Mother and father are ‘oppressive’ words, says charity language guide

A language guide ­advising Scots to stop using words such as ‘mother’ and ‘father’ to avoid being ‘oppressive’ has been ­published by a taxpayer-funded aid organisation.

Scotland’s International Development Alliance (SIDA) is behind the document, which it says aims to help people ‘avoid bias, stop re­inforcing existing power structures, and convey respect’.

Among the words listed as ‘problematic’ are ‘girls’, ‘guys’, ‘mother’ and ‘father’, Instead, people are encouraged to instead use ‘parent’ or ‘guardian’ along with ‘colleagues’ and ‘everyone’.

Terms such as ‘third world’ and ‘foreign aid’ are also frowned on.

The Inclusive Language Guide, published in February, states that ‘only by talking about and reflecting on language can we hope to make it anti-oppressive’. 

Critics say the guide is a way for ‘red-pencil wielding zealots’ to enforce ‘radical progressive dogma’.

The charity, which ‘inclusively champions global sustainable development in Scotland’, receives an annual grant from the Scottish Government.

SIDA’s guide, which is aimed at its members such as non-­government organisations and public sector bodies, offers ­alternatives for words that it deems ‘problematic’.

It advises against saying ‘foreign aid’ as it claims this ‘paternalistic language implies an unequal power relationship marked by altruism which denies the unjust distribution of resources that defines that dynamic’. A better phrase, it suggests, would be ‘social development finance’.

A spokesman for the Free Speech Union said: ‘The only word I’d ban is ‘problematic’. 

‘It’s an attempt to gloss over the fact that the real reason these red-pencil wielding zealots want to ban words like mother and father is to enforce radical progressive dogma. ­

‘Problematic’ is a euphemism for ‘things I would like to ban for ­narrow ideological reasons’.’

The guide states: ‘Only by ­talking about and reflecting on language can we hope to make it anti-oppressive. As a part of this goal, we also hope to adopt ideal language when possible.’

Among the terms it advises people to be wary of using is ‘vulnerable’. The guide states: ‘This term is OK if it is not used paternalistically. So don’t say ‘vulnerable people’ as a synonym for the majority world, but you can say that some sets of people are vulnerable to their circumstances.’

It says ‘majority world’ is its preferred term for what is usually referred to as the ‘third world’.

Other words it says to avoid using include ‘chairman’ and ‘spokeswoman’, with ‘chair­person’ or spokesperson’ said to be more appropriate.

It also says members should avoid ‘manpower’, offering ‘workforce’ as an alternative.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘This organisation is proposing changes to language based on a radical ideological programme, and is using taxpayers’ cash as its support structure.

‘The Scottish Government should withdraw funding.’

SIDA’s chief executive Frances Guy said: ‘We make no mention of banning any words and are clear that context is important.

‘With specific regard to the terms mother and father, we simply encourage people to reflect as to whether a gendered term is most appropriate, or if in fact the reference is to a parent or guardian.’