Women at the Helm - Planters Development Bank

SME FocusCommunicationWatch your language!A checklist for creatinggender-neutral communicationsBy Karen Anne C. LiqueteMen are from Mars. Women are fromVenus. Yet, in the world of work, allcommunications must be perceived asequal. How then do you go about writingand speaking to all kinds of corporate lifeforms without offending or upsetting anyone? Here are some quick tips.Use Non-Discriminatory Language.Avoid the use of sexist language, i.e.words that show gender bias. Forinstance, someone who presides overa meeting, committee or board is a“chairperson” and not a “chairman” or“chairwoman” (yes, gender sensitivityshould work both ways). Use“Sir/Ma’am” in a salutation for anemail if you are unsure of the receiver’sgender. But do not say “Ma’am, Sir”(itis incorrect to do so unless you want totake meal orders for the day!).In printed communications, do notassume that your addressee is male. Thus,“The manager should try to motivatehis people” can be changed to “Themanager should try to motivate people.”Remember to refer to women and menin the same way. Consider the following,“Mr. Ely Pante, the lawyer and Ms. ChicaGo the lady doctor gave a speech.”“Lady doctor” should be replaced by“doctor” since gender is not a factor inbeing able to perform a given action—like giving a speech.Use Gender Neutral Job Titlesor Descriptions.Back when women were still entering theworkforce, feminine variants for certainpositions were used. In this day and agewhen occupations now cater to all kindsof workers, non-specific job referencesare standard. Here are some examples:BiasedBusinessmanCareer girl, Careerlady, Career womanSaleslady, SalesmanSteward, StewardessWorkmanDelivery boy,Delivery girlLandlord, LandladyServicemanWaitressPolice man,Police womanGender NeutralBusiness executive, EntrepreneurCareer Professional, Manager,ExecutiveSales clerk, Sales rep, Sales agentFlight AttendantWorkerCourier, MessengerProprietor,Building ManagerService representativeServerPolice OfficerUse role references with caution.Keep your speech and text free of termsthat focus unnecessarily on gender,especially when discussing roles andfunctions:BiasedCorporate WifeHousewife,HousehusbandSelf-made manCommittee man,Commitee womanSpokesmanHostessMiddlemanFront manFaculty wifeMan and WifeGender NeutralCorporate SpouseHousemakerSelf-made person, EntrepreneurComitee memberSpokesperson, represetativeHostGo-BetweenFront, FigureheadFaculty SpouseHusband and WifeUse The Right Group References.When referring to a group ofpeople to the exclusion of allothers, great care needs to betaken so that the use of languagewill not be misinterpreted. In thesetimes, people, organizations, andspecial interest groups place greatimportance on how they arebeing addressed:BiasedWorking Man,Working WomanThinking manMother tongueFrenchmenMan, mankindFellowshipAvoid stereotypes.Veer away from words that implycharacteristics or adjectives favouringone gender over another:BiasedMaiden nameMaster of ceremoniesMan enoughManhoodMan hoursWorkmanshipGender NeutralWage earner, Labor forceThinking person, thinker,intellectualNative languageThe FrenchHumankind, humanity, humansCamaraderieGender NeutralBirth nameHost, emcee, moderator,convenorStrong enoughAdulthoodStaff hours, hours of workQuality construction, expertiseKeep these tips in mind and you will goa long way towards ensuring that yourcommunications are gender-neutral, safeand friendly!SME | 16