Recently, Sky TG24 used the term “people with uteruses,” referring to the female gender, on social media, sparking a heated debate. This choice of language, adopted by one of the most-watched news outlets, cannot go unnoticed: it not only raises questions about inclusive language, but also questions the respect and recognition of female identity.
Defining women as “people with wombs” represents an offensive and potentially divisive simplification. Women cannot be reduced to an element of their biology: their being is rooted in a history, culture, and identity that go far beyond the reproductive apparatus. This expression, although perhaps adopted for reasons of inclusiveness, ends up having the opposite effect: it erases the specificity of women’s identity and trivializes centuries of struggle for the recognition of women’s rights.
The role of language in the media, what is it? Language is never neutral. Words shape the perception of reality and influence social construction. Using a term such as “people with uteruses” decontextualizes and reduces an entire identity to a purely biological factor, undoing the complexity of the female experience. The media have the crucial task of reflecting and respecting the reality they tell. In this case, Sky TG24 failed to consider the implications of terminology that debases the essence of female identity.
There is much and too much talk about political correctness, often creating difficulties in defining certain aspects, professions or issues in society, and then we go for “inclusiveness ” creating a serious miscommunication.
The debate on inclusive language is important, but it must be approached with balance and awareness. Inclusivity does not mean flattening or erasing existing identities, but rather enriching language to represent all human experiences. Using reductive terms such as “people with uteruses” is miscommunication, which risks creating divisions instead of bridges. True inclusiveness does not eliminate specificity, but embraces it, finding ways to recognize diversity without sacrificing identity.
A plea: it is crucial that the media, as pillars of public communication, think carefully about language choices. Words have consequences and must be used to unite, respect and represent, not to reduce or fragment. Women deserve to be recognized in their entirety, not artificially defined by expressions that trivialize their identity.
The use of terms like “people with uteruses” by a news outlet like Sky TG24 is not only an unfortunate choice, but a sign of a broader tendency to overlook the specificity of women’s identity. Not least because, despite the fact that there are women whose uterus has been removed, they are no less identifiable. A change of pace is needed: language must be a tool of respect and enhancement, not reduction or erasure.
Article Divisive language: the use of the term “Womb People” comes from TheNewyorker.
