Reducing Gender Bias in Writing

Prof. Shulamit Almog and Adv. Rina Pikel

Language has a significant formative impact on the future, and therefore the journey toward gender equity entails the use of linguistic choices and linguistic formulations that promote gender equality. In all societies, language represents the cultural core and serves as the primary instrument of its dissemination. Language is a powerful means for establishing and instilling collective consciousness. Language determines and fixes status and positions in society by conveying who is at the center of the human experience and who is at its margins. Language marks what is the “norm” and who deviates from it.

Hebrew may not explicitly declare inequality between men and women, yet infinite tiny declarations, both indirect and implicit, constantly emerge from what appears to be a gender-neutral articulation  of the classifications and differences between of men and women that the language imposes. In this manner, Hebrew helps to establish an overall worldview that requires constant attention to the distinction between men and women, a worldview in which the masculine model functions as the primary model and signifier.

Languages differ from one another in their emphasis  on differences between the sexes and Hebrew is considered to be an extremely gender- charged language. In Hebrew all nouns, pronouns, and verbs are inflected according to gender. Hebrew speakers are required to distinguish between the masculine and feminine voices although in most cases such distinctions make little contribution to comprehension. Moreover, according to the rules of the Hebrew language, the masculine voice functions as the primary signifier and is commonly used to also address women. One well-known example is the grammatical rule that requires a change of address into the masculine voice when one man joins a group of women. The application of these rules has resulted in growing social discomfort and increasing rule violations.

Today, the linguistic field is a trap that blocks men and women from developing a consciousness of equality. This trap serves as a tangible obstacle, not only in the labor market, but in all fields of life. For this reason, any gender equity project must include language. A woman living in a linguistic space in which a man is the model of a “complete person,” a space in which the feminine model is a mere derivative of the male model, will be challenged to develop a clear-cut identity for herself. Women begin their journey through life within a space that is inherently unequal and women’s chances to achieve equality are necessarily curtailed. In effect, men are also trapped in this linguistic trap, and similarly find it difficult to develop a change of consciousness that leads to equality.

The Gender Equity Unit aims to change the linguistic landscape at the University of Haifa and take steps to ensure that all forms, signage, websites, and texts published by and used in the University use gender-neutral language as far as possible. This is a complex and continuous mission and we welcome the assistance and contribution of all members of the University community to achieve this important goal.

Did you know?

Academic degrees do not appear only in the masculine form. According to Tamar Katzir of the Academy of the Hebrew Language:

The use of the female forms of “graduate” and “alumnus” are permitted and even advised. According to a decision of the Academy of the Hebrew Language, a female form may be created from any adjective, position, and rank attributed to a woman, and this is even more so the case for the active participle form. Note that it is also possible and recommended to use the female form of titles such as “professor” and “doctor” when the title is not paired with the name of the title-holder (e,g., “She is a doctor of linguistics,” “She was recently appointed a professor”).

For more information, see the website of the Academy of the Hebrew Language.    

Writing Reference Letters for Students

Do you have an outstanding student? Have you been asked to write a reference letter for a researcher? Often men and women unconsciously use gendered language when writing a reference letter. Make sure you avoid gendered language in your reference letter, as inclusion of such language might hurt the candidate’s chances. The Gender Equity Unit formulated tips for reference letter writing in Hebrew, following a publication of the University of Arizona Commission on the Status of Women: • Emphasize achievements not efforts • Make reference to specific publications and research projects • Use a professional tone and focus on the candidate’s professional activities • Use a decisive and confident tone • Avoid the use of stereotypes

Language landscape at the University of Haifa

The Gender Equity Unit at the University of Haifa is working to revise all the University’s websites, documents, forms, and communications to reflect gender-neutral writing. Have you encountered a document that needs revision? Let us know!

Gender-Neutral Editing

- by Orly Nitis Yaakobi, language editor- The Gender Equity Unit at the University of Haifa aims to promote equity and equality for the University community as a whole. Its efforts to achieve this goal encompass multiple dimensions and diverse methods. Efforts at the practical level include promoting equality in various university settings, and cultural, symbolic, and principled efforts such as attention to inclusive language that addresses all groups in the university community and is free of automatic generic gender bias. Awareness of the importance of gender-equitable language has increased in recent years to become a topic of public discourse around the world, and in Israel, and has been adopted by many public institutions including the government, local governments, healthcare institutions, and academic institutions. In the past several months I have been working with the team of the Gender Equity Unit at the University of Haifa, headed by Prof. Shulamit Almog, to incorporate gender-equitable language in the website of the Authority for Advanced Studies. This Authority provides services to graduate and post-graduate students at the University, and aims to train the future generation of researchers in Israel through the cultivation of outstanding research skills, initiative, professional security, and innovation. In order to do so, it is important to establish egalitarian opening conditions for all those who enter the gates of the University, at all stages of study, up to and including their promotion to members of the research and teaching faculty. Attention to inclusive and egalitarian language on the Authority’s website — from the application process to the various degree programs, and from information on funding to information on the composition of the Authority’s committees — is one of the many tools to achieve the Authority’s important goals. During the incorporation of gender-equitable language on the Authority’s website, it became clear that such language is not only more inclusive and equitable but also facilitates clearer, more focused articulations, which benefits the website’s audiences both in and outside the University. Simple, clear, and succinct language contributes in itself to equity and equality among groups because it facilitates comprehension of work procedures, instructions, and settings, reduces ambiguity and confusion, increases applicants’ confidence in submitting formal applications.

Sources on gender and language

Many important works on gender-neutral writing and gender-charged language and its effects have been published in recent years. Academic papers on gender-equal language in Hebrew: Karichali-Katz, T., & Regev, T. (2020). Addresses in masculine or feminine form? How language affects women’s success on exams or Does Hebrew set women up to fail in mathematics? PUBLICATION INFO MISSING Almog, S. (2006). Hebrew codification: The language of law and the language of equality. Mishpatim ViAsakim 4, 539. Almog, S. (2002). And these names are eternal – On Hebrew, gender, and law. Mehkarei Mishpat (Bar-Ilan Law Studies), 18, 373. Halperin-Kaddari, R. (2002). “And thou shall teach them to your sons, not your daughters” – Inclusion and exclusion of women in Halakhic language. Mehkarei Mishpat (Bar-Ilan Law Studies), 18, 353-372.
For an in-depth exploration of the broad topic of language and gender: Eckert, P., & McConnell-Ginet, S. (2013). Language and gender. Cambridge University Press.
Additional essays, opinion pieces, and other materials on the topic: Letter to the Civil Service Commissioner on his instruction to draft documents in the masculine form, July 2023. Almog, S., & Aharoni Leer, S. (2023, July 13). Equality is also a word. HaAyin HaShvi’it. Almog S. (2017, October 26). The rules of Hebrew create a world engineered for men’s use. Ha’aretz, opinion section. Leer, S. (2016, July 21). Open letter to the Committee for Children’s Rights in Israel – Social rectification also happens through linguistic correction. Almog S. (2013, December 15). A transparent barrier - The next bill to temper the gendered nature of the Hebrew language is not about minimal things. HaAyin HaShvi’it. Almog S. (2007, June 7). Genderized Hebrew. [Blogpost] University of Haifa Faculty of Law Lecturers’ Blog. Almog S. (2007, March 13). Why does Word fail to take women into consideration? Ynet. Izenreich, D. (n.d.). Writing for everyone. Manual for gender-neutral inclusive writing.