Words have a powerful impact (more on that here).
What we hear, read, and write influences us, both consciously and unconsciously.
The Gisler Protocol is an inter-agency initiative designed to rethink gender stereotypes.
The name comes from Doris Gisler Truog. She is a Swiss journalist, editor, and advertising icon who significantly contributed to the introduction of Swiss women's suffrage around 1969.
Table of Contents:
1. Assuming isn't enough.
The Gisler Protocol states: “We pay attention to inclusive language. Even the Duden has abolished the generic masculine. We always use both gender forms or a neutral form that represents all genders.”
This means: Language is our most important tool. Messages must be conveyed clearly and unambiguously – and this should not stop when referring to people. Therefore, we avoid generic masculine forms whenever possible and instead use inclusive language. This means:
Using a gender colon (Ärzt:in, Pfleger:in, Polizist:in) or a gender star (Overview for gender-inclusive spelling: underscore, asterisk, or colon? [PDF]).
Words with the gender colon are spoken with a short pause, known as a glottal stop. Examples of this pronunciation can be found here.
2. Those who seek will find.
The Gisler Protocol states: “We promote equal opportunities in collaborations with external individuals. We recommend a balanced selection of cooperation partners to our clients and advocate for a diversity of perspectives.”
This means: Regardless of the field, whether it's statisticians, influencers, or bloggers, variety and diversity are abundant. We help our clients make them visible.
3. Move beyond the 1950s.
Gisler Protocol: “We avoid stereotypical role models and showcase diverse life paths. This ensures that we reflect the reality of Switzerland and create a #stereotypebreak.”
This means: Is Jessica portrayed as a soccer player or a ballet dancer? Is Andreas depicted in a blue or pink sweater? Do we speak of doctors and nurses, or do we only choose one gender? Our language has a significant impact, and we should be aware of this.
4. Hold up a mirror.
Gisler Protocol: “We raise our clients' awareness of their responsibility in gender representation and support them in communicating relevantly, contemporarily, and free of clichés.”
Why: Society is changing, and change is a process. For decades, images have solidified in all our minds – so it's understandable if ideas and perceptions are sometimes still a bit dusty. As experts in marketing and communication, it is our task to advise you also in terms of diversity and social justice.
5. No person is a potted plant
Gisler Protocol: “We identify and change ideas where no woman is present or where the role of a woman can be replaced by a potted plant or a dog. The era of decorative female passengers and nurturing background mothers is over.”
What this means for us: We critically evaluate our work to deliver high-quality results and communicate messages that uphold our social responsibility towards gender equality.
Conclusion
Stereotypical portrayals of genders remain widespread, influencing our thoughts and society. Marketing and advertising agencies, in particular, bear a greater responsibility than ever to reflect society's diversity and challenge outdated ways of thinking and behaving.
The Gisler Protocol advocates for the multifaceted representation of genders in communication and marketing, especially in advertising.
It's not just about equal rights, but about recognizing the equal value of different ways of life.
However, this constant use of gender-inclusive language is simply annoying!
Words have a profound impact.
What we hear, read, and write influences us, both consciously and unconsciously.
In the book “Political Framing,” author Elisabeth Wehling impressively describes how profoundly words influence us.
Here's an example:
“In a fascinating study, participants first read a list of words that implied either tact or abruptness. Afterwards, they were shown pictures of unfamiliar people and asked to assess their social behavior. Those participants who had read terms implying friendliness rated the people as exceptionally nice and approachable. However, those who had read words implying unfriendliness rated the same people as rude and unfriendly (SRUL/WYER 1979). Yet, the people depicted were the same in both cases. Therefore, it was not external characteristics that determined the participants' (sic) decision, but the respective frame that had been activated in them beforehand through language.”
This means that what we say and portray has a significant impact. It influences our behavior, our values, and even our prejudices.
This also applies to gender stereotypes —meaning ideas and assumptions about how women and men “are” or “should be.” This is not necessarily bad or wrong, but it can have negative consequences.
The Canton of Lucerne states in its information brochure: “Studies have shown, for example, that girls performed worse in science exams if they were previously confronted with the stereotype «Boys are better at science subjects than girls».”
The Canton of St. Gallen writes on the topic of gender roles: “Young people, especially during identity formation, are influenced by stereotypical gender roles, which in turn can affect their career choices and life planning.”
For us as an agency, this means we must pay even more attention to the gender roles and stereotypes we ourselves hold and then boldly question them.
The Gisler Protocol advocates for a multifaceted representation of genders in communication and marketing, especially in advertising. It's not just about equal rights, but about recognizing the equal value of different ways of life. We immediately joined this new initiative at the beginning of 2022.
