Section: Inclusive writing
Go to the main page of this section: Inclusive writing – Guidelines and resources.
Want to write texts that are free of discrimination? Watch this video to learn about the guidelines and resources for inclusive writing and how to apply them in English!
Video transcript – Presentation on the guidelines and resources for inclusive writing
Start of video
(Title on screen: Language Portal of Canada. Inclusive Writing – Guidelines and Resources)
Welcome to the Language Portal of Canada’s presentation on the guidelines and resources for inclusive writing.
In this 15-minute presentation, we’ll give you a brief overview of the English guidelines and resources for inclusive writing. You’ll also find a recorded presentation of the French guidelines and resources, in French, on the Portal website.
The guidelines and resources for inclusive writing are published on the Language Portal of Canada. They are designed to help the federal public service and any other organization produce writing that is free of discrimination based on gender, race, ethnic origin, disability or any other identity factor.
Before we begin, we’d like to acknowledge that we are currently recording this presentation on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Peoples. We recognize that some of you may be in different regions and that you may therefore be on a different traditional Indigenous territory.
(Title on screen: Interdepartmental Working Group)
[An image symbolizing the collaboration between the member departments of the Working Group is displayed. The image is made up of profile icons connected by several circles. Three of the circles contain the name of a member department: Women and Gender Equality Canada, Canadian Heritage and Public Services and Procurement Canada.]
The guidelines and resources were developed by the Interdepartmental Working Group on Inclusive Writing, which is co-chaired by 3 departments:
- Women and Gender Equality Canada;
- Canadian Heritage; and
- Public Services and Procurement Canada (represented by the Language Portal of Canada, which falls under the Translation Bureau).
More than 35 federal, provincial and territorial organizations also contributed to the development of the guidelines as members of the Working Group. Representatives from these organizations actively participated in meetings, shared their organization’s inclusive writing practices, participated in drafting the guidelines and provided feedback through a consultation process.
(Title on screen: Interdepartmental Working Group – Mandate)
(Text of first paragraph: Develop guidelines and resources on inclusive writing for the federal government and any other interested organizations, in consultation with federal, provincial and territorial institutions.)
(Text of second paragraph: Publish these guidelines and resources on the Language Portal of Canada, a website managed and maintained by Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Translation Bureau.)
The members of the Working Group came together to address the many questions that federal public service employees have about how to apply inclusive writing principles and techniques.
Their mandate was two-fold:
- to develop inclusive writing guidelines and resources in English and French; and
- to publish these guidelines and resources on the Language Portal of Canada.
Today, we are pleased to present the product of the Working Group’s efforts: the guidelines and resources for inclusive writing!
(Title on screen: Guidelines for Inclusive Writing)
[The Language Portal of Canada home page is displayed on the screen of an open laptop. On the right side of the screen, a bubble is magnifying three links: “Inclusive writing – Guidelines and resources,” “Inclusionary: A collection of gender-inclusive solutions” and “Inclusive writing: Quick reference sheet.”]
The guidelines and resources for inclusive writing are part of Writing Tips Plus, a Language Portal of Canada tool. You can access them directly from the “Most requested” section on the Portal home page at canada.ca/our-languages. In the “Most requested” section, you’ll also find a link to the Inclusionary, a practical tool we’ll tell you about later, as well as a link to a quick reference sheet summarizing the main principles and techniques of inclusive writing.
The Guidelines outline principles for writing inclusive texts and describe practical techniques to use in various contexts. The resources include an article on gender-inclusive nouns; a collection of inclusive solutions to gendered words; the Translation Bureau’s Guide on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Terminology; and glossaries.
[The “Inclusive writing – Guidelines and resources” web page is displayed on the screen:
- Guidelines for inclusive writing
- Principles of inclusive writing
- Gender-inclusive writing techniques
- Representation of non-binary gender in written communications
- Resources for inclusive and respectful language
- Quick reference sheet on inclusive writing
- Additional information]
Let’s start by going to the “Inclusive writing – Guidelines and resources” page.
[An arrow points to the heading “On this page,” below which is the table of contents.]
A table of contents shows the various sections that make up the page.
[A frame appears around the first link in the table of contents: “Guidelines for inclusive writing.”]
Under “Guidelines for inclusive writing,” there are three subsections:
- Principles of inclusive writing;
- Gender-inclusive writing techniques; and
- Representation of non-binary gender in written communications.
