Language and Gender inequalities

“In language gender is particularly confusing. Why please, should a table be male, in German, female in French, and castrated in English” (Marlene Dietrich). If we explain this phrase further, we can see that Marlene attempted to emphasize that we are all equal and have the same rights in everything, including language. It does not matter whether we are male or female, but rather who we are as human beings. In Bangladesh, a significant event known as the language movement occurred in 1952(part of Asia). This was the only time in history when there was a battle for language. People did not divide language based on gender at the time, but it served as a means of communication. It was the Bengali’s mother tongue, which is why everyone, men and women, flocked to the streets to fight and shout slogans, and some even gave their lives. However, as time passes, we notice many modifications in our language. We can now see that distinct laws apply to different genders when it comes to speaking, not just in South Asia but around the world. In this essay, I will attempt to demonstrate how language in today’s world portrays gender discrimination or racism. That’s because the way girls use language differs from the way boys do, as does their intent. There are also gender-based language constraints, which implies that girls can speak in one way and boys in another due to the rules that have been established for them.

Women and men are depicted differently in this world when it comes to a dialogue based on their qualities as well as the many and specialized phrases. In the article “Relationship between Gender and Language” author M. Rafiul Islam Shazu a student of English Language & Literature at Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University in Trishal, Mymensingh, Bangladesh, discusses the topic of verbal traits and why they are predicted or pointed out, as well as the terminology employed based on gender (Journal of Education and Practice). The quality he brings out in his writing is, “Women put more emphasis than men on the polite or affective functions of tags, using them as facilitative positive politeness devices. Men, on the other hand, use tags for the expression of uncertainty” (Shazu, 94). This implies that, just as men and women are physically different, so are their communication styles. That can be influenced or influenced by their surroundings, who they talk to, the culture they adhere to, or societal stereotypes. Women, for example, are mothers, and the way they handle their children or nurture them with love and affection, whereas males, on the other hand, can be severe or rough at times, and they use words like that. Moreover, in “Advance Consulting for Education ” they present a complete and practical knowledge solution for educational institutions, outlining the reasons for utilizing different languages based on gender (Linkedin). They state that, “There was a male brain and a female brain and that these two brains had very different structures and therefore I’ve created very different outputs and also had very different capabilities so there was this whole science that built up around the idea that men have bigger brains they do actually physically in terms of size the male brains are bigger on average and therefore they have greater capability intellectually because female brains are smaller they have less capability intellectually” (Language and gender 2:45-3:13). According to the facts, our brain is structured in such a manner that it manipulates us to speak in a certain way. As a result, women and men have distinct attitudes when conversing. In essence, the use of people’s languages is related to their biological differences. So, now people take it as a normal thing when it comes to the different ways men and women interact. 

Another important element to note is that depending on gender, different phrases, insulting and discouraging words, also sentences are used. According to Dahmardeh who is a professor of the university of Tehran, “Females that do appear are presented in a narrower range of roles than males, and mostly in nurturing and inferior jobs, while men are presented everywhere both in texts and in images” (Dahmardeh, 2020). Also in “Advance Consulting for Education” which is a non-profit organization founded in 2001, who provide the comprehensive and practical knowledge solution for the educational institution, provide a picture in the video,

(Language and gender 24:54)

“The chef does everything except cook,” says the sign, “that’s what spouses do.”(Language and Gender 24:54). Based on this, we may deduce that in the illustration, male is considered strong and brave and expected to deal with all circumstances and they are the source of income. On the other hand women hope to spend their husband or dad’s money. Which is shameful thinking for a woman. Because we say,  wives aren’t just chefs, this sentence is disrespectful and degrading to women. As a woman, you have a lot of duties. And, in order to have a happy family, we should all contribute to understanding how it feels to do something specific. Furthermore, Pem Doma, a Nepalese woman who has endured linguistic prejudice due to her gender, stated that she has had challenges in the past. “You are not permitted to talk and smile loudly because you are a girl,” she claims, laughing. “Girls should be shy and their sound should not travel outside of the room” (Pem). While expressing her dissatisfaction. Because this is the twenty-first century. People’s minds have progressed significantly. However, because she comes from an Asian household, they still believe that women should be quiet and that having boundaries for females solely is a good idea. Men, on the other hand, are superior and are permitted to do anything. As a result, these remarks have the potential to mentally and emotionally ruin a person. As a result, others may not realize what they are saying before they say it, but this is the worst thing that can happen.

Additionally, a woman’s presence in South Asia was unusual. Females must still be treated as second-class citizens. They are unable to talk without their father, husband, and (male) child’s permission. In a nutshell, they don’t speak their mother tongue. The ASEAN Studies Facility, a research institute created in 1978, has been the leading research center in Canada for the interdisciplinary study of Asia since its inception (Wikipedia) “Language may manipulate reality which manifests the ideology of male-dominated society” (ASEANSC). This indicates that in that community, men are the primary breadwinners. When they don’t regard women, they dominate over everything and want women to respect them.  Important to mention, according to Kristen Lee Hourigan who is an assistant professor at California State University in Los Angeles, “Females are generally viewed as being of lower status than males. With this lower status comes lower relative amounts of power, agency, access, and privilege” (Hourigan). Pem also claimed that while in Nepal, she witnessed others employing prejudices against women. “I watched when older people claimed that boys should establish themselves first and then marry, but girls should not be hired and educated because they will become out of control,” she says. (Pem). I’d like to point out that similar sentences/ stereotypes are used in Bangladesh. The reason for this is that boys are expected to work and contribute to the family whereas girls are not. No one needed a degree to be a housewife and handle home chores. That is why there are so many child marriages in Bangladesh. For the most part, women are essentially barred from higher education and a variety of changes, such as leadership, due to their gender, which is tragic. 

