14.02 Elimination of Sexual Stereotyping, Correspondence; names and forms of address

The form preferred or used by the person being addressed or referred to should be retained if it is known. Otherwise, the following guidelines should be applied in order to ensure uniform and equal treatment of the sexes.

• In formal correspondence, use Ms., Mrs., Miss or Mr. When the addressee is a woman, and her preference cannot be ascertained, use Ms.:

  Dear Ms. Samuels:

• If the gender of the addressee is not known, begin your reply with "Dear" followed by the person’s initials and surname:

  Dear J. D. Simmonds:

  Where the name of the addressee is not known, use the form "Dear Sir/Madam" or "Dear Madam or Sir."

• When writing to an organization or to unspecified individuals, use an inclusive salutation:

  Dear Members of the Rotary Club:
  To the Consumer Relations Department:
  To whom it may concern:

An alternative is to use the memo format and omit the salutation.

See also 10.17 Salutation or greeting.

14.03 Parallel treatment

When the names of a woman and man are mentioned together, use parallel language so that men and women are portrayed as equals:

• Alan Knight and Joyce Philips
• J. Philips and A. Knight
• Knight and Philips
• Joyce Philips, the engineer, and Alan Knight, the journalist

not

• Mrs. J. Philips and Alan Knight

or

• Alan Knight, the journalist, and Mrs. J. Philips

Ensure parallel treatment of couples:

• Mr. and Mrs. James and Irene Luciano
• James and Irene
• Mr. and Mrs. Luciano
• James and Irene Luciano

not

• Mr. and Mrs. James Luciano

or

• James Luciano and his wife Irene

Ensure parallel treatment of work associates:

• Raymond Kovacs and his assistant Karen White
• Margaret Thompson, Vice-President, and her executive secretary Bill White

not

• Mr. Kovacs and his assistant Karen
• Margaret Thompson, Vice-President, and her executive secretary Bill

Alternate order of reference so that one sex is not always given second place:

• Karen White and her immediate superior, Raymond Kovacs
• Joyce Philips and Alan Knight
• Mr. White and Ms. Thompson

In distribution and other lists, use alphabetical order or list according to rank.

14.04 Pronouns

Because English lacks a singular pronoun that signifies the non-specific "he or she," customarily the masculine pronoun has been used. The following guidelines help to avoid this usage.

• Avoid using the pronoun:

  The section chief is responsible for maintaining good relations with clients and ensuring that deadlines are met.

  not

  The section chief is responsible for maintaining good relations with his clients. He ensures that deadlines are met.

• Repeat the noun:

  An employee must file a grievance within the prescribed time limit. The employee’s union representative will usually be involved at this stage of the process.

  not

  An employee must file a grievance within the prescribed time limit. His union representative will usually be involved at this stage of the process.

• Use the plural:

  All responsibility centre managers must prepare their own work plans.

  not

  Each responsibility centre manager must prepare his own work plans.

• Use a neutral word such as "one," "individual" or "incumbent":

  the incumbent’s duties not  his duties

• Use both pronouns, but avoid using parentheses:

  his or her duties  not  his (or her) duties

• Address your reader directly. Substitute "you" or "yours" for "he" or "his," using the imperative mood where needed:

  Send two copies of your academic record to the Human Resources Officer.

  not

  The applicant must send two copies of his academic record to the Human Resources Officer.

• Use sentence fragments when writing job descriptions:

  Develops, implements and evaluates programs to improve information services; directs research in information resource management.

14.05 Personification

Avoid using feminine or masculine pronouns to personify animals, events, ships, etc.:

• Once again the area was hit by hurricane Flora. It wrought havoc.

not

• . . . . She wrought havoc.

14.06 Titles of occupations

Eliminate titles and terms which suggest that a job is not typically performed by persons of either sex or that the task varies depending on whether the incumbent is a woman or a man. As far as possible, job titles should not imply that the job can be filled only by members of one sex.

• Do not feminize occupational titles by adding ess, as in "manageress," ette as in "usherette" and ix as in "executrix." Do not add gratuitous modifiers, as in "lady doctor" or "male nurse."
• Use feminine nouns when women are referred to, or gender-inclusive nouns when a man or woman is not specifically referred to:
  • spokeswoman/spokesperson/representative not spokesman
  • chairwoman/chairperson/chair not chairman³
  • councillor not councilman or alderman
  • technician not repairman
  • trade worker not journeyman
  • cleaner not cleaning woman
• For non-discriminatory occupational titles, refer to the Manual of Sex-Free Occupational Titles and the National Occupation Classification.    

_________________

14.07 Man, lady, girl, woman

Avoid using the generic man to refer to people in general and, where possible, as part of a compound:

• anybody, anyone not a man
• nobody, no one not no man
• average person not common man
• ordinary people not the man in the street
• writer not man of letters
• staff/operate/run a booth not man a booth
• labour force, personnel, staff, work force not manpower
• synthetic or manufactured not man-made
• humanity, people not mankind
• compatriot not countryman

Unless a minor is referred to or you wish to evoke refinement or high standing, use woman, not girl or lady:

• The men and women of the Administrative Support Division

not

• The men and girls of the Administrative Support Division

• Seventy percent of the delegates were women.

not

• Seventy percent of the delegates were ladies.

14.08 Elimination of Sexual Stereotyping, Full range of human characteristics and situations

All people, including women as individuals or as a group, should be treated with respect and dignity. To this end they should be depicted as living and working in a variety of circumstances and assuming a broad range of responsibilities.

• Avoid gratuitous reference to physical or other characteristics and undue emphasis on traditional roles:

  Dr. and Mrs. Rolfe
  or
  Dr. Erica and Mr. John Bruce

  not

  Dr. Rolfe and his charming blonde wife Dora
  or
  Mr. John Bruce and his doctor wife

• Do not suggest that men are the norm in certain situations and women in others. Show that members of each sex are now filling roles that were traditionally the preserve of the other sex:

  Parent and child
  not
  Mother and child

  People (or Families) are suffering increasingly from the burden of taxation.
  not
  Men and their families are suffering increasingly from the burden of taxation.

  Professionals, their spouses and their children
  not
  Professionals, their wives and their children

  the average worker
  or
  the average wage-earner
  not
  the average working man

• Ensure that women as a group are treated with respect, particularly in the role of homemaker. Refer to "women re-entering the work force," not to "women going back to work." Do not refer to "working women" or "working wives" in contrast to homemakers; use the expression "women working outside the home" or an equivalent.

© Travaux publics et Services gouvernementaux Canada, 2013
TERMIUM Plus^®, la banque de données terminologiques et linguistiques du gouvernement du Canada
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