Let’s click on the first subsection: “Principles of inclusive writing.”
[The “Principles of inclusive writing” subsection is displayed.]
This takes us to the “Background and principles” section.
[An arrow appears, pointing to the heading “Background and principles.”]
When you click on “Background and Principles,” a box opens. The box contains a link to the entire article, followed by links to each section of the article.
Note that throughout the Guidelines, all boxes are designed the same way.
[A frame appears around the link to the article “Inclusive writing: Background and principles.”]
You can access the entire article by clicking on the first link; or
[A curly bracket appears to the left of the links to the article sections.]
You can go directly to a specific section of the article by clicking on the individual links.
(Title on screen: Background and principles)
[The 5 principles of inclusive writing appear on the screen:
- Use what works best
- Respect people’s wishes
- Make choices that are respectful of diversity
- Write clearly and effectively
- Be consistent]
Let’s go to the specific section on principles of inclusive writing and take a closer look at the 5 main principles:
Principle 1: Use what works best. Apply the technique or techniques that fit your specific situation, taking into account the type of text you’re writing and the audience you’re writing for. It’s important to remember that no one technique will meet all your communication needs. You need to consider both the nature of the text and your audience when choosing techniques and combining them to craft a clear piece of writing.
Principle 2: Respect people’s wishes. When you’re writing to or about someone, use the person’s specified courtesy title and pronouns.
Principle 3: Make choices that are respectful of diversity. To avoid stereotypes, choose words, expressions and examples that are in keeping with diversity.
Principle 4: Write clearly and effectively. The primary objective of communication is to convey a message that can be clearly understood.
Principle 5: Be consistent. Inclusive writing techniques should be applied throughout your text and throughout all communications within your organization. Inclusive writing techniques shouldn’t be used in just a few paragraphs or only in the title of your document. A concern for inclusivity should resonate throughout your writing.
(Title on screen: Gender in English)
(Text on screen: English has some gender-specific elements:
- Pronouns: he and she
- Gender-specific nouns: chairman, waitress
- Courtesy titles: Mr., Mrs., Ms.)
Now, let’s briefly examine gender in English.
Gender in English isn’t as complex as it is in French, but there are still elements of English that are gender specific.
For example, the pronouns “he” and “she,” gender-specific nouns like “chairman” and courtesy titles like “Mr.” and “Mrs.”
To be gender-inclusive in your writing, you need to be aware of these gender-specific elements and replace them with gender-inclusive solutions.
[The subsection “Gender-inclusive writing techniques” is displayed. Three arrows appear successively, each pointing to the titles of the different parts of the subsection.]
(Text on screen:
- Replacing or omitting a gendered pronoun
- Pluralize the noun
- Use the singular “they”
- Use an article
- Omit the pronoun
- Repeat the noun
- Address the reader directly
- Use the imperative
- Use the pronoun “who”
- Use the pronoun “one”
- Use the passive voice
- Use sentence fragments
- Rewrite the sentence
- Making correspondence gender-inclusive
- Introduction
- Inside address
- Salutation
- Tailoring your message
- General information about tailoring your message
- Tailoring to recipients)
You’ll find a variety of techniques and solutions for producing gender-inclusive texts in the subsection titled “Gender-inclusive writing techniques.” This subsection is divided into three parts: techniques for replacing or omitting a gendered pronoun; tips for making correspondence gender-inclusive; and an article on how to tailor your message to a specific audience.
(Title on screen: Gender-inclusive writing techniques)
[Three boxes contain the following text:
Box 1: Pluralize the noun: “Supervisors must give their employees feedback monthly.” instead of “The supervisor must give her employees feedback monthly.”
Box 2: Use the singular “they”: “Everyone should bring their access card.” instead of “Everyone should bring his or her access card.”
Box 3: Use an article: “A band chief must submit a governance improvement plan for band council review.” instead of “A band chief must submit his or her governance improvement plan for band council review.”]
Let’s look at the techniques that are listed under “Replacing or omitting a gendered pronoun.”
The first technique for writing gender-inclusive texts is to pluralize the noun. When you have a sentence with a gendered pronoun that refers to a singular noun, you can make the sentence gender-inclusive by pluralizing the noun and using the plural “they.” So, instead of writing “The supervisor must give her employees feedback monthly,” you can write “Supervisors must give their employees feedback monthly.”
