Gender Polarization of Words in use of
Language Adjectives
 It is a potent tool for how humans understand and
participate in the world. It can shape how we see
society. It is a part of culture.
 Language defines men and women differently as seen
in common adjectives associated with these genders.
 Unequal relations can stem from statements that
trivialize one gender’s experience or perpetuate one
gender’s supremacy.
Violations of Gender Fair Language
 Sexist language is a tool that reinforces unequal
gender relations through sex-role stereotype, micro
aggressions and sexual harassment.
Invisibilization of Women
 It is rooted in the assumption that men are dominant and
are the norm of the fullness of humanity, and women do
not exist. Some obvious example of women invisibilization in
language are:
 The generic use of masculine pronouns or the use of
a masculine general.
 Example: guys
 The assumption that certain functions or jobs are
performed by men instead of both genders.
 Ex. Farmers and their wives.
 The use of male job title or terms ending in man to
refer to functions that may be given to both
genders.
 Ex. ChairMAN, BusinessMAN
Trivialization of Women
 Bringing attention to the gender of a person, if that
person is a woman.
 Ex. Lady, girl
 The perception of women as immature.
 Ex. Baby, darling
 The objectification or likening to objects of women.
 Ex. Honey, sweet or chick
Fostering Unequal Gender Relations
 Language that lacks parallelism fosters unequal gender
relations. The use of “man and wife” assumes that men
are still men and women’s identities are subsumed and
shifted into beings in relation to their husbands.
 Dove advertisement
 Men who took the lead were considered the “boss” while
women who had the same initiative were considered
“bossy”.
 Men who worked overtime were seen as
“providers” while women who did the same were
seen as “uncaring”.
Hidden Assumption
 Hidden assumptions in sentences can also be forms of
micro aggression if the underlying perceptions are
sexist and degrading.
 Ex. The father is babysitting his children”
Philippine Culture and Languages
 Filipino or Tagalog is mainly gender-neutral, without
gendered characteristics or titles for men or women.
 The values and the shaping of the education system were
influenced by the Western power and ideals. Filipino
portray a mix of identities, an infusion of both native
and foreign perspectives and values.
Identities and Naming this
 Language is used to define what is feminine, masculine,
and outside feminine or masculine.
Example
 Sexual harassment
 Date rape
 Structural oppression
Sexist Language and Culture
 A previous chapter noted that gender socialization is
the process in which roles are learned.
 The normalization of sexism makes violence against women
and children acceptable or tolerable.
Toward a Gender Fair Language
 The use of gender fair language in institutions of
education and the removal of sexist language as
imperative to gender responsiveness is currently being
advocated.
Example
 Gabriela Women’s Party
