Adaptation to non-sexist language
In Spanish, the generic masculine is used to include both men and women. According to the rule, if you are addressing to a mixed group of one man and three women, you have to address them using the masculine grammar forms.
However, this is not a natural language development, but rather a decision made by a French grammarian in 1647 that ended up affecting the Spanish rules, fun fact, going somehow against the rules themselves and against previous non-sexist manifestations in literature.
Do you think this is a bit unfair? I completely agree! Languages are not sexist per se, but become sexist in the way we (and society) use them, in accordance with our own beliefs and ideology. It’s obvious that after so many centuries using the generic masculine we can’t expect a sudden general shift in how we speak, but we can contribute to this change by becoming more aware of how language works and by adapting it.
Non-sexist language (also known as gender-neutral or inclusive language) will make sure that your text doesn’t leave anyone out.
I haven’t developed a new and revolutionary method or made up a new system: I just use the different options the Spanish language offers. For example, you might see Welcome mostly translated as Bienvenidos, but this os is plural masculine, and women are supposed to feel included. Women have to take an extra step that men don’t need to take. You can also say Bienvenidas/os (as being the feminine form), or Te doy la bienvenida, which means I welcome you. But how about just saying Hola? There are endless options!
Sometimes you need to puzzle a lot with the text in order to “translate” it into non-sexist. I am here to help you! Feel free to send me your text and I will transform it to follow non-sexist strategies of the Spanish language.
The price for my adaptation to non-sexist language services is hour-based.
Get in touch with me and I will send you a detailed quote.
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