Our use of gender inclusive language

RISE has recently begun using gender inclusive language because family violence affects people of any gender. Historically, family violence has been viewed through a strictly gendered lens: men hurt women. But this is not exclusively the case, as we see every day, and we are choosing to be part of the solution.

Te Aorerekura, the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence, also uses gender inclusive language and we think their explanation is a great model to follow:

In Te Aorerekura,

women’ includes all who identify as women, including trans women. The terms ‘people’, ‘people impacted by violence’, ‘people who experience violence’ and ‘people who use violence’ are intended to be inclusive. No phrase in this Strategy should be interpreted to mean that people impacted by violence are responsible for the violence.

And

It is important to have a wider focus than cisgender heterosexual menʼs use of violence against cisgender heterosexual women. This increases the visibility of family violence and/or sexual violence towards boys and men, LGBTQIA+ communities, disabled people, young and older people and people in care relationships.

We are pleased to have strong leadership at the national level that provides guidance and, more importantly, that is responsive to the realities of organisations like RISE and the mahi we do every day.