GENSOC
Using “man” word cumulatively reinforce the
CHAPTER 4
Use of Gender Fair Language
SEXISM IN LANGUAGE
Section 36, MCW (RA 9710)
• Provides for the adoption of the gender
mainstreaming strategy to promote and protect
women’s human rights.
CSC MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 12, S. 2005:
• Encourages government officials and employees
to use non-sexist language in all its official
documents, issuances and communications.
During the 1st Higher Education summit on Gender
Issues held on October 12, 2011, the participant
Presidents of SUC’s, other public higher education
institutions, and private higher education institutions
agreed that all of the convenors and participants will:
• Ensure that gender stereotypes and images in
existing educational materials and curricula are
adequately and appropriately revised, and that
gender-sensitive language shall be used at all
times.
WHY SEXIST LANGUAGE MATTERS?
1. Changing our language is an easy way to begin
overcoming gender inequality.
Notes on Inclusive Language:
1. Avoid the generic ‘he’.
2. Avoid the use of man when referring to both
men and women.
3. Avoid stereotyping jobs and social roles by
gender.
4. Use names that groups use to identify
themselves.
2.
message that men are the standard and that
women should be subsumed by the male
category.
SEXIST LANGUAGE
Sexist language is language that expresses bias, in favor
of one sex and thus treats the other sex in a
discriminatory manner.
In most cases the bias is in favor of men and against
women.
It is the use of language which devalues members of
one sex, almost consistently women, and thus fosters
gender inequality.
WHY CONCERN ABOUT MERE WORDS?
Words are powerful they can create or they can destroy
so choose your words wisely.
1. Language articulates consciousness.
2. Language reflects culture.
3. Language affects socialization
SEXISM IN WORDS
• Common forms of sexism in words include the
use of MAN,HE, HIM and HIS as generics.
• Words which are male-biased containing the
element “man” while they can in fact apply to
both sexes.
Example: Chairman
• The noun of feminine gender can only be
obtained by adding a certain bound suffix to the
noun
Example: Prince- Princess
• People usually associate Profession (which are
common gender) only with male.
Example: Doctor- Woman doctor
• There are words that are clearly restricted in
reference to one sex or the other, with female
words tending to have less favorable
meanings. Example: Master and Mistress,
Governor and Governess, Tramp
 • Stereotyped images of men and women are
based on oversimplified generalizations of
what women and men should be and how they
should behave.
Example: Mr., Ms. and Mrs.
Sexist language is a gender bias which can occur
consciously or unconsciously.
Some Suggestions on how to use Non-Sexist language
1. Eliminate the generic use of he, his, or him
unless the antecedent is obviously male by:
A. Using Plural Nouns
EXAMPLE:
Traditional: The lawyer uses his brief to guide him.
Suggestion: The lawyers use their briefs to guide them.
B. Deleting he, his, and him altogether, rewording if
necessary.
EXAMPLE:
Traditional: The architect uses his blueprint to guide
him.
Suggestion: The architect uses a blueprint as a guide.
C. Substituting articles (a, an, the) for his: using who
instead of he.
EXAMPLE:
Traditional: The writer should know his readers well.
Suggestion: The writer should know the readers well.
D. Using one, we, or you
Traditional: As one grows older, he becomes more
reflective.
Suggestion: As one grows older, one becomes more
reflective.
2. Eliminate the generic use of man, instead, use
people, person(s) human(s), human being(s),
humankind, humanity, the human race.
EXAMPLE:
Traditional: ordinary man, mankind, the brotherhood of
man
Suggestion: ordinary people, humanity, the human
family
3. Eliminate sexism in symbolic representations of
gender in words, sentences, and texts by:
A. Taking the context of the world, analyzing its
meaning, and eliminating sexism in the concept.
EXAMPLE:
Traditional: The founding fathers
Suggestion: The founders, the founding leaders
B. Finding precise words to delineate the thing itself
from supposedly sex- linked characteristics.
Traditional:
Traditional: “Don’t let Mother Nature rip you off! She’s
out to kill your car’s new finish. Stop her.”
Suggestion: “Don’t let Nature rip you off! It’s out to kill
your car’s finish. Stop it.”
4. Eliminate Sexual Stereotyping of roles by:
A. Using the same term for both genders when it comes
to profession or employment.
Traditional: salesman, stewardess
Suggestion: sales agent, flight attendant
B. Using gender fair terms in lexical terms
Traditional: Sportsmanship
Suggestion: highest ideal for fair play
C. Treating men and women in a parallel manner. Labor Pattern through History

Traditional: I now pronounce you man and wife. Women’s work

Suggestion: I now pronounce you husband and wife

D. Avoiding language that reinforces stereotyping

images.

Traditional: A man’s job, the director’s girl Friday

Suggestion: A big job, the director’s assistant

5. Eliminate sexism when addressing persons formally

by:
Men’s work
A. Using Ms. instead of Mrs.

Traditional: Mrs. dela Cruz

Suggestion: Ms. dela Cruz

B. Using a married woman’s first name instead of her

husband’s.

Traditional: Mrs. Juan dela Cruz

Suggestion: Ms. Maria Santos – dela Cruz  Women and men worked in close proximity to
one another.

C. Using the corresponding titles for females.  Labor of each gender was highly valued.

Traditional: Dra. Concepcion Reyes  The work of provision was equitably shared.
Suggestion: Dr. Concepcion Reyes
Industrialization changed labor patterns.

D. Using the title of the job or group in letters to  Factories appeared and entrepreneurial
unknown persons. capitalism began to edge out agrarianism, the
nature of work changed as well.
Traditional: Dear Sir
Suggestion: Dear Editor, Dear Credit Manager, Dear  Men went away from the home to their place of
Colleague employment.

 Women, remained at home. They provide other

CHAPTER 5 essential household labor.

GENDER DIVISION OF LABOR
 Refers to the allocation of different jobs or
types of work to women and men.
 Socially defined gender roles condition which
activities and responsibilities are perceived as
male or female.
 More men started working for wages, the
meaning of “work” began to change.
 “Work” was something that happened outside
of the home, and something for which one
received a paycheck.
 Women’s work didn’t change all that much.

 However, the meaning and value placed upon

women’s work did change.
 Male and females have different roles namely: • Developing one’s talents and pursuing interests
is so much more difficult for women than men.
 Reproductive Role
• Women who try to achieve something at the
 Productive Role cost of neglecting their families risk being
censured by society.
 Community Role

Reproductive Role Economic Marginalization of Women

 Unpaid domestic work assigned (primarily) to • Women are considered to be non-essential
women force in the economy despite their crucial role
 Managing the household chores in production.

 This is mostly done within the private domain of Marginalization

the home. • Society does not give much recognition and
Productive Role value to women’s contribution to the economy
and pays scant attention to their need for loans,
 Paid work done outside the home and in the as consumers and as workers.
public arena.
Gender Stereotyping
 Women’s productive work is often less visible
and less valued than men’s work. • Biased perception of women as the weaker sex
and their roles, functions, and abilities are
Community Role primarily tied to the home.

 Involves the collective organization of social • Society’s perceptions and value systems that
activities and services in the community. instill an image of

 Has no monetary value and involves voluntary - Women as weak and dependent
service.
- Men are strong, independent, powerful,
CHAPTER 6 dominant, decisive and logical.

GENDER ISSUES Political Subordination of Women

 Pertains to any issues or concerns determined by • Secondary position of women compared to men
a gender-based and/or sex-based differences in society.
between women and men.
Subordination
1. Obstacle to Personhood Development
2. Economic Marginalization • Due to force or violence, or being under the
3. Gender Stereotyping authority of one sex.
4. Gender Subordination
5. Gender Discrimination • Results in women having no control over
6. Multiple Burden available resources & having no personal
7. Violence Against Women autonomy.

Obstacle to Personal Development

• The issues and problems have a direct negative
impact on women’s sense of self-worth and
their ability to make something of their lives.
 Gender Discrimination ACTS OF VIOLENCE

• Gender discrimination means to give 1. Physical Violence

differential treatment to individuals on the
• acts that include physical and bodily harm
grounds of their gender.
bruises, cuts, or broken bones
Multiple Burden
2. Sexual Violence
• Doing unpaid work in the home,
• refers to an act which is sexual in nature,
• Paid work as members of the workforce, committed against a woman or her child. It
includes but not limited to:
• Volunteer work in the community
o rape, sexual harassment, acts of lasciviousness
• And all other works necessary for the survival of o treating a woman or her child as a sex object
the family. o making demeaning and sexually suggestive
remarks
• Longer hours of work and greater responsibility o physically attacking the sexual parts of the
at home, in the community, and at the victim’s body
workplace. o forcing her/him to watch obscene publications
and indecent shows
A situation referring to o forcing the woman or child to do indecent acts
and/or make films
• the heavy workload of women and o forcing the wife and mistress/lover to live in the
conjugal home or sleep together in the same
• the many, overlapping tasks involved, which room with the abuser
o prostituting the woman or her child
• If computed in terms of hours would total to o acts causing or attempting to cause the victim
more than 24 hours. to engage in any sexual activity by force, threat
of force, physical or other harm or coercion
Violence Against Women (VAW)
3. Psychological Violence
Women become victims of all forms of violence:
• refers to acts or omissions causing or likely to
• battering
cause mental or emotional suffering of the
• rape
• sexual harassment victim such as but not limited to:
• female genital mutilation
• and other traditional practices harmful to • Intimidation
women • Harassment
• Stalking
• damage to property
Forms of Violence:
• public ridicule or humiliation
1. Physical • repeated verbal abuse
• marital infidelity
2. Sexual • witness pornography in any form
• causing or allowing the victim to witness the
3. Economic Abuse physical, sexual or psychological abuse of a
member of the family to which the victim
4. Psychological abuse belongs
• witness abusive injury to pets
• Unlawful or unwanted deprivation of the right
to custody and/or visitation of common
children
 4. Economic Abuse
• Refers to acts that make or attempt to make a
woman financially dependent.
o withdrawal of financial support
o preventing the victim from engaging in any
legitimate profession, occupation, business or
activity
o deprivation or threat of financial resources
o Controlling the victims own money or
properties or solely controlling the conjugal
money or property
o Destroying private property
CHAPTER 7
Legal Mandates
1. Republic Act 7192
2. Republic Act 9262
3. Republic Act 8353
4. Republic Act 7877
5. Republic Act 9710
Republic Act 7192
• Known as “Women in Development and Nation-
Building Act”
• An act promoting the integration of women as
full and equal partners of men in development
and nation building and for other purposes.
• National Economic and Development Authority
• Commission on Women
Republic Act 9262
• Known as “Anti- Violence against Women and
Children (VAWC) Act of 2004”
• An act defining violence against women and
their children, providing for protective
measures for victims, prescribing penalties
therefore and for other purposes.
Who gets protected under the law?
The law protects the woman and her children.
The victim, the child who is:
 a minor (legitimate and illegitimate),
 a person aged 18 years
 beyond 18 who doesn’t have the ability to
decide for herself/himself because of an
emotional, physical and mental illness can make
full use of the law.
 any child under the care of a woman is also
protected under the law.
Is VAWC committed by men alone?
• Women can also be liable under the law.
• These are the lesbian partners/girlfriends or
• former partners of the victim with whom she
has or had a sexual or dating relationship.
What if the female victim commits violence against her
partner?
• The law acknowledges that women who have
retaliated against their partners or who commit
violence as a form of self-defence may have
suffered from battered women syndrome
(BWS).
• BWS is a “scientifically defined pattern of
psychological and behavioural symptoms found
in women living in battering relationships as a
result of cumulative abuse”
• Any victim who suffers from BWS should be
diagnosed by a psychiatric expert or a clinical
psychologist. This will also help the victim in
obtaining a just decision in her case.
• The law does not allow the offender to have
custody of minor children. Their care is still
 entrusted to the woman even if she is found to
have BWS.
What are the penalties for committing VAWC?
If the courts have proven that the offender is guilty of
the crime,
• he may be imprisoned and will be obliged to
pay P100,000 to P300,000 in damages.
• The length of imprisonment depends on the
gravity of the crime.
• The offender is also obliged to undergo
psychological counselling or psychiatric
treatment.
• Being drunk or under the influence of
prohibited drugs cannot be taken as excuse for
committing VAW.
What can women and children do under the law?
• The law allows women and their children to
secure barangay protection order and/or
temporary or permanent protection order from
the courts.
• They can also file an independent civil action for
damages and criminal action for the violation of
anti-VAWC Act.
What is a protection order?
• It is an order prescribed in the Anti-VAWC Act
to prevent further abuse of or violence against a
woman and her child.
• It provides relief from said abuse or violence
Who may file the protection order?
Anyone of the following may also file the protection
order in behalf of the victim/s:
• parent or guardian, grandparents
• children and grandchildren
• relatives (aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws)
Who may file the protection order?
• local officials and DSWD social workers
• police, lawyers
• counselors,
• therapists
• health care providers (nurses, doctors,
barangay health workers)
• Any two people who came from the city or
municipality where VAWC happened and who
have personal knowledge of the crime
Republic Act 8353
• Known as “Anti- Rape Law of 1997”of
expanding the definition of the crime of rape,
reclassifying the same as a crime against
persons.
Republic Act 7877
• Known as “Anti- Sexual Harassment Act of
1995”
• An act of declaring sexual harassment unlawful
in the employment, education or training
environment and for other purposes.
Republic Act 9710
• Known as “Magna Carta of Women”
• It is a comprehensive human rights law that
seeks to eliminate discrimination against
women by recognizing, protecting, fulfilling and
promoting the rights of Filipino women,
especially those in marginalized sector