The Faculty for Social Wellbeing recently launched an initiative to create Inclusive Language Guidelines for students and staff, which were presented at an open event on 26 March 2019. Speakers at the launch included Prof. Carmen Sammut, Pro-Rector for Student and Staff Affairs and Outreach; Prof. Andrew Azzopardi, Dean of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing; Ms Gabi Calleja, Head of SOGIGESC Unit at the Human Rights and Integration Directorate; and Dr JosAnn Cutajar, Head of the Department of Gender Studies.
The Inclusive Language Guidelines aim to respect diversity by promoting the acceptance and value of individuals deriving from different backgrounds or with different physical forms. Inclusive language is about communicating in a way that respects a person’s dignity, a manner which empowers people who are perceived as subordinate and/or are considered as minorities by the rest of society.
A two-week consultation period is open to feedback from students and staff, prior to further implementation in the University of Malta’s policy guidelines. Staff or students are invited to submit their feedback to Ms Jamie Bonnici by email before 15 April 2019.