To mark Pride 2024, SIPTU has launched a new Gender Inclusive Language Toolkit.
The Toolkit was developed by the Union’s National Equality Committee.
The Equality Committee (pictured above) comprises the Union’s Honorary President, Honorary Vice President, 14 activists from across the island nominated by the 5 Industrial Divisions, the Migrant Workers’ Network, the Northern District and the Retired Members Section along with the Deputy General Secretary for Organising and Membership Development.
The Equality Committee consulted with members of the Union’s LGBTQ Network and people with lived experience of gender issues referred to in the Toolkit.
Their insights, both as Union members and people with first hand experience, proved invaluable in the production of the Toolkit.
The Toolkit is aimed at encouraging everyone in SIPTU – Union staff, activists and members to communicate in a gender-inclusive way.
Given the critical role of communication in our Union, along with our core values of equality, diversity and inclusion, using gender-inclusive language is a powerful way for SIPTU to promote gender equality and eradicate gender bias.
Using gender-inclusive language means speaking and writing in a way that does not exclude or discriminate against a particular sex, social gender or gender identity, and does not perpetuate gender stereotypes.
The Toolkit includes a number of suggestions to help everyone to use gender-inclusive language in any type of communication — oral or written, formal or informal, or addressed to an internal or external audience.
The Toolkit also contains a glossary of terms that readers may or may not be familiar with and defines their meaning.
Given the critical role of communication in our Union, along with our core values of equality, diversity and inclusion, using gender-inclusive language is a powerful way for SIPTU to promote gender equality and eradicate gender bias.
Using gender-inclusive language means speaking and writing in a way that does not exclude or discriminate against a particular sex, social gender or gender identity, and does not perpetuate gender stereotypes.
The Toolkit includes a number of suggestions to help everyone to use gender-inclusive language in any type of communication — oral or written, formal or informal, or addressed to an internal or external audience.
The Toolkit also contains a glossary of terms that readers may or may not be familiar with and defines their meaning.
While the majority of SIPTU members identify with the sex and gender assigned to them at birth, some do not. All workers should feel safe and supported within SIPTU and the labour movement generally regardless of their gender identity.
Use of inclusive language at union events and meetings will help everyone to feel valued and
welcomed.
Because language around gender, inclusion and identity is constantly evolving and changing, this Toolkit will be reviewed regularly to ensure the terms and information remain up to date, respectful and inclusive.
It’s a decade since SIPTU launched our campaign for marriage equality. Some of the hard-won progress in equality, diversity and inclusion made in Ireland around that time is now coming under pressure.
SIPTU is committed as ever to promoting our core value of gender equality.
In the month that’s in it, we say loud and proud that as a Union we stand steadfast in supporting and advocating with our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer members, future members, friends and family.
As a Union, we will not stand back when our core value of equality is under attack.
When workers’ rights are under attack we redouble our organising for fairness at work and justice in society.
This Sunday Read was written by SIPTU Deputy General Secretary for Organising and Membership Development, Ethel Buckley.