gendersensitive

Gendersensitive is an approach or set of practices aimed at recognizing gender diversity and minimizing bias in language, policy, education, media, and public life. It emphasizes awareness of how gender identities and gender norms can affect access to resources, participation, and safety.

In language, gender sensitivity promotes inclusive terms and pronouns, avoids assumptions, and uses gender-neutral job titles when possible. Examples include using they/them as singular pronouns, replacing man-made with synthetic or human-made, and choosing officer instead of policeman.

In policy and institutions, gender sensitivity entails assessing how proposed laws or programs affect different genders, collecting sex-disaggregated data, and adopting measures to prevent gender-based discrimination and violence. It is closely related to gender mainstreaming, which integrates gender considerations into all stages of policy design and evaluation.

Debates around gender sensitivity may address tensions between inclusivity and clarity, concerns about overreach in language, and the challenge of implementing changes across cultures and languages. Critics might worry about tokenism or ambiguity of terms; proponents argue it promotes equity and safety.