The second technique is to use the singular “they.” In traditional English grammar, there is no third-person singular pronoun that is gender-neutral, but the third-person pronoun “they” has become widely used in the singular. And in many cases, substituting the singular “they” for the gendered pronouns “he” or “she” is the easiest technique for making a sentence gender-inclusive. For example, in the sentence “Everyone should bring his or her access card,” you can replace “his or her” with “their” and write, “Everyone should bring their access card.”
The third technique is to use an article to make a sentence gender-inclusive. Try replacing the personal pronoun with the articles “the,” “a” or “an.” Instead of writing “A band chief must submit his or her governance improvement plan for band council review,” you can write, “A band chief must submit a governance improvement plan for band council review.”
(Title on screen: Gender-inclusive writing techniques)
[Six boxes are displayed, each containing a different writing technique.]
In addition to these 3 techniques, you’ll find several others listed under “Replacing or omitting a gendered pronoun.” For example, you can also:
- omit the pronoun altogether;
- repeat the noun;
- address the reader directly, using the pronoun “you”;
- use the imperative;
- use the pronouns “who” or “one”; or
- use the passive voice.
For the full list of techniques, simply go to “Replacing or omitting a gendered pronoun.”
And for tips on how to ensure a gender-neutral tone in letters and emails, see “Making correspondence gender-inclusive.”
(Title on screen: Guidelines – Writing to or about a non-binary individual)
(Text on screen: When you know an individual is non-binary, it’s important to follow their lead with regard to the following:
- Pronouns
- singular they
- neopronoun (e.g. ze, zie, hir, hirs, hirself)
- Courtesy titles
- if you don’t know their title, omit it
- They may use a gender-inclusive title such as Mx.
Also, be careful to use gender-inclusive nouns [chair, parental leave, sibling])
Now that we’ve gone over “Principles of inclusive writing” and “Gender-inclusive writing techniques,” let’s look at the subsection titled “Representation of non-binary gender in written communications.”
This subsection is divided into two parts:
“Guidelines for writing to or about non-binary individuals”; and “Guidelines for translating from French.”
Let’s take a quick look at “Guidelines for writing to or about non-binary individuals.”
It’s important to note that the term “non-binary” is an umbrella term that not everyone uses. We’ve used it in the Guidelines for reasons of concision only.
When you’re writing about a person who is non-binary, it’s important to follow their lead and use the correct pronouns. A non-binary person might use the singular “they” as their pronoun. Or they might use a neopronoun, such as “ze.” If they’ve indicated which pronoun they use, make sure to use it when referring to them.
Another point to note is the courtesy title used by a non-binary individual. Some non-binary people may use a gender-neutral courtesy title such as “Mx.” Others may prefer a different title or no title at all. If you don’t know what title the individual uses, you can omit the courtesy title and use the person’s full name.
Finally, when writing about a person who doesn’t identify with binary gender, make sure to use gender-inclusive nouns. As we mentioned earlier, you’ll find a detailed article on gender-inclusive nouns under the section titled “Resources for inclusive and respectful language.” In the same section, you’ll also find the Inclusionary, a collection of gender-inclusive solutions to gendered terms. And we’ll talk about the Inclusionary in more detail a little later on.
(Title on screen: Translating iel)
(Text on screen:
- neopronoun iel
- If possible, find out what pronouns the individual uses in English.
- When the English pronoun is unknown, the safest approach is singular “they.”)
The second part of the subsection “Representation of non-binary gender in written communications” deals with translating the French neopronoun iel. This gender-inclusive pronoun is formed from the gendered pronouns il and elle.
It’s important not to assume that iel should always be translated by the singular “they.” Some non-binary individuals may use a different pronoun in English, so it’s best to ask them and follow their lead. But when you don’t know the English pronoun a non-binary person uses, the safest approach is to translate iel as the singular “they.”
[The section “Resources for inclusive and respectful language” is displayed on the screen.]
