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Aditi Sahu
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Language is a very important tool that can influence many. It plays a huge role in shaping our mindset and impacting our beliefs. Not only is language influential in nature, it also shows the true picture of society. So when it comes to our society, it will be of no surprise to know that our language is not gender-neutral.

The language, be it English or Hindi(as these are the only languages I’m fluent in), are male-default in nature. You will come across many instances where the word “men” is used to refer to human beings in general, or the “mankind” to refer to humankind. While this might seem like a small thing to many people, but it influences the way we think. Whenever we read the word “man”, even when it refers to a human being in general,our brain assumes it to be a male human being by default, unless specified otherwise. And that is exactly why we need gender-neutral language!

Gender-neutral language will not only help us be more inclusive of people of all genders, it also shows respect to every human being. It shows the advancement of the society, advancement of the mindset of the human beings! And isn’t that what we are working towards?