Do we use “chairman” or “chairperson”?

For some people, it can be a toss-up whether we use “spokesman” or “spokesperson”, for example. However, as an employee at Health, you will have to get used to choosing the most gender-neutral term.

“Language can influence our attitudes, behaviour and perceptions. How we refer to things - or each other - is not irrelevant. Equality and equal treatment also matter in language, and we must take responsibility for that,” says Dean Anne-Mette Hvas.

In August 2023, Universities Denmark issued a set of recommendations for how universities can work on diversity, inclusion and equality among staff and students. One of the recommendations describes inclusive language, which is an area that the Committee for Gender Equality at Health supports.

“We want to create more inclusion and increase equality at Health. One way we can do this is by avoiding gendered terminology in our communication as much as possible, which is why we have drawn up guidelines for the entire faculty,” says the dean.

The guidelines for inclusive and gender-neutral language are available on Health’s employee page.

Changing habits and language takes time

All internal and external communication at Health, written, spoken and visual, is included in the new guidelines.

“Every time we encounter a gendered term, we should consider whether it encourages a stereotype and whether there is a more neutral word we can use instead. With just a few tweaks, we can make language more inclusive and thereby increase respect for diversity, reduce gender stereotypes and increase equality. We must strive to do so,” says Anne-Mette Hvas.

Health Communication and Health Studies will start the process of updating the faculty and department websites and study portals in accordance with the new guidelines.

Job postings, agendas, minutes, appendices and formal documents such as mandates and bylaws will not be changed retrospectively but will be written or edited with inclusive language in mind when the documents need to be updated.

Although the task of editing the documents primarily lies with the administrative units, it is incumbent on all employees to be familiar with and work on using inclusive and gender-neutral language:

“It takes time to change habits and language, but it’s important that we pay attention to the words we use in formal and informal communication, both spoken and written. For some it will require practice, for others it will be a given - but now we all have the framework to practice more inclusive communication,” says Anne-Mette Hvas.

Contact

Head of Communications Ulla Krag Jespersen
Aarhus University, Health Communication
Mobile: (+45) 31 69 10 14
Email: ulla@au.dk