Educate yourself in the language of inclusivity

Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how a person's various social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege. Intersectionality identifies multiple factors of advantage and disadvantage.

Used to refer to all groups that do not enjoy the privileges of white people as a result of the socially constructed process of racialization. A racialized social system is ‘one where economic, political, social and ideological levels are partially structured by the placement of people in categories or 'racial groups’.

"Global majority" is a collective term for ethnic groups which constitute approximately 85 percent of the global population. It has been used as an alternative to terms which are seen as racialized such as "ethnic minority" or BAME in the UK.

"is affected by" as some people would not like to be defined by a health issue.

A Long Term Physical Health Condition (also known as a Chronic Condition) is a health problem that requires ongoing management over a period of years or decades and is one that cannot currently be cured but can be controlled with the use of medication and/or other therapies.

Intersectional feminism takes into account the many different ways each woman experiences discrimination. “White feminism” is a term that is used to describe a type of feminism that overshadows the struggles women of colour, LGBTQ women and women of other minority groups face. Source: Denison University.

Anti-racism recognises that racism has systemic and structural elements, and actively takes steps to combat them. This work often requires changing systems, policies and practices and taking positive measures to correct for the disadvantages inflicted by racism. In essence, it is a practice that is used to disrupt racism.

To describe somebody whose brain and cognition functions differently from what is considered ‘typical’.

The hatred of and prejudice against women.

This term recognizes that the right of women to participate in, and benefit from, the economy is a core concept of justice. Governments, the private sector, civil society and individuals therefore have a responsibility to address the structural barriers which deny women economic justice.

Asexual is an umbrella term used to describe people who exist within the asexual spectrum. An asexual person is a person of any gender or sexual orientation who does not experience sexual attraction. Ace is an abbreviation of ‘asexual’ that some people use to describe themselves.

Acronyms meaning ‘assigned female/male at birth’.

A person whose sense of gender identity correlates with the sex that they were assigned at birth.

Someone who experiences romantic and/or sexual attraction to people of the same sex or gender.

People who do not conform to the social norms associated with the gender that correlates with their sex assigned at birth.

A term used to describe a person who may have the biological attributes of both sexes or whose biological attributes do not fit with societal assumptions about what constitutes male or female. Intersex people may identify as male, female or nonbinary.

An acronym that indicates the spectrum of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other people whose identities are not heterosexual and cisgender.

Non-binary refers to a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or exclusively feminine, i.e. identities that are outside the gender binary.

A pronoun is a word we use in place of a ‘proper noun’, e.g. someone’s name. Often pronouns are words we use to refer to people’s gender in conversation - for example, ‘he’ or ‘she’. Some people may prefer others to refer to them in gender-neutral language and use pronouns such as they/their and ze/zir.

Although historically a discriminatory term, this word is now being used as an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual and/or cisgender.

People whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. This includes non-binary.

Trans-inclusion goes beyond recognising transgender people exist and taking an active approach to breaking down barriers faced by transgender people.

Refers to measures to protect people, and particularly those at risk, from abuse or harm.

A person seeking international protection but whose claim to refugee status has not yet been accepted. Not all asylum seekers will be recognized as refugees, but every recognized refugee was initially an asylum seeker. Even if an asylum seeker’s refugee status is not granted, they might still be entitled to complementary protection under the principle of non-refoulement (see below).

A person who has fled their home due to persecution, armed conflict, violence, natural disasters and/or famine.

A person who moves from one place to another permanently, with a view to gaining residence there.

There is no universally accepted definition of irregular migration. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) defines it as ‘movement that takes place outside the regulatory norms of the sending, transit and receiving country’.

A person who has fled war, conflict, violence or persectution and as a result, has crossed an international border and cannot safely return.

A person who gives support to another person who has less systemic power or is experiencing systemic oppression. Allyship is ongoing work to listen, learn, amplify, advocate and protect people or groups to reduce inequalities and injustices.

A person identified as having parents or generational lineage of differing races.

A person who is of African or African Caribbean heritage. Black can be both an identity and can also be used politically or as an organizing or solidarity identity drawing together people of different racialized identities in a common struggle. Black should be capitalized. Previously, other ethnic identities have been recognized with capital letters, e.g. Indigenous, Asian American, but ‘Black’ has not been, even though it is an identity in its own right.

Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. This is one term or acronym that can be used alongside 'People of Colour', 'Black and Brown people' and 'Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicity' (BAME) in the UK (this acronym is not recommended). While ‘People of Colour’ is commonly used, it has been critiqued as being problematic as it is ‘othering’ to anyone who is not white.

These are both social constructs used to categorise people but race relates to physical characteristics while ethnicity relates to cