Janice R. Andrews
People don’t like that the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a UN body based in Geneva, has new rules about language that make it less acceptable to use some female words. For example, the agency that protects copyrights and patents around the world has been called “Orwellian” because it told its employees to avoid using words like “Englishman,” “forefathers,” and “brotherhood of man” to encourage their use.
The controversial move is in line with WIPO’s “Guidelines on Inclusive Language,” which say that words that might suggest racism against women should not be used. Things like “Englishman” should now be changed to “English person” or “English national.” “Man in the street” should be changed to “ordinary citizen” or “typical person,” and “sportsmanlike” should be changed to “fair” or “sporting.”
The rules give different words or phrases for widely used ones. “Man’s best friend” should be called “a faithful dog,” and “midwife” should be called “birth attendant,” though the paper does say that “midwife” may still be used in some situations. Language like “caveman” and “cavewoman” is also not allowed. Instead, “cave dweller” or “prehistoric people” should be used. Not even jobs are spared. For example, “lumberjack” should be changed to “wood chopper” or “logger,” and “waiter” or “waitress” should be changed to “wait staff” or “server.”
WIPO’s decision comes after other groups issued similar language guidelines. People said that the British Red Cross was “hijacked by political extremists” last month after they told their staff to stay away from words like “ladies and gentlemen” and “maiden name.” The NHS has told some of its workers to use gender-neutral language, like “mothers or birthing parents” and “chestmilk” instead of “breastmilk.”
Some people say that the WIPO standards are an example of too much political correctness. The founder of the Free Speech Union, Toby Young, said the move was like something from 1984 by George Orwell. “Banning certain words and phrases to advance a dogmatic political ideology is a hallmark of totalitarianism,” said Young.
Daren Tang, the Director General of WIPO, replied that the guidelines are “not prescriptive” and that “common sense and clarity of text should always prevail.” The agency says the paper was made as a “awareness-raising exercise” to get coworkers to use language that connects with a wide range of people and to avoid using gender-specific words when there are more open-minded words that can be used instead.
The discussion about WIPO’s language policy brings to light the larger, ongoing talk about acceptance and freedom of speech in work and public settings. As organisations around the world continue to deal with these problems, the balance between being open to everyone and being seen as overreaching is still a hot topic.