Similarly, research has revealed that distinct phrases are used to describe husband and wife, even though they both deserve the same respect. In the article “The Subtle Ways Language Shapes Us” BBC Culture known as British Broadcasting Company is national broadcasting in the United Kingdom founded on 18 October 1922 (Wikipedia) states that, “While learning Hindi, a gendered language, I realized that I was expected to show respect to men, sometimes more than women. In Hindi, some wives use AAP, the respectful way of saying ‘you, to refer to their husbands, while husbands use tum, the informal ‘you’ for their wives” (BBC Culture). We can deduce from this data that the way people use different words in the same connection is amusing. This is a case of sexist language. 

(BBC Culture).

Because “AAP” means “respectfully” in Hindi, and “tum” means “everyone” which is less formal than AAP and basically used for the people with less power. For example, the child is described by tum, and the child’s parents are mentioned by “AAP.” The entire sentence varies according to AAP and tum. According to the ASEAN Studies Center which is a research institute founded in 1978 and has been the foremost research center in Canada for the interdisciplinary study of Asia (Wikipedia), “Women in Malaysia are also described by their relationship to men. Women as belonging to men are recognized by the use of the preposition ‘of’ for instance mentioning the death of women and men. In death, women are not usually recognized for their achievement or accomplishment. They are recognized as being a wife. While men are followed by their achievement in death” (ASEANSC). This emphasizes the fact that in Asia, women are frequently introduced by their spouses. For example, “Mr. X’s wife” or “Y’s (older son) mom,” because it is a woman’s identity after marriage. Women were not allowed to marry after becoming widows in Hindu tradition, and they had to shave their heads when their husbands died. Men, on the other hand, can marry as many times as they wish, even if their wife is still alive. Also, when a guy slaps his wife, he is praised, but when a woman does the same, she is held up as an example of a nasty woman for the entire city. There will be many terms used to call her out, such as “witch, outcast,” and more scandals will be added to use her as the worst example for all other women to follow in her footsteps. These examples indicate Asian countries’ prejudice against languages. It’s not the same as the experiment in a sophisticated country, where women have complete control over their lives while speaking. Likewise those from small countries and especially women, however, do not have the freedom to use their language.  

One could claim that women have less power in language than males since they are more emotional and take advantage of situations. If they are to provide greater power in the language, females must demonstrate more power in real life, yet they are not capable of doing anything significant in comparison to men because of their emotions. Based on the article, “Relationship between Gender and Language” author Rafiul Islam Shazu an M.A student of English Language & Literature, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Trishal, Mymensingh, Bangladesh address the topic of verbal qualities and discuss why those qualities are being predicted or pointed out and terms are used based on gender (Journal of Education and Practice), mentioned, “Women are typically less concerned with power more concerned with forming and maintaining relationships, whereas men are more concerned with their status” (Sazu, 97). To explain, women are sometimes unable to make sound decisions due to their emotions, which hampers leadership. They are unable to change their conduct because they are women. Men are more likely to penalize someone who makes a mistake, whereas women are more likely to forgive, which makes them weak. But, to prove them wrong, I’d like to discuss Priyanka Chopra, an Indian actress. She is a successful Indian woman, a successful Bollywood, and Hollywood actress, and most significantly, a UNICEF ambassador. She had demonstrated that women may be acknowledged for their work rather than their father, husband, or son’s identities. In one of her prize speeches, she stated, “in my career, I must have been about eighteen or nineteen telling me that if I didn’t agree to the ridiculous terms or painfully low salary in his movie that he would just replace me because girls are replaceable in the entertainment business that was a memorable one made me decide to make myself irreplaceable” (Chopra, 4:25-4:47). That remark illustrates how the producers’ words struck her soul, and how she fought hard to fix it, and how she is today so successful. That is to say, a woman’s emotion is not a bad thing. This is a woman’s strength. Because she also mentioned, emphasized- “Once she saw her helping hand’s daughter do not go to school because of the financial crisis but the boy does as the parent thinks that in future he will earn, so they choose the boy for the opportunity of being educated. When Priyanka got to know she got emotional and she helped that child to get educated” (Chopra, 5:02-5:47). After hearing the speech, it is clear that emotion does not make a woman helpless but helpful towards people who are really in need. This proves that Priyanka Chopra is a real example of how women can achieve any accomplishment by channeling their emotions.

In conclusion, gender has been a stumbling block in people’s lives. One of the most fundamental human rights is the right to communicate. People should be able to explain or express themselves without fear of retaliation. Nothing can hold someone back. Being a woman or a guy is neither a blessing nor a misfortune. Because we are all human, everyone should have the same rights.

      Works cited 

Aseansc. “ASEANSC.” ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada, Aseansc               https://asc.fisipol.ugm.ac.id/2017/08/21/asean-50-language-gender-discrimination-southeast-asia

Chopra, Priyanka. YouTube https://youtu.be/iCwKM6uB71I

Dahmardeh, M., & Kim, S. (2020). Gender representation in Iranian English language coursebooks: Is sexism still alive? English Today, 36(1), 12-22. doi:10.1017/S0266078419000117

Hourigan, Kristen Lee. “Girls Try, Boys Aim High: Exposing Difference in Implied Ability, Activity, and Agency of Girls Versus Boys in Language on McDonald’s Happy Meal Boxes.” Sex roles 84.7-8 (2020): 377–391. Web.

Language Use and Gender – Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeGZiM-P8. 

Pem Doma Sherpa (Interview)

Shazu, Rafiul Islam. “Relationship between Gender and Language.” Journal of Education and Practice 5 (2014): 93-100.

“The Subtle Ways Language Shapes Us.” BBC Culture, BBC, https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20201006-are-some-languages-more-sexist-than-others.