A popular riddle goes â âA father and son have a car accident and are both badly hurt. They are both taken to separate hospitals.
When the boy is taken in for an operation, the surgeon says âI cannot do the surgery because this is my sonâ. How is this possible?â
The answer is obvious. The surgeon is the boyâs mother.
The reason the riddle is difficult to crack is slightly more complex. Our gender-biased language.
Fundamentally, gender-biased language is language that is skewed towards a particular gender. As progressive and aware as we may be, deep-rooted biases often creep in, sending the message that a girl just isnât as good enough as a man, especially when it comes to occupations that are dominated by men.
To achieve an equal representation of women in all fields, itâs essential first to unlearn the gendered manner in which we speak.
1. Identify gender biases in your language
Now, coming back to the riddle â that the answer isnât so simple, that the riddle even qualifies as a riddle, brings our inherent gender bias to fore. The first step to correcting our gendered language is identifying deep-seated prejudices in the manner we speak.
2. Use gender-neutral pronouns
Using the gendered pronouns âhimâ where the gender of the person isnât apparent, also reinforces stereotypes.
For instance, a sentence such as â âEvery inventor has immersed himself in scienceâ â assumes all inventors are men and makes the woman invisible.
In a scenario where a personâs gender isnât known, itâs essential to use the gender-neutral pronoun âtheyâ, despite the singular antecedent.
3. Avoid stereotypes that further gender biases
Statements like âthatâs a manâs jobâ or âoh, itâs such a girly job,â are discriminatory and reinforce gender stereotypes.
A girl who is regularly told that science is a manâs field may grow up believing it, even if sheâs not consciously aware of it.
According to Sherrey Correl, a scholar and professor â âboys do not pursue mathematical activities at a higher rate than girls because they are better at math. They do so, at least partially, because they think they are better.â
4. Make gender visible, wherever necessary
Whenever we talk of actions that conventionally come with attached gender stereotypes â like cooking or doing a science experiment â itâs preferable to address both genders.
For instance, instead of saying âall students must engage in science activities,â make the language gender-visible by rephrasing the sentence to â âall boys and girls must engage in science activitiesâ. The latter works subconsciously to encourage the girls to be part of the science activities.
While there are various factors responsible for the low number of women in science, using gender-neutral language is one that can bring about small but significant changes.