Date effective: 1991-05-06
Authorized by: Secretary of the University
GUIDELINES FOR GENDER PARITY IN UNIVERSITY TEXTS
- BASIC PRINCIPLES
- The masculine gender should not be used to refer to both men and women.
- The use of parentheses, slashes and hyphens to isolate the feminine gender (ex.: his/her, his(her)) should be avoided.
- GENDER-NEUTRALITY
Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives
To avoid the problem of gender-specific pronouns and possessive adjectives ("he" and "she"; "his" and "her";), the following alternatives are available:
e.g. A staff member can use his I.D. card to enter the sports facilities --- Staff members can use their I.D. cards...
e.g. An employee must advise his supervisor in case of emergency --- An employee must advise the supervisor...
e.g. Each student must contact his thesis supervisor --- Each student must contact his or her..., or her or his...e.g. Each student is expected to try as hard as she can --- Each student is expected to try as hard as possible.
e.g. If a student fails an exam, he must... --- If a student fails an exam, he or she must...
e.g. If he participates regularly in residence activities, the student will adapt more quickly ---If you participate..., you will adapt...
e.g. A chairman of a department should also speak his mind during promotion hearings --- A chairperson (or department head) should also speak out (or "express opinions") during...
1. 1. 1) Use of plural nouns and pronouns
2. 1. 2) Replacement of possessive adjectives with articles
3. 1. 3) Use of both possessive adjectives, linked by "or". Their order should be varied in lengthy texts.
4. 1. 4) Elimination of the pronoun (neutral expression)
5. 1. 5) Use of both pronouns, linked by "or"
6. 1. 6) Direct address to the reader (in more personal or promotional texts)
7. 1. 7) Use of genderless nouns or phrases
- Titles and Terms: Suggestions
Titles and terms with the prefix or suffix "man" should be replacedby gender-free terms and titles. Below is a list of examples
| busboy | table attendant |
|---|---|
| businessman | business executive, business people (plural) |
| cameraman | camera operator |
| chairman | chairperson, chair, head, director |
| craftsman | artisan, craftsperson |
| draftsman | drafter, draftsperson |
| housewife | homemaker |
| maiden name | birth name |
| mailman | letter carrier, postal worker |
| man hours | work hours, staff hours |
| mankind | humanity, the human race, humankind |
| man-made | artificial, synthetic, manufactured (the "man" in "manufactured" refers to the latin word "manus", meaning hand) |
| manpower | work force, workers, personnel, staff, human resources |
| middleman | intermediary, wholesaler (business), go between |
| patrolman | patroller, patrol officer |
| repairman | repairer, repair technician |
| salesman | salesperson, sales representative, sales clerk |
| spokesman | representative, spokesperson |
| sportsmanship | fair play |
| workman | worker |
- CORRESPONDENCE AND FORMS OF ADDRESS
- It is best not to refer to the marital status of women unless it is specified by the addressee.
For replies to external letters, the sex or status specified by the originator is used of course. Should this information be lacking, the letter can be addressed without reference to sex or status, for example
6 Main St.
Ottawa, OntarioAs for the salutation, it can read in one of two ways:
- R.S. Jones
- Dear R.S. Jones: or Dear Sir or Madam:
- For correspondence with a person whose sex, status or name are unknown, "Dear Sir or Madam:" is used.
In the address of a letter, the form "Mr. and Mrs. LarrySmith" should be avoided, even though certain experts maintain that this usage is still proper etiquette. Preferable forms would be:
Marie Davidson and Marc Shuster.
- "Larry and Julie Smith" or "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"
- NOTE: In the province of Quebec, and more and more frequently outside this province, women no longer take the name of their husband. A letter to both wife and husband in this case bears both their names.
Published May 6, 1991
(Office of the Secretary)