What is gendered language and why should we keep a very close eye out for it at work?

Gendered language, terminology that has a bias towards one sex or social gender, plays a key role in maintaining restrictive cultural norms and it’s happening all around us, particularly in the workplace. The good news is, in a world of overwhelmingly complex problems, language is a quick fix! Let’s take a look at why we should all be watching what we say.

When it comes to gendered terms, some commonly used English expressions are obviously problematic. The cringeworthy “man up” and the baffling “cry like a girl” both label masculinity as the more desirable state and reinforce the concept that boys should be tough and independent while women should be supportive and empathetic – and not the other way round.

But what about the more subtle ways in which we reinforce inequalities through gendered language? For example, the pervasive use of “man” as the default often goes unnoticed. “Modern man” overlooks women’s contributions to civilisation, “man-made” downplays the work of women and “mankind” seems to exclude them altogether.

Then there’s the default use of the masculine pronoun, “he”. It’s everywhere. Across Reuter’s news, 90% of pronouns used are masculine. Indeed, God himself is most assuredly male, with a capital H.

This kind of language is not harmless. Male-centric language labels men as the dominant group, invisibilising and otherising women. It’s a process that makes mistreatment easier. At the most extreme end of the spectrum, it can lead to violence, but it’s a broad spectrum, littered with less shocking but no less trivial problems.

Many of these issues manifest at work. Although valiant efforts have been made to carve out a more equal position for women in the corporate world, it’s no secret that there’s still plenty of work to be done. Thankfully, Neanderthal-like habits such as calling female colleagues “honey” have been consigned to the annals of history, but the workplace is still home to some highly gendered language and attitudes.

Many common workplace terms, although not obviously gendered, play into gender stereotypes. Researchers have identified two ways of talking about leadership that find their way into workplace communications, from job ads to performance reviews. The first has been termed “agentic” and the second “communal”.

Communal language is mainly applied to women, and summons up stereotypical feminine traits like being supportive, warm and a good team player. Agentic language is mainly applied to men and is more about getting the job done, taking control and being independent.

Even though many men and women don’t fit these stereotypes, these gendered frames are hugely restrictive, both consciously and subconsciously. The effect is to instantly narrow the pool of job applicants, limit diversity, quash talent and ambition, and impact performance. It’s bad news for the employees and for the company.

The good news is we can change the way we talk and we can do it right now. Yes, it takes initial awareness and then a few stern self-reminders, but it’s doable. And changing the way we talk very quickly changes the way we think. If we’re going to address the seemingly insurmountable problems of male-dominated boards, glass ceilings and the wage gap, language might just be a very good place to start.

The power is on the tip of your tongue.

In Part 3, we’ll be looking at exactly where gendered language shows up at work and what you and your company can do to neutralise workplace communications.