Study finds gender-inclusive language fails to change leader stereotypes

Language intervention shows little effect

Professor Kim Peters and his team at the University of Exeter studied how language shapes public views of political leaders. The team tested whether exposing participants to feminized or gender-fair phrasing could alter their views on leadership traits. Participants evaluated profiles of both male and female leaders using adjectives ranging from dominance to kindness. The analysis revealed that stereotypes regarding leadership remain prevalent worldwide despite linguistic interventions.

Women underrepresented in power globally

The project encompassed 30 languages across six continents, including systems like Hungarian and German that encode gender differently. At present, just one nation out of roughly every eight has chosen a female leader to serve as head of state or government. According to gathered data, women represent just one out of every four parliamentarians globally. Research validates the view that politicians are seen as resembling men rather than women.

Agency traits linked to men

Professor Agata Gąsiorowska noted that attributed profiles align closely with traits traditionally associated with men rather than women. The findings mainly focused on traits linked to agency, including dominance, competitiveness, and assertiveness. Communal attributes like sympathy and warmth are stereotypically more often associated with women in these evaluations. The findings appear in the paper published in the scientific journal The Leadership Quarterly.