A United Nations agency has been branded “Orwellian” after ordering its staff not to use the term “English” in the latest crackdown on “gendered” language.
The Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization, which protects trademarks and patents worldwide, has also banned masculine terms such as “ancestors” and “brotherhood of man.”
Even the term “man’s best friend” has been banned and replaced by “faithful dog.” And “midwife” has been suggested as an alternative to “midwife.”
The move comes after the British Red Cross was accused of being “hijacked by political extremists” after cracking down on phrases such as “ladies and gentlemen” and “maiden name”.
According to the “Guidelines on Inclusive Language” published by the UN agency known as WIPO, the use of “specifically male” terms risks giving the impression that “women are not represented in certain groups or do not possess certain skills.”
File photo. “English” is the latest term to avoid, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization
Among the terms that staff should not use is “English”, with the alternatives “English person” or “English citizen”.
The expression “man in the street” should be replaced by “ordinary citizen” or “typical person”, while the word “sporting” should be avoided in favour of “fair” or “sportsmanlike”.
Both cavemen and cavewomen are frowned upon, with the guide suggesting “cave dweller” or “prehistoric people” while “humanity” is preferred to “the brotherhood of man.”
A separate list of gender-neutral terms for occupations recommends replacing “lumberjack” with “woodcutter” or “woodcutter” and “waiter/waitress” with “waiter” or “server.”
Another on the list is “midwife”, with the suggested alternative being “birth attendant”, although the guide admits that “midwife” “may still be the preferred term, depending on the context”.
Last night, Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech Union, said: “This is precisely what George Orwell warned us about.
‘Banning certain words and phrases to promote a dogmatic political ideology is a hallmark of totalitarianism.’
File photo. The United Nations agency was criticized for its control of certain terms
Last month, the Daily Mail revealed that British Red Cross staff were being told that “people who aren’t women” can get pregnant and have periods.
Meanwhile, NHS trusts have ordered staff to use gender-neutral language, and midwives have been told to refer to “birth mothers or fathers” and “breast milk” as an alternative to breast milk.
The guidelines, approved by WIPO Director General Daren Tang, “are not prescriptive and common sense and clarity of the text should always prevail.”
WIPO said the document was “designed to be a simple awareness-raising exercise for our colleagues on how to use
language that resonates with the broadest possible audience, which may include avoiding gender-related terms when other neutral and more inclusive words are available.
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