Listening to @MForstater talk at #WPUKLondon about how impossible it will be for International Development Agencies to do their job, if there is no word to describe femaleness. “If we can’t name things, these organisations can’t do their jobs”.
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But the words you use exclude people too!
That's the way definitions work. The definition of woman does not include male people. This does not preclude treating people in the way they want to be treated in many situations, wherever sex doesn't matter.
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You can use inclusive language which properly describes the group you are talking about. If “we can’t name things, these organisations can’t do their jobs” then by (for eg) saying “pregnant people” rather than mothers you are inclusive. It’s simple!
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Ah that old chestnut: the requirement for women (and it’s always women) to be inclusive. Women are expected to be the passive recipients of anything that the patriarchy doesn’t want included in its definition of perfect masculinity.1/10
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