Language as a means to promote gender equality

To identify effective strategies to promote gender equality has been a challenge in the last years. One option to do so is to modify the language used to describe and refer to men and women. In this chapter we will take into account research, which examines if and how the various linguistic strategies that have been proposed and applied can enhance gender equality. The idea that language use may support a representation of men and women as equal is based on the Sapir-Whorf theory, which claims that cognition is extensively influenced by language use. Firstly, we will therefore shed light on the interplay between language and cognition. Secondly, we will provide readers with an insight into sexist language use in every-day life and its pervasive negative consequences for women, especially in the workplace. At last we will describe the linguistic strategies, which have been advanced to avoid sexism in language use. We will highlight the advantages and, importantly, the risks of the so-called “gender-fair” language and disclose which linguistic policies eventually have the potential to truly promote gender equality.