Publications & Policies |
Equity and Diversity Initiatives | Gender Inclusive Communication
 Guidelines for Gender Inclusive Communication
Introduction1
The purpose of a gender inclusive communication policy is to focus on language that is accurate, appropriate, and non-sexist in any given situation. At the same time, it is important to avoid neutralizing language by using ambiguous terminology when it may not be accurate and may not convey the proper meaning or impression.
Sexist language encompasses those words which arbitrarily assign roles or characteristics to people on the basis of sex. Gender inclusive language seeks to eliminate sexual stereotyping and to promote the uniform and equal treatment of the sexes. It is easy to avoid sexist language if you are cognizant of the alternatives and the context in which you are communicating.
General Rules and Principles
1. Treat the sexes equally and without stereotyping
For example, when giving a professional introduction, do not introduce a female colleague as a wife and/or mother in addition to her title:
Sharon O'Riley, a talented litigator, will be joining our insurance department.
not
Sharon O'Riley, a talented litigator and mother of three, will be joining our insurance department.
Do not include physical descriptions when referring to a work associate:
Carol Gunnarson is our accountant.
not
Carol Gunnarson, a stunning blonde, is our accountant.
Avoid sex role stereotyping that suggests men are the norm in certain situations and women in others:
- parent and child not mother and child
- street person not bag lady
- the average worker/wage earner not the working man
- villain/rogue not bad guy
- artificial not man made
2. Job Titles and Occupational Terms
(a) Eliminate titles that suggest the job is normally performed by one sex.
- labour force not manpower
- firefighter not fireman
- postal worker or carrier not mailman
- drafting solicitor or drafter not draftsman
(b) Do not feminize titles by adding ess or ette, and do not add gratuitous modifiers such as lady doctor or male nurse.
More specific to the legal profession, terms like administrator and testator sufficiently describe both women and men, eliminating the need for words such as administratrix and testratrix.
- spokesperson not spokesman
- manager not manageress
- Councillor not Councilman
- usher not usherette
- the French not Frenchman
- executor not executrix
3. Names, Correspondence, and Forms of Address
Where possible, use the form preferred by the person being addressed. Otherwise use the following guidelines:
(a) Avoid calling women "girls", just as you would refrain from calling a grown man a "boy". Additionally, unless you are referring to a minor or a titled individual, do not use the terms "young" or "lady":
Women constitute thirty percent of our membership.
not
Ladies constitute thirty percent of our membership.
(b) The correlative of Mr. is Ms.. Use Mrs. or Miss. only if you know this to be the preference of the addressee.
(c) Avoid using the antiquated title "Esquire" (Esq.) following any name unless you know the preference of the addressee.
(d) In correspondence, if the sex of the addressee is not known, begin your letter with "Dear" followed by the initials and surname:
- Dear J. D. Simmons
When neither gender nor names are known, use the form "Dear Sir or Madam".
Never use "Dear Sir/s".
(e) A neutral alternative is to address your audience using a title:
- Dear Partners
- Dear Colleague
- Dear committee
(f) When the names of a woman and man are mentioned together, use parallel language:
- Alan Knight and Joyce Philips
- J. Philips and A. Knight
- Knight and Philips
- Dr. Joyce Philips, and Alan Knight, CMA
not
- Alan Knight and Joyce
- Joyce Philips and Alan Knight, CMA
(g) Ensure equal treatment of couples:
Mr. and Ms. James and Irene Luciano
not
Mr. and Mrs. James Luciano
or
James Luciano and his wife Irene
Do not assume that married couples share the same surname.
When referring to surnames, use "birth name" instead of "maiden name" or "Christian name".
(h) Ensure equal treatment of work associates:
Raymond Kovacs and his student Karen White
not
Mr. Kovacs and his student Karen
4. Do not use "he" as a generic pronoun. There are several alternatives to consider:
Re-write the sentence in the plural:
All associates received their copy of the case.
not
Each associate received his copy of the case.
A more controversial solution from a grammatical perspective is to substitute "their" as a singular pronoun:
Each associate received their copy of the case.
not
Each associate received his copy of the case.
Another simple solution is to substitute "one":
One should contact one's lawyer with any concerns.
not
If a client has any concerns, he should contact his lawyer.
If you prefer, use "she or he", "her or him", or "hers or his" :
A student must send his or her references with his or her application.
not
A student must send his references with his application.
Sometimes "he or she" can be cumbersome if used several times in speech or writing. Try omitting the pronoun or substituting an article:
The student must send references with the application.
instead of
The student must send her or his references with her or his application.
A lawyer will be more successful through open communication with clients.
instead of
A lawyer will be more successful if he or she communicates openly with his or her clients.
Another solution is to rephrase in the plural:
Students must send references with their applications.
Lawyers will be more successful if they communicate with their clients.
Sources:
Mark Adler, Clarity for Lawyers, (London, England: The Law Society, 1990).
Department of the Secretary of State of Canada, The Canadian Style, ( Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1985).
Rosalle Maggro, The Non Sexist Word Finder, (Boston: Beacon Press, 1988).
Mary Jane Mossman, "The Use of Non-Discriminatory Language in the Law", (1994) 73 The Canadian Bar Review 347.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage, (Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster Inc., 1989).
Bob Taylor, ed., The Canadian Press Style Book, (Toronto: The Canadian Press, 1989)
1For a comprehensive analysis of the issues raised in these Guidelines, refer to Mary Jane Mossman, "The Use of Non-Discriminatory Language in the Law", (1994) 73 The Canadian Bar Review 347.
|
