

She has always been reminded by her parents to never be

ashamed of their dialect wherever she goes because their
forefathers have told them to always be proud of their origin.
6.
Mr. Henry Ocampo is a well-known repairman in their locality
while her mother, whom she considers as her heroine, is part of
the working mothers in the nearby barangay.

Mr. Henry Ocampo is a well-known repairman in their locality

while her mother, whom she considers as her heroine, is part of
the working mothers in the nearby barangay.
7.
In 2010, her entire family transferred to Cavite Province for
business opportunities.
8.
Being a Lady Doctor was one of Luisa’s greatest dreams.

Being a Lady Doctor was one of Luisa’s greatest dreams.

9.
She was inspired by one of the nurses in the hospital who is
so dedicated in doing her responsibilities.

She was inspired by one of the nurses in the hospital who is

so dedicated in doing her responsibilities.
10.
To fulfill this dream, she enrolled as a BS Nursing student at
Cavite State University.
11.
Being a freshman, she already encountered challenges in
studying as she tries to balance her time for her studies and
being a student assistant to earn extra income for her
educational expenses.

Being a freshman, she already encountered challenges in

studying as she tries to balance her time for her studies and
being a student assistant to earn extra income for her
educational expenses.
12.
She also joined in one of the organizations in her course as
she wanted to experience the feeling of brotherhood.

She also joined in one of the organizations in her course as

she wanted to experience the feeling of brotherhood.
13.
She is eager to develop a trustful brotherhood with the rest of
the members of the organization where she learned to believe
that all men are created equal.

She is eager to develop a trustful brotherhood with the rest of

the members of the organization where she learned to believe
that all men are created equal.
14.
After four years in college, she managed to graduate as the
only Suma Cum Laude of her batch.
15.
In her speech, she encouraged other graduates to be man
enough and never give up in pursuing their dreams.

In her speech, she encouraged other graduates to be man

enough and never give up in pursuing their dreams.
16.
She was quoted for saying that “as one grows older, he
becomes more effective”.

She was quoted for saying that “as one grows older, he
becomes more effective”.
17.
As a proud alumna of her alma mater, she promised herself
that she will be a career woman someday.

As a proud alumna of her alma mater, she promised herself

that she will be a career woman someday.
18.
At the age of 30, Luisa has attained a lot of achievements in
her career as a Municipal Link of DSWD Field Office IV-
CALABARZON under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program.
19.
Since Luisa is already in her early 30’s, her parents already
wanted her to get married because during their generation, a
lady is considered an old maid at the age of 25.

Since Luisa is already in her early 30’s, her parents already

wanted her to get married because during their generation, a
lady is considered an old maid at the age of 25.
20.
As part of being a GAD advocate, she upheld the rights of
gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders.

As part of being a GAD advocate, she upheld the rights of

gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders.
20.
She made an initiative to teach young women to know their
rights and encourage them to promote gender equality and
women empowerment.
 Fair
or

Unfair
 Fair or Unfair?
Men are like women in
preparing meals for children.
Unfair
 Hidden
Assumption
 Fair or Unfair?
Man has always feared what
he doesn’t understand.
Unfair
Pseudo-generic use
of MAN
 Fair or Unfair?
My mother is a career woman.
Unfair
Stereotypic
 Fair or Unfair?
Sharon Cuneta is a superb
actor.
Fair
 Fair or Unfair?
Our heroes fought for the
freedom of our mother land
during the Spanish era.
Unfair
 Sex-Linked
Characteristics
 Fair or Unfair?
President George W. Bush and
Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
had a meeting.
Unfair
Not Parallel
 Fair or Unfair?
The chair raised a motion to
suspend the implementation of
the project guidelines.
Fair
 Fair or Unfair?
We need more manpower for
the incoming activity.
Unfair
Pseudo-generic use
of MAN
 Fair or Unfair?
The PDO failed to submit his
report on time.
Unfair
Pseudo-generic use
of HIS
End of Session
Session 3: Gender Empowering Language
and Language of Resistance

How can language be empowering or

disempowering?

How does one highlight resistance in

language?
 Supreme Court Decision on People vs. Oydoc

One should not expect a 14-year-old girl to act like an adult or

mature and experience woman who would know what to do
under such difficult circumstances and who would have courage
and intelligence to disregard a threat on her life and the members
of her family and complain immediately that she had been
forcibly deflowered. It is not uncommon for young girls to
conceal for some time the assaults on her virtue because of the
rapist’s threat on their lives, more so when the rapist is the
child’s own stepfather, living with her.
 Activity:

“Deconstructing the Written Word”

 Statement

A female prostitute was sexually assaulted by

one of her customers. She wants to file a case
against the perpetrator. However, this is
inevitable because her line of work is satisfying
the sexual needs and providing pleasure to her
customers.
 Possible Answer

A female guest relation officer was sexually

assaulted by one of her customers. Because she
knows what her human rights are, she decided to file
a case against the perpetrator. As a person,
regardless of her work, she still has the personal
agency to assert her human rights.
“Language, as our expression of thoughts
and feelings, has the power to transform.
It's inextricably linked to our view of reality.
By changing our language, we can affect
our view of reality, which is, in effect, our
reality.”

