About gender identity

Gender identity refers to a sense of self, regardless of what sex a person was assigned at birth. Not everyone falls neatly into binary male or female categories.

Non-binary is an umbrella term for gender identities that are neither male or female.

Language influences how we think

When using gender pronouns and referring to gender identity consider that:

• your users are a diverse group of people from across the gender spectrum
• labelling people as male or female can reinforce outdated stereotypes and influence how men and women are perceived.
• gender-exclusive language — for example ‘man-made’, can alienate people who do not identify as men.

Tips

• Use gender-neutral pronouns (they, them) by default — especially if you’re writing about a hypothetical person or do not know a person’s pronoun.
• Respect a person’s pronouns when referring to them.
• Do not ask your users for their title or gender unless absolutely necessary.
• If you do require users to indicate their title or gender, make provision for multiple options, including gender-neutral options. Allow users to select more than 1 option.
• Avoid words that are gender exclusive — for example use ‘firefighter’ not ‘fireman’.

Resources

WeCount 2019 report, Identity and pronouns — Public Service Commission

Reviewing the statistical standards for sex and gender — Stats NZ

Prism report — Human Rights Commission

Pronoun use in email signatures — Public Service Commission

Community report — Counting Ourselves

Avoid referencing gender unless it’s absolutely relevant — Content Design London

Designing forms for gender diversity and inclusion — UX Collective

How to use gender neutral language and why it’s important to try — Forbes

Gender — World Health Organisation