Oxfam said in a statement yesterday: 'This guide is not prescriptive but helps authors communicate in a way that is respectful to the diverse range of people with which we work' But Oxfam seems to think what's really important is erasing clear language about the very people who are most at risk. 'In Africa, women have a one in 37 chance of dying in pregnancy. 'This guidance is trying to apply fashionable ideas about gender identity to people around the world who don't think like this and are dealing with the ordinary problems men and women face every day. 'How is ignoring and denigrating the world's mothers good for development?' she asked last night. Maya Forstater, who founded pressure group Sex Matters, accused Oxfam of abolishing the word mother. The guide does, however, allow that 'if individual parents have a preference for a role name' such as mother or father, staff should 'respect their choice'. 'Parent' and 'parenthood' get the Oxfam tick of approval but the document says staff should shy away from 'mother' or 'father' in order to 'avoid assuming the adoption of gendered roles by transgender parents'. Released on Monday, the Oxfam publication tells staff not to say they 'stand with' people they support because it 'potentially alienates people unable to stand' However the guide launches into long lists of problematic words and phrases beside a large cross and, in capitals, 'WE AVOID'. Readers are told 'these guidelines are not set rules and should not be viewed as restrictions'. Even 'people' is a suspect word, as it 'is often misunderstood as only referring to men'. Released on Monday, the Oxfam publication tells staff not to say they 'stand with' people they support because it 'potentially alienates people unable to stand'. The charity said it was disappointed some had 'decided to misrepresent the advice offered in the guide by cropping the document' online. We are proud of using inclusive language we won't succeed in tackling poverty by excluding marginalised groups.' Oxfam said in a statement yesterday: 'This guide is not prescriptive but helps authors communicate in a way that is respectful to the diverse range of people with which we work. It looks to outlaw 'headquarters' as it 'implies a colonial power dynamic' 'aid sector', which 'cements ideology where an agent with resources gives support on a charitable basis' and 'field trip' because it can 'reinforce colonial attitudes'. The official advice from the charity – founded in Oxford in 1942 to relieve famine worldwide – attempts to revolutionise its staff's language across a wide range of fields. However, we recognise that the dominance of English is one of the key issues that must be addressed in order to decolonise our ways of working and shift power.' 'This guide aims to support people who have to work and communicate in the English language as part of this colonial legacy. We acknowledge the Anglo-supremacy of the sector as part of its coloniality. The introduction apologises for being written in and about the English language, saying: 'We recognise that this guide has its origin in English, the language of a colonising nation. The official advice from the charity – founded in Oxford in 1942 to relieve famine worldwide – attempts to revolutionise its staff's language across a wide range of fields
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