Online workshops provided by: The University of Sheffield, University of Southampton, Trinity College Dublin.
From September 2025 we will be running a suite of workshops:
- Inclusive Language and Practice in Perinatal and Postnatal care
- Monday 24th November
- Tuesday 20th January
- Wednesday 20th May
- Inclusive Language and Practice in Infant Feeding
- Tuesday 16th December
- Tuesday 14th April
- Inclusive Language and Practice in Parental Leave
- Tuesday 13th January
- Monday 29th June
To register for any of our online workshops, please click here.
You can also read more about the project, and see the range of resources we have produced (writings, pamphlets, research papers):
Cis women, trans men and non-binary pregnant people all access perinatal care, need support with infant feeding, and take parental leave. Whilst the language used in interpersonal spoken interactions can flexibly adjust to reflect gender identity, things are a little more difficult in the public facing written materials provided, such as pamphlets or online resources about pregnancy, birth and infant feeding.
Within the NHS, for example, two approaches have been promoted: a gender neutral approach (using neutral terms like ‘parent’ or ‘pregnant person’), or gender additive approach (using ‘women and other pregnant people’). But these approaches alone are sometimes inadequate, and using them can produce inaccuracies, or end up perpetuating marginalisation. Instead, a ‘toolbox’ of linguistic techniques needs to be used, and careful judgements made about which language best serves the communicative needs of a particular context in a way that ensures accuracy and inclusion.
Using the ‘toolbox’ requires careful thought. It also helps us think more broadly about what is required for inclusive practice. These workshop provides a forum for these tools to be used and materials developed with them, through discussion with experts in trans scholarship, applied philosophy of language, and practitioners involved in perinatal care.
The workshops will empower practitioners to deploy these techniques in future work and start conversations about inclusive language and practice in their workplaces, or make changes to their policies and practices.
Workshops are provided by:
Dr Matthew Cull (they/them, Trinity College Dublin)
Dr Jules Holroyd (they/them, University of Sheffield)
Dr Fiona Woollard (she/her, Southampton University)
Research ethics approval no: 059365
To register for an online workshop (and select which workshop(s) to attend), please click here.
| Past events | Date |
| Caring for everyone: developing gender-inclusive language materials (in person) | Thursday 23rd May 2024 |
| Caring for everyone: developing gender-inclusive language materials (online) | Monday 24th June 2024 |
| Caring for everyone: developing gender-inclusive language materials (in person) – Hartley Suite, University of Southampton | Tuesday 10th September 2024 |
| Caring for everyone: developing gender-inclusive language materials (online) | Tuesday 17th September 2024 |
| Caring for everyone: developing gender-inclusive language materials (online) | Monday 18th November 2024 |
| Caring for everyone: developing gender-inclusive language materials (online) | Monday 10th March 2025 |
| Caring for everyone: developing gender-inclusive language materials (online) | Monday June 9th 2025 |
Centre for Engaged Philosophy 