Children hear thousands of messages every day – at home, at school, on social networks. Some of them help to better understand themselves, others subtly impose expectations on how boys and girls “should” behave. When boys are repeatedly told that they must be strong and handle things on their own, and girls that they are “dramatic and emotional,” some children learn not to talk about their difficulties but to hide them.
The coordinator of the “No Bullying” campaign at “Children’s Line,” Eglė Tamulionytė, says that gender-sensitive language is not a set of complicated rules or a fear of making mistakes or saying something wrong. It is the ability to speak in a way that every child recognizes themselves and feels accepted, according to a press release.
“Children’s Line” took on this topic by implementing the initiative “Help that reaches. Sensitive to children’s diversity, open to everyone,” which aims to help ensure that emotional support is accessible and recognizable to all children, regardless of their gender, identity, or experiences.
Social networks
Social media has become an integral part of our society, especially the daily lives of young people. According to various studies, a large portion of young people spend 3–5 hours daily on social networks. Is there content that promotes gender stereotypes? Yes. However, as E. Tamulionytė says, social networks did not create gender stereotypes but have skillfully used them to make money.
“Stereotypes are the simplest and cheapest way to predict consumer behavior and turn time into revenue. Stereotypical content, such as beauty standards, the image of a successful, wealthy person, often causes envy, feelings of inferiority, or outrage.
These strong emotions encourage staying with such content, writing comments, and sharing, and each such reaction turns into money for the platforms. Therefore, there is certainly no shortage of stereotype reproduction on the internet,” notes the representative of “Children’s Line.”
For example, many see #girlmath as jokes – mocking that girls are supposedly bad at math, numbers, and analysis. Or prohibitions that occur in teenage romantic relationships for girls to dress or behave in certain ways. Boys are pushed the image that their worth equals their bank account or ability to “make it through.”
E. Tamulionytė emphasizes that stereotypes are not harmful to just one gender – they harm everyone because they act as artificial constraints that prevent girls from boldly pursuing leadership and academic heights, take away boys’ right to emotional literacy and vulnerability, and leave children who do not fit into the binary gender concept on the margins. Thus, the potential of the entire society ultimately suffers.
Gender-sensitive language: not a set of rules, but a goal for every child to recognize themselves
According to E. Tamulionytė, gender-sensitive language is primarily a way of communication aimed at noticing and respecting all genders. On one hand, it is an effort to oppose the idea that one gender is more valuable; on the other, to respect individuality and not ignore that gender can be an important part of identity and human experiences.
“Through language, we not only describe reality but also create it. For example, if we constantly use only masculine forms as generic, women and girls become almost invisible in language. For example, we say ‘students’ or ‘doctors’ when we mean everyone,” says E. Tamulionytė, emphasizing that sensitive language helps break harmful stereotypes and creates a more inclusive society.
International studies reveal that traditional masculinity norms are associated with greater loneliness, difficulties in talking about feelings, and a lower likelihood of seeking help. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), some young men still justify control in relationships and gender-based violence more often than other groups.
“If a boy constantly hears that he must be a support for others, he may begin to think that his own feelings are less important or that showing them will weaken his image. If a girl hears that her appearance is the most important thing, and her thoughts, abilities, or questions are less significant, she may begin to doubt her competencies and the importance of her feelings,” says E. Tamulionytė.
Gender-sensitive language is not about “correct” words. It starts with a simple question: do my words help the child feel seen, accepted, and safe to be themselves?
Because sometimes one sentence can reinforce a stereotype, and sometimes it can be the first sign to a child that their feelings matter and that help is meant for them too.
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