this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2024
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[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (14 children)

What is a good word to use for people who are female of any age including young children that are not old enough to be called women in addition to women?

'Women and girls' is pretty clunky when talking about something that is gender specific, but applies to all ages.

[–] xtr0n@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Women is probably fine to use when the ages can be gleaned from context. You can also make the noun non gendered and use female as a adjective like “female students” or “female patients”

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I'm mainly asking when ages span from birth to old age and the goup would basically be "female persons" or "male persons" which is clunky.

Sometimes it can be rephrased, but it often requires multiple words to mean the same thing. Plus "women of all ages" will be read as not including children.

I'm mostly pissed that sexists ruined the only single word term we have for half of the population.

[–] HonoraryMancunian@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Honestly I don't think 'women and girls' feels clunky, but that's just me

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago

It is important that when we are addressing issues of sexism, that we try to make sure that the ideas are easily understood by women, men, girls, and boys so that everyone understands how to support equality. If we only focus our effort on men and boys, without recognizing the influence also has on women and girls, then it will not be as successful. For example, the social expectations of women and girls to dress in certain ways is commonly enforced by men, women, girls, and boys even if the influence is only targeted at women and girls. Not to mention the toxic masculinity that is applied to men and boys by men, women, boys, and girls that are commonly reinforced by telling men and boys to 'man up' in stressful situations.

You are right, that is smooth as butter.

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