Leadership Through

Gender Sensitive
Communication
The Communication Process
SENDER MESSAG RECEIVE
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FEEDBACK
FILTER
S Age
 Education
 Social Status
 Profession
 Background
 Culture
 Gender
HOW TO USE
GENDER FAIR
LANGUAGE
 THE MOST
COMMON SEXIST
PRACTICES WHEN
SPEAKING
IN PUBLIC
 DESCRIBING
WOMEN’S
APPEARANCE IN
TERMS OF THEIR
SEXUALITY OR
FEMININITY
Example: Fellow Toastmasters,
the next speaker is a beautiful
and sexy member of our club.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us all

welcome the gorgeous
Nelia Perez.
SEXIST: sexy, beautiful, pretty,
gorgeous, stunning

GENDER FAIR: dynamic,

energetic, active, brilliant
 PRINCIPLE
MEN ARE USUALLY DESCRIBED BY
THEIR ABILITY OR ACHIEVEMENT, NOT
BY THEIR PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES.

ACCORD WOMEN THE SAME RESPECT.

EMPHASIS ON A WOMAN’S
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
COULD ALSO TAKE
ATTENTION AWAY FROM
HER MORE IMPORTANT
ACHIEVEMENTS.
 PRINCIPLE
Sexual harassment is defined from the
point of view of the victim.

A leader is expected to set the pace for the rest

of the organization and should therefore be a
role model.
 GIVING A WOMAN’S MARITAL
STATUS AND NUMBER OF
CHILDREN EVEN IF THESE ARE
NOT RELEVANT OR NECESSARY
TO THE INTRODUCTION.
 
Example:
Ladies and gentlemen, our guest
speaker was born forty years ago in
Cebu. She is the wife of Judge
Lansang with whom she has five
children. Today, she will talk
about How To Implement the
Ordinance on Business Permits.
 Exception

When the woman is still very young

but already very accomplished…
…or already very old but still very
active.
 PRINCIPLE

WHAT IS NOT NORMALLY DONE FOR MEN

SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED TO WOMEN
UNDER THE SAME SITUATION
SEXIST PRACTICE:
USING DEMEANING TERMS
 
Example: Aling Nena is an ordinary
housewife who …
 

Or (only a plain housewife, mere

housewife)
GENDER FAIR:

Homemaker, domestic engineer

OR Aling Nena works

full time at home.
 
 PRINCIPLE

WE SHOULD NOT VIEW

HOUSEWORK AS LOWLY
AND DEMEANING WORK ONLY
FOR WOMEN.
SEXIST PRACTICE:
INCORRECT USE OF “MAN”

AS PREFIX: mankind, manhours, manpower,

man-made, manhole

GENDER FAIR: humanity, working hours,

human resource, artificial,
hand-crafted, open utility
cover
AS SUFFIX: chairman, spokesman, fireman,
policeman, congressman, salesman

GENDER FAIR: Chair, spokesperson, firefighter,

police officer, legislator, sales
representative
 AS A VERB: ex. Toastmaster Diane will man
the booth.

GENDER FAIR: Toastmaster Diane will take

charge of the booth.
 
AS PEOPLE: Englishman, Frenchman
 

GENDER FAIR : The English, The French

Exception: German
 PRINCIPLE

“MAN” DOES NOT ALWAYS

INCLUDE WOMAN.
“MAN” DOES NOT REFER TO
THE TYPICAL HUMAN BEING.
SEXIST PRACTICE:

USING TWO FORMS OF

NOUNS – MASCULINE AND
FEMININE WHEN ONLY ONE
IS REQUIRED
Usher – usherette - attendant

Conductor – conductress - bus attendant

Steward- stewardess - flight attendant

Waiter – waitress - food server

 
 PRINCIPLE

SEX SHOULD NOT BE USED

AS A BASIS FOR
DIFFERENTIATING TWO
QUALIFIED PEOPLE.
 
SEXIST PRACTICE:

USING PRONOUNS
INCORRECTLY
 OLD GRAMMAR RULE:
When the gender is not specified,
use the masculine form
of the pronoun.
Ex. Every tourist must show his passport.
 NEW GENDER FAIR WAYS
1.  Change the noun to plural
Ex. Tourists must show their passports.

   2.  Omit the pronoun

Ex. Tourists must show passports.

   3.  Use the passive voice

Ex. Passports must be shown by tourists.
SEXIST PRACTICE:
NOT USING PARALLEL ITEMS
 Notparallel - man and wife
Parallel - husband and wife
Not parallel - Atty. and Mrs. Santos
Parallel - Atty. Lino and Dr. Nora Santos

Lino and Nora Santos

Drs. Jack and Darleen Estuart
 PRINCIPLE

A MAN IS MARRIED TO A
WOMAN AND VICE VERSA. The
opposite of wife is husband. One does
not own or supersede the other.

Thus it is inaccurate to
use “man and wife”.
 WORDS NEED TO BE CHOSEN
CAREFULLY TO ELIMINATE
INAPPROPRIATE GENDER
IMPLICATIONS.
 
 
WE SHOULD LEARN NOT TO
PROVOKE HALF OF OUR
LISTENERS ( ONE HALF OF THE
POPULATION CONSISTS OF
WOMEN).
 
 WE CAN USE
GENDER FAIR LANGUAGE !!!

By: Rep. Luzviminda C. Ilagan

Gabriela Women’s Party