FEMINIST GLOSSARY
Thank you to Oliver DiPietro for helping to create this glossary.
Ableism
A social pattern where people with different abilities are treated differently in a way that negatively affects them. This treatment could take many forms, ranging from not accommodating for their needs to open hostility. Source
ageism
Ageism is the stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination against people on the basis of their age. Source
ally
A person, who through attitude and behavior, is active in providing support for individuals who are different than themselves and challenges misinformation and mistreatment caused by fear and lack of knowledge and awareness. Source from this resource center
cisgender
Referring to a person whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth. Source
cisnormativity
A cultural or social framework, often implicit, wherein everyone is cisgender and this is the norm. Source
diversity
Conditions, expressions and experiences of difference. This can include identification by age, education, sexual orientation, parental status/responsibility, immigration status, Indigenous status, religion, disability, language, race, place of origin, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status and other attributes. Source
discrimination
Biased actions. Unequal treatment of a person or group based on the perceived status or characteristics of the person or group. Source
equality
The state of being equal in status, rights, and freedom by ensuring that different behaviours, aspirations and needs are considered and valued. Also refers to equal treatment, which might not be fair treatment. Source from this resource center
benevolent sexism
Disguised as being positive or “in good fun.” Stereotypes that women are more compassionate, better caretakers, more capable at administrative duties, require protection, etc. are at the root of benevolent sexism. While all of these labels may seem like compliments, they are actually rooted in men’s feelings of superiority and normalize gender inequality. Source
equity
Treating people of all identities fairly. This entails ensuring that we eliminate discrimination and historical disadvantage by examining 1) processes for allocating resources and 2) processes for decision-making. Source
feminism
A range of theories and political agendas that aim to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women due to sex and gender as well as class, race, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, geographic location, nationality, or other forms of social exclusion. Feminism as a political agenda has evolved over centuries, shaped by the politics of each historical moment. Source
gender
1) A socially constructed system of classification that ascribes qualities of masculinity and femininity to people. Gender characteristics can change over time and are different between cultures. Words that refer to gender include: man, woman, non-binary, transgender, masculine, feminine, and gender queer. 2) One's sense of self as masculine or feminine regardless of external genitalia. Gender is often conflated with sex. This is inaccurate because sex refers to bodies and gender refers to personality characteristics. Source from this resource center
gender binary
The idea that gender is separated into two fixed and closed categories, man and woman, and that it cannot be a variety of identities and expressions. Source
gender equity
The process of allocating resources, programs and decision-making fairly to all genders. This requires ensuring that everyone has access to a full range of opportunities to achieve the social, psychological and physical benefits. Equality focuses on creating the same starting line for everyone. Equity has the goal of providing everyone with the full range of opportunities and benefits – the same finish line. Source
gender identity
Each person’s internal and individual experience of gender. It is a person’s sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither or anywhere on the gender spectrum. This sense of self is separate from biological sex assigned at birth and is not related to sexual orientation. Since gender identity is internal, it is not necessarily visible to others. Source
heteronormativity
A cultural or social framework, often implicit, wherein all human beings are heterosexual and this is the norm. Source
implicit bias
Your background, personal experiences, societal stereotypes and cultural context can have an impact on your decisions and actions without you realising. Implicit or unconscious bias happens by our brains making incredibly quick judgments and assessments of people and situations without us realizing. Source
inclusion
Creating an environment where all people are respected equitably and have access to the same opportunities. Organizationally it’s identifying and removing barriers to equitable participation and contribution. Individually it’s valuing principles of fairness, justice, equity, and respect and being open to different voices and perspectives. Making a conscious effort to be welcoming, helpful, and respectful to everyone. Source
inclusive language
Language that promotes all people as valued members of society by using gender neutral and inclusive vocabulary that avoids stereotyping, sexist, racist or other discriminatory terminology. Language that is free from descriptors that portray individuals or groups of people as dependent, powerless, or inferior because of their race, religion, gender, education, sexual orientation, disability, etc.. Source
internalized sexism
Occurs at an individual level when the belief that women are inferior becomes part of an individual’s own worldview and self-concept. It occurs involuntarily due to the inundation of messaging about women’s inferiority that is present in society. Source
intersectional feminism
Refers to how interlocking forms of oppression (e.g., race, class, gender, sexuality, etc.) affect women’s opportunity for equality in political, legal, economic, educational and socio-cultural contexts. Source
misogyny
The hatred of women. It is a psychological manifestation of sexism that is expressed socially in discrimination, denigration and humiliation of women, violence against women and sexual objectification of women. Source
non-binary
A catch-all category for gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine—identities which are outside the gender binary and cisnormativity. Non-binary people may express a combination of masculinity and femininity, or neither, in their gender expression. 'Enby' is a phrase used by some people who identify as non-binary. Source
patriarchy
A social system or government in which masculine authority is preferred over feminine authority. In patriarchal societies men hold the power over women predominantly in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property. Source
performative activism/performative allyship
A pejorative term referring to activism done to increase one's social capital rather than because of one's devotion to a cause. It is often associated with surface-level activism, referred to as slacktivism. Source
prejudice
Biased ideas. Outlooks or perceptions of a person or group based on perceived status or characteristics of the person or group (e.g. race, gender, sexual orientation). Source
privilege
Unearned benefits that one receives because of their (perceived) membership to a dominant social category (male, white, able-bodied, English-speaking, etc.). Privileges often go unnoticed by those who hold them. Privilege doesn’t mean you don’t experience obstacles in your life. It means that the obstacles you experience are not due to your status in an oppressed social category. Source
sexism
Prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. Source
sexual orientation
The deep-seated direction of one's sexual and/or erotic attractions. It is on a continuum and not a set of absolute categories. Sometimes referred to as affectional orientation or sexuality. Sexual orientation can change over time through a multistage developmental process. Source from this resource center
title ix
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Source
toxic masculinity
Adherence to male gender roles that restrict the kinds of emotions allowable for boys and men to express, including social expectations that men seek to be dominant (the “alpha male”) and limit their emotional range primarily to expressions of anger and violence. Source
transgender
Someone whose gender does not align with the social expectations for their assigned sex. This term can also be used as an umbrella term for a vast array of identity categories, which describe people who challenge societal gender norms. People must self-identify as this term for it to be appropriately used to describe them. Source from this resource center
white feminism
An epithet used to describe feminist theories that focus on the struggles of white women without addressing distinct forms of oppression faced by ethnic minority women and women lacking other privileges. Source