Lifestyle
In honour of International Women's Day, we've compiled a glossary of the regressive, gendered terms that are lobbied against women, especially in the workplace.
Have you ever heard a man called a "slut", "hysterical", or "ditzy"? Unlikely. These terms are bandied around in everyday parlance when it comes to women, however, and the connotations are always negative. And the worst part? Google is even gendering them in this way - which I'm sure you'll agree is pretty basic in 2019.
"Slut", for example, is used to condemn female sexuality, and there's no real equivalent for men because society at large deems that sexual promiscuity among males is something to be celebrated. Ditto words like "hysterical", "nag" and "feisty" - which like "slut" - only serve to enforce toxic gender stereotypes.
READ MORE: 7 sexist laws in the US you won't believe still exist
Here are 15 words that we should censor from our vocabularies, in the workplace and beyond.
1. Slut
Credit: Google
2. Hysterical
Credit: Google
3. Ditzy
Credit: Google
4. Stroppy
Credit: Google
5. Mannish
Credit: Google
6. Drama Queen
Credit: Google
7. Nag
Credit: Google
8. Feisty
Credit: Google
9. Diva
Credit: Google
10. Frigid
Credit: Google
11. Frumpy
Credit: Google
12. Hormonal
Credit: Google
13. Irritable
Credit: Google
You wouldn't call a man "frumpy" would you, so why say it to a woman?
READ MORE: 10 absurd pieces of advice people used to give women in the olden days
This is the first in our Overheard At Work series, stay tuned to see what two of our favourite influencers - Mother Pukka and Ashley James - have to say about their experience of sexism in the workplace.