Job titles
Neutral term for someone who puts out fires.
firefighter
Expression meaning “be brave” but gendered.
man up
Neutral term for someone who cares for children professionally.
childcare worker
Neutral pronoun replacing “he/she.”
they
The first woman to win a Nobel Prize
Marie Curie
Inclusive alternative to chairman.
chairperson / chair
Phrase meaning a myth or superstition.
old wives’ tale
Single man (neutral/positive).
bachelor
Alternative to “manpower.”
workforce / staffing
The first female UK Prime Minister.
Margaret Thatcher
Neutral term replacing stewardess.
flight attendant
Phrase sometimes used to excuse boys’ behaviour.
boys will be boys
Single woman historically negative term.
spinster
Alternative to “man-made.”
artificial / synthetic
The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
Amelia Earhart
Inclusive alternative to policeman.
police officer
Traditional term for language learned from birth.
mother tongue
Traditional term for married woman focused on home.
housewife
Neutral alternative to “forefathers.”
ancestors / predecessors
The first country to give women the vote nationally.
New Zealand
Neutral alternative to businessman.
businessperson
Traditional collective word for humanity.
mankind
Title defining woman by husband’s surname.
Mrs
Alternative to “freshman.”
first-year student
The first woman Vice President of the USA.
Kamala Harris