-Dan Craft, PhD, seizetruth.com

 Gender-
Language of
Empowering
Resistance
Language
 Empowering Language

• Reflects the client-survivor as someone with

choices and not a mere victim
• Describes the perpetrator as someone with
intent and full control over his acts of
violence
Gender-empowering language is language that reflects
the speaker as someone with choices and agency, and not
one who is a victim of circumstance. By so doing, one
can move from “playing the victim to having choices,
from feeling powerless to being in control of our life,
from fear to love. And one can move into action.
-Craft, Undated
How can language
be disempowering
and re-victimizing
to survivors?
They are made to assume responsibility,
partly or wholly, for what happened to
them.
Examples:
• “She was wearing a tight-fitting dress on the night
she was sexually assaulted.”
• “She has become so obese that it came as no
surprise that her husband fell for another woman.”
They are portrayed as pathological or
dysfunctional.

Examples:
• “ She is crazy to put up with the abuse for
a decade now.“
The perpetrators’ responsibility for their
acts of violence are concealed or mitigated.

Examples:
• “As the head of the family, he forbade her
from looking for work because he could
comfortably support her and the children.
But she went out and found herself a
job.”
Acts of violence are described in neutral,
even erotic terms.

Examples:
• The victim’s stepfather French kissed her
inside the victim’s room.
 The language we use in describing acts of
violence against women is one that puts the
responsibility wholly on the perpetrator;
represents them as deliberate and criminal
acts; and reflects the resistance that woman
put up against them.
 Gender-
Language of
Empowering
Resistance
Language
 Resistance
…is defined as “any mental or behavioral act through which a
person attempts to expose, withstand, repel, stop, prevent,
abstain from, strive against, impede, refuse to comply with,
or oppose any form of violence or oppression (including any
type of disrespect) or the conditions that make such acts
possible.”
-Wade, 1997, p.25
“Alongside women’s stories of abuse are ‘determined,
prudent and creative resistance’ which the therapist has
to cull out and highlight in the therapy and in the
preparation of written narratives.”
-Coates and Wade 2004
In understanding resistance, the following points
may help:
• Whenever people are badly treated, they always resist.
• People tend not to notice that victims resist abuse.
• Perpetrators of violence know that victims will resist,
so they make plans to stop the victims from resisting.
• Violent and abusive behavior is always done
deliberately.
• When it comes to domestic violence, appearances are
deceiving.
-Honouring Resistance, How Women Resist Abuse in Intimate Relationship
Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter
 Language of Resistance

• the opposite of language that portrays women

as victims to be pitied or victims to be blamed
for their plight.
 Examples of Resistance:
 Woman survivor who held her head high and told herself
“stand tall” whenever her husband insulted her
 Wear nice clothes and have her hair styled amid his constant
criticism of how she looked
 Non-compliance with husband’s instructions; or going around
the instructions; or women may also comply but overdo or do
it in a dramatic fashion.
 Examples of Resistance:

 Imagining a better life

 Act of passive resistance (not doing anything, no form
of struggle) especially when circumstances (e.g.,
trauma, fear, shock) constrain survivor from putting up
any form of struggle.
The acts of resistance should be
reflected in the way we narrate,
orally and in writing, stories of
gender violence against girls and
women.
Just a few tips in communication:
• Use the word survivor rather than the word victim.
• Grammar may affect how the perpetrator and the survivor is
presented.
• More often, the active voice is more proactive and
empowering than the passive voice.
• Hold the perpetrator responsible for the abuse, not the
survivor.
• Re-assess biases and stereotypes before communicating.
 Important Points
• There is growing evidence that societies with gendered
language consistently display deeper gender inequality than
societies with neutral language.

• Language appears to play a particularly important role in

moulding individuals’ attitudes toward gender and
occupation.
-What is in a Pronoun?: Why Gender-fair Language Matters
Harris, Chelsea A. MD*; Blencowe, Natalie BMBS, PhD†; Telem, Dana A. MD, MPH
 Important Points
• Research suggests that language-induced stereotyping
can be difficult to overcome.

• Linguistic biases, although often implicit and

unintentional, reinforces gender norms and
perpetuates stereotyping.
-What is in a Pronoun?: Why Gender-fair Language Matters
Harris, Chelsea A. MD*; Blencowe, Natalie BMBS, PhD†; Telem, Dana A. MD, MPH
 Important Points

• Documentation should reflect what the survivor of

violence has done to resist acts of violence in daily
life, to bounce back and effect changes in her situation
and her relationships.
 ???

Spread the word of GAD…

End of Module