Re-Train Your Brain, Reverse Gender-Biased Language
Posted on Apr. 5, 2022 / Diversity & Inclusion / Subscribe 0
By Shayla O’Keeffe, senior program manager, DEI, at Jabil and co-chair of PRSA Tampa Bay’s D&I committee
Gender bias is a preference for one gender over others. It’s when someone receives different treatment (better or worse) because of their identified or assumed gender. It can be unconscious or conscious.
The problem occurs when these preferences, or biases, feed our stereotypes, actions and behaviors, including word choice whether it’s verbally, written, signed or another mechanism. A report by the United Nations showed almost 90% of people are biased against women, including those who identify as women who are biased against other women.
As public relations and communications professionals, it’s important to be aware of the gender biases that might be prevalent in our word choices. The content we create on behalf of leaders, organizations, community members and ourselves can play a part in reiterating gender biases.
What is meant by ‘gender-biased language’ exactly?
- It can be something as simple as using “he/him” as your go-to pronoun when someone’s gender is ambiguous or unknown: “Every time they come into our store, each customer will ask himself what’s worth spending money on?” or “Did you see the pilot when you boarded? I wonder how old he is.”
- It can also be present in identifying certain professions, such as grouping everyone under a term like congressmen, servicemen, businessman, weatherman, etc.
- It can be less obvious and applied through how we explain and objectify something, such as: “Elliot’s speech was powerful and bold, invoking a sense of diplomacy.” In contrast, speaking about a woman’s speech such as: “Keisha emotionally connected with her audience after delivering her message with compassion.”
- It can be how we describe an open job role, for example what gender comes to mind for these two descriptions: “We need an aggressive go-getter who is a strong decision-maker to join our four-man team.” Or “This role is suited best for someone with strong interpersonal skills who can support the hiring manager.” Gendered language can have significant impacts on who applies for your open roles.
How can we help to correct any biases we may have? It may seem overwhelming, but it’s not! Take small actions each time you write, and over time you’ll re-train your brain to be more aware and more inclusive for all genders.
- Notice what gender pronouns you tend to automatically use in ambiguous situations. It’s OK to notice it after you’ve already used those the first few times. Take a quick mental note, and you’ll catch it sooner the next time. When you can, avoid using gender pronouns altogether.
- When you’re talking about a group of people in a certain profession, swap out “man” or “woman” with “people” or “person.” An example would be: “I’m going to lunch with some businesspeople from our new customer. I’m interested in what they have to say about the recent market changes.”
- Choose descriptive terms that are neutral or are used for both genders. Example: “Elliot’s speech gave a clear sense of resiliency,” and similarly, “Keisha’s speech gave a clear sense of resiliency.”
- Remove gender-coded words much like the example above to ensure the same, basic language is used for all job roles. Instead of “We need an aggressive go-getter who is a strong decision-maker to join our four-man team.” You can change it to “We need someone with an entrepreneurial mindset to join our team.”
In honor of Women’s History Month in March and the International Women’s Day theme this year - #BreakTheBias, let’s all make a commitment to start breaking gender biases in our content, all year long.
0 Comments