International female day

[maeveiscurious]

International woman's day is being replaced by some organisations to say female instead. Nice to be reduced to our biology, using the word women to describe biological females must be really uncomfortable

corporate.asda.com/20210308/inspirational-female-colleagues-share-their-experiences-to-mark-international-womens-day

www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/sustainability/plan-for-better/our-stories/2022/03-03-2022-celebrating-female-founded-small-businesses

Thanks to Tesco, John Lewis and Oxfam for using the word women.

Ps Sainsbury's opened with "inclusive" in their first sentence

I don't really see the problem here.

Both of those organisations are still referring to "International Women's Day", but using the word "female" adjectivally.

This suggests to me that they define a woman as a female person. To my mind, this is preferable to the increasingly nebulous use of the word woman to include any man that wants to impose himself in our spaces or perform a caricature of us. IWD should be a day for female people.

Oxfam may use the word "women" but they have previously clarified that they include males in this category: www.oxfam.org/en/ending-gender-based-violence-possible

Meanwhile, my employer has celebrated IWD by centring a male advocating "bringing your whole self to work".

I'd rather "international female day" than "international everyone can be a woman" day.

I too would prefer the clarity of knowing that the messages were targeted at those who were born female whatever they identify as.

I now tend to skip over or filter out anything with 'women' or using 'cervix haver' or 'people who ...'. This was always the inevitable result of trying too make messages meant for women inclusive of males. I am no longer interested or I no longer trust the message or the people behind the message.

I think 'female' was always going to have to start being used, I am surprised it took so long.

Of course, we simply know that some males already call themselves female, but I think that many extreme trans activists will stop short of defending that. They will be very aware of just how that will play out in real life to all those they convinced, or tried to convince, that scope creep wouldn't happen. It will simply prove that those they told to STFU were right all along.

This was always the inevitable result of trying to make messages meant for women inclusive of males. AND to make messages meant for women to become dehumanised to include the small proportion of society who have chosen to not be described as women.

Honestly? I’m fine with this as it keeps it about those it was originally intended for, rather than the new colonised version.

Fine with this too. Make it clear it's about biological females. Transwomen have their own days.

This thread is so sad. There are so many comments by GCs complaining about the removal of the word "women" in inclusive language and now even that's not good enough it seems.

Woman in 'inclusive' language is meaningless, that's the problem.

We want the word back to mean adult human female.

The word 'female' is becoming more and more apparent, since 'woman' now has to be publicly used to mean 'anyone of either sex', and some things just are about the half of the human race that is female. No, I'm not thrilled about it either, but male people created this situation.

This thread is so sad. There are so many comments by GCs complaining about the removal of the word "women" in inclusive language and now even that's not good enough it seems.

That is ok, disgusted, we know that you seems to celebrate women's discomfort. And you are very smug about it. Please do not ever hide this aspect of your posting, it is good for people to be able to judge your credibility. If they hadn't picked it up from your efforts on The Times.

As usual though, you miss the entire point that this situation has been caused by transitioned males who feel that they qualify to celebrate IWD. Thus making it a day that becomes about them. And disproportionately so. After all, if they are such a tiny part of the UK population, why would they need to be so central to a day meant for females?

So please, continue to be smug. It shows everyone just what your motivation on this thread is.

No, I'm not thrilled about it either, but male people created this situation.

I agree. Wholeheartedly. I would prefer to fight for woman to be used still, but I cannot get upset when an organisation takes the approach of being very clear who this communication was intended for.

They'll come for female, I expect. Maybe sometime in the future IWD will be a day, like world book day, when you can dress up as women.

Sorry, feeling really ticked off today.

They already are. India Willoughby and haty katie already claim to be female and have seen other TW also do.

The thing is though that while we're being told today on national radio, on IWD, that the word 'woman' is contextual, something that no one can really define (but definitely doesn't mean the half of the human race who are female, cos naughty) - female is a fact. A biological statement of fact. And appropriating that doesn't really fly.

Thanks to Tesco, John Lewis and Oxfam for using the word women.

It's not what you think. I don't know about Tesco, but John Lewis and Oxfam are both full-on TWAW.