Now that we’ve reviewed the Guidelines for Inclusive Writing, let’s explore the resources for inclusive and respectful language. This section includes:
[An arrow points to the title of each subsection: “Gender-inclusive nouns,” “Inclusionary: A collection of gender-inclusive solutions,” “Guide on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Terminology” and “Glossaries.”]
an article on gender-inclusive nouns, which suggests ways to replace gendered nouns; the Inclusionary, a practical tool that contains a list of gendered words and expressions, along with suggestions for inclusive solutions; a link to the Guide on Equity, Diversity and inclusion Terminology, a bilingual guide containing a list of key terms along with their definitions and English and French equivalents; and links to glossaries.
Let’s take a closer look at the second resource: the Inclusionary:
[The web page “Inclusionary: A collection of gender-inclusive solutions” is displayed on the screen].
The Inclusionary is a collection of gender-inclusive solutions to gendered terms. You can access it from the Language Portal’s home page as well as from the section on resources for inclusive and respectful language. Most of the entries are nouns or noun phrases, but there are a few adjectives and verbs as well. And we’ll be adding more entries over time.
[Two arrows appear successively: one points to the Inclusionary index and the second points to the keyword search box.]
You can search the Inclusionary by using the index or the keyword search box.
(Title on screen: Inclusionary: A collection of gender-inclusive solutions)
[The Inclusionary entry for businessman and businesswoman is displayed:
| Businessman; businesswoman (noun) | |
|---|---|
| Gendered sentence | Inclusive solutions |
| A businesswoman or businessman needs strong leadership skills. |
|
| Businessmen will have to pay closer attention to supply chain issues. |
|
]
Here’s the entry for “businessman” and “businesswoman.” You’ll notice that the entry is divided into two columns.
The left-hand column contains examples of sentences with the gendered terms in the singular and plural.
The right-hand column provides gender-inclusive solutions, including “business person,” “business executive,” “business leader” and “entrepreneur” in the singular, as well as “the business community” and “the business world” in the plural.
(Title on screen: Examples)
(Text on screen:
1. When an employee works on a holiday, he or she shall be paid time and one half for all hours worked.
2. For the purpose of this clause, family is defined as the spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister or grandparents of the employee.)
Now, we’ll give you some practical examples of how to apply the gender-inclusive writing techniques discussed in this presentation.
The two sentences on this slide come from collective bargaining agreements found online. They contain references to individuals whose gender is unknown.
(Title on screen: Possible solutions)
(Sentence One)
(Text on screen: 1. When an employee works on a holiday, he or she shall be paid time and one half for all hours worked.)
To make this sentence gender-inclusive, you can use the techniques found in the Guidelines.
[The possible solutions appear one after another.]
You can pluralize the noun: When employees work on a holiday, they shall be paid time and one half for all hours worked.
You can use the singular “they”: When an employee works on a holiday, they shall be paid time and one half for all hours worked.
You can use the relative pronoun “who”: An employee who works on a holiday shall be paid time and one half for all hours worked.
(Title on screen: Possible solutions)
(Sentence two)
(Text on screen: 2. For the purpose of this clause, family is defined as the spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister or grandparents of the em-ployee.)
To make the second sentence gender-inclusive, we’ll need to replace the gendered nouns “father-in-law,” “mother-in-law,” “brother,” “sister,” “stepbrother” and “stepsister.”
[The solution appears on screen.]
For “father-in-law” and “mother-in-law,” we can use “parent-in-law.” For “brother” and “sister,” we can use “sibling.” These solutions, along with many others, can be found in the Inclusionary.
[On the right are two boxes containing QR codes. The first QR code leads to the guidelines and resources for inclusive writing, at the following address: https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/writing-tips-plus/inclusive-writing-guidelines-resources.html. The second QR code leads to the Lignes directrices et ressources sur l’écriture inclusive, at the following address: https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/fr/cles-de-la-redaction/ecriture-inclusive-lignes-directrices-ressources.html.]
(Text on screen: Don’t hesitate to contact us! noslangues.ourlanguages@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca)
We’ve reached the end of our presentation.
If you want to learn more about principles and techniques to help you write inclusively in English and French, you can access the guidelines and resources for inclusive writing and the Lignes directrices et ressources sur l’écriture inclusive on the Language Portal of Canada website by scanning the QR code on the screen.
We also invite you to watch our French video, which provides an overview of the French guidelines and resources.
[Music stops]
(Text on screen: Public Services and Procurement Canada corporate signature)
(Text on screen: Canada wordmark)
[End of video]