Am I wrong to feel that referring to women as "females" dehumanizes them?

Question

I feel that calling women "females" is degrading and insulting. Calling a woman a "female" makes it sound like one is referring to an animal, not a person. Why can't a woman just be a "woman?" Or maybe a "lady"...

I would especially like to hear from other women. I suspect most men are going just going to say "what the hell is the big deal?"

Answer 1

Well, I'm a man and I have to say I agree with your assessment completely. I'll explain my own opinion a bit, here.

As you say, the attribute of being female is only a part of being a woman. Female is just a sex, it might refer to any animal, and it focuses on sex, which is only a part of being a woman.

The same negative impression is left when you call a man simply male. It is concerned with his sex (or gender if you will), it does not even consider whether or not he is human or his individuality.

Woman on the other hand actually has a much more complete and positive meaning. It includes the word man in it, which suggests the person is human, it even means that a (male) human or man cannot denigrate a woman without denigrating by implication himself, as man is a part of the word -- woman.

Also the prefix wo- probably referred to the idea of helpmate or companion, signifying a special sort of human.

Usage has always suggested that woman was a preferred appellation over female. It's only recently, the last 50 years or so, that radical attempts to rewrite language have occurred. Because some feminist activists believed that being a "mere" woman was inferior to being a man and led to denigration (and likely because they were overly concerned by a misinterpretation that the Bible account might suggest that women were less than man as they were built upon a man's rib) they decided they'd choose female as the preferred term. The fact that it readily symbolized sex must have been clear to them, but then in the 1960s women some feminists liked to believe that the reason men hated women was because they were afraid of a woman's sexuality, her otherworldliness, and so it was the root of their power (although they were clearly saying it was the root of their persecution too -- a non sequitor in either case -- and clearly a strange focus on one mere attribute of womanhood).

Notice the same thing has happened to "lady". Originally, a Lady was the formal way to address a woman of some noble rank. But by the time Feudalism is long dead, lady is being used in terms like "my old lady" or "lady of the evening" etc. I never called my mother "an old lady" or "an old maid" nor would I ever call my wife that, which is the more usual degrading usage. Because her being old has nothing to do with it, if she was old it would be a blessing meaning I had been lucky to partner with her all those years, and because any man who complains about his marriage while doing nothing about it is a mere boy, whether he calls himself "male" or not.

I have to tell you, a lot of men find the words the feminists have bestowed upon women to show a certain lack of respect for women in general. Many men, such as myself, do not understand why they find such significance in changing preferred identifiers or terms, especially since most of us viewed "women" and "ladies" as complimentary terms that brought complete or classy images to mind. Female is definitely a step down, as you already described, as it minimizes or diminishes what it is to be a complete woman.

It's funny. Some women hate to be called any of the following, but almost always they hate these less than being called a "woman" because of the modern stupidity and bias to the word, yet all of these are less than the term woman:

babe, baby, gal, girl, sweetie, honey, sugums, love-y, honey buns, old lady, flirt, sexy lady, sex symbol, etc.

They also seem often to dislike being called cute, even though what a man is TRULY saying by that is that he somehow can't get you out of his head AND that he considers you anti-lady of the evening {edit sheesh}. He's trying to say that there is something genuinely clean, affable, and loveable in you, but that it isn't just sexual attraction. Often it suggests that he sees you as youthful, outgoing, and you confuse him enough that he's interested in being around you. If you are ever called "cute" and decide you want to "ramp up the volume" with your sexuality because you have confidence you can -- you should never see being called "cute" as a negative. It instead suggests you could probably capture this guy, if you want to, by simply going "hunting" and you'd probably get a long-term commitment out of him.

I give that example, to simply explain how, to some of us men, many women have become totally childish. They don't seem to see the forest from the trees when it comes to the meaning of words, or at the very least, at why some men use them.

While the feminist movement has changed the phrasing to imply denigrating women into sex objects, they have allowed the media and society to change their clothing so that they are almost forced to always accentuate their sexuality even at the cost of being seen as only sex objects. This seems somehow confused with giving them power over men. That's absurd, given that these same women claim that men are just in it for the sex. If so, it would seem that not giving it free to them on a silver platter and making it harder to acquire might be a way to retrain them to think long-term.

Anyway, what can you do? The old morality is said to make no sense. To me it's the new morality, the new words that are clearly less sensible. The old morality of at least 50 years ago makes perfect sense to me.

I hear your frustration. You aren't alone. Even many men feel the same about it. I guess there's hope then since that allows for men and women to partner and not just male and female to "have sex".

I wish you well.

Answer 2

It's common in the military to refer to women that way, so I hear it a lot as a military spouse. I think it's honestly about the least offensive of the things that our women in uniform get called during their average workday.

To me, it just sounds awkward and reeks of bureaucratese, since I hear it so often in that military context. I do understand what you mean about it being rather clinical and dehumanizing, but I don't personally think it's such a big deal.

Often, you will see someone referred to in the media as, for instance, "a female comedian." I think in that case it's just unnecessary, and that is a bit more offensive to me--do those women have to be defined by their gender? You never read about "a male actor" or something.

There are times, though, when it's gramatically necessary. Woman is a noun, not an adjective. I don't know if it's technically correct to say, "I prefer to see a woman doctor." That sounds like a doctor for women, whereas "female doctor" makes it clear that the doctor is a woman. Maybe it's best to use, "I prefer to see a doctor who is a woman."

Answer 3

I feel fine being called a male, so why should there be a problem in calling a female of the human species a female? You might find this offensive, but if the rest of us feel fine with it, I'm sorry to say we'll continue using it. Just think of it as a more formal expression people use to sound educated, and try not to be offended by a word that was never meant to offend.

As for you, kissmymindagain- sorry to burst your bubble, but yes, you are indeed an animal, just like the rest of us, so get off your high horse and join us here on planet Earth.

Answer 4

Female and male are used to describe directly the gender of any species including man species. I think using man and woman to describe your gender is not directly possible, because a male could be a baby, a boy, or a man. A female could be a baby, a girl, or a woman. From my point of view, it doesn't dehumanize anybody to use them.

Answer 5

The word female is just as degrading as woman and lady

so, hey lady! you offended me and now im gonna go and cry

grow up!

Answer 6

I think its an us against them statement. Males vs Females but I think most people are guilty of it. I know I am. I refer to men as Males all the time. So if they refer to me as Females so be it.

Answer 7

you are way too sensitive. this is the first i have ever heard of anyone being offended by a word with no negative connotations to it. if someone used the word female as a derogatory term IRL people would think that they were crazy. i would think you would be offended by the word woman before female. hmm weird.

Answer 8

dehumanizing? i had a dog named "lady".....and most "women" ive encountered in my life havent exactly made me sport my WOMAN button proudly.. the term female is mearly a statement of gender, or ,a fun game to play at the gay bars. if its individuality out right acknowledged, where a freakin name tag

Answer 9

Personally it depends on the context in with it is used. Also in reference to the answer's say we are animals I must respectfully reply.... I am NOT an animal. :o)
Thank You

Answer 10

oh grow the hell up, do you think we care if we are called male. Get a life and find some real problems to worry about