Why Gender Neutral Language Matters
Gender neutral language is becoming an increasingly talked about concept as society’s perception of gender has slowly started to shift. While many people have embraced the evolution, many others view the idea with contempt. Some argue that gender neutral language doesn’t really matter and that those asking for it are being overly sensitive and wanting the world to change just for them. In actuality, gender neutral language has the power to positively affect everyone and even help solve many of the monumental issues of gender inequality that we’ve been fighting for over generations. Adopting more gender neutral language can benefit you and your business, society and those around you who are fighting to feel validated and accepted.
Gender Neutrality At Work
Even though we’re so much more than our jobs, our job titles become an essential part of our core identity. When we introduce ourselves, we often include our title. When meeting someone for the first time, “What do you do for work?” is usually one of the first questions asked. So, if a job title is gendered and doesn’t align with where someone feels they are on the gender spectrum, those individuals are repeatedly forced to present an identity to the world that fails to represent who they most authentically are. One’s job title has the power to reinforce the identity they want the world to see and accept, and giving your employees a gender neutral title or the power to choose one that matches their identity is a great way to immediately build rapport, respect and show that you care about your employees.
Increasing the use of gender neutral job titles can also help diminish gender inequality. When prospective employees are searching for roles, gender neutral job titles make it easier for people of any gender to picture themselves in positions they might have previously never considered. Traditional gender roles perpetuate archaic notions of identity, and it’s crucial to update our language and encourage our non-binary peers, and those identifying as any other gender, to fill and/or apply for roles they might have previously been discouraged from.
Using more inclusive or gender neutral language can broaden your customer or client base, help attract more people and help your brand make a better first impression. While it’s important to know your target audience and have a marketing and branding strategy that isn’t too broad, using reductive, gendered language means that you run the risk of alienating and excluding more potential customers, even within your target audience. This is why we chose to name our community Womxn Talk Money, as opposed to “women.”
The words we use aren’t just words––they have power. and research has shown that language actually shapes the way we think. Lera Boroditsky, a professor of Cognitive Science at UCSD, found in her research that when languages assign genders to objects or nouns, it alters the way individuals perceive and describe those objects.
Research has even indicated that countries with gender neutral language demonstrate greater gender equality overall than countries that use gendered language. Psychologists have found that there are more occurrences of gender prejudice in gendered languages than there are in genderless languages. Other studies have even shown that “gendered linguistic structures reinforce gender stereotypes and discourage women's entry into entrepreneurship.”
When we don’t use gender neutral language, we are allowing the continued subordination and exclusion of women and many non-binary and LGBTQ+ folk. When we insist on using language that is gender binary, we exclude anyone who does not identify with traditional, binary definitions of gender and phrases like mankind, man-hour and manpower, emphasize males contributions to labor and society and minimize the contributions of womxn and other individuals.
Being conscious of your words and their power is always important. Making efforts to use more gender neutral or gender inclusive language isn’t just the kind or respectful thing to do, it’s also one of the many ways you can help promote gender equality.