Language and translation inevitably are tools for gender oppression or liberation.
Translating texts is one of the most delicate instances of social writing, as it affects our lives at personal, social, and collective levels. In an era in which full equality between sexes is promoted, translators are especially encouraged to remove any traces of racial, ethnic, or sexual discrimination from texts.
Gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of human rights and is an aspiration that benefits all of society. The universal advantages of gender equality have been well-documented, and several international frameworks have affirmed its centrality to human rights and sustainable development.
The UN Women recognizes the importance of language in fighting gender bias and promotes the use of gender-inclusive language in all contexts and at all times. Gender-inclusive language refers to the language that places both women and men at the same level, and which does not convey gender stereotypes.
A gender-inclusive lexicon that includes entries in English, French, and Spanish can be found by clicking here. Additional resources used by UN Women to ensure gender-inclusive language are available on the menu of its webpage.
Notions such as power and ideology are inextricably linked to the critical study of language and translation. As Olga Castro (2013) says “Language is a mediation and communication act which either perpetuates or challenges existing power structures within wider social and cultural contexts – and the same can be said of translation.”
Text translation is not simply a linguistic matter, but rather a socio-cultural and ideological issue. As professional translators, it is our duty to be gender-neutral or gender-inclusive, which means avoiding any reference to gender when describing people.
At GITS we are committed to helping achieve gender-neutral language in every document. Contact us through our web page, email, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn to translate your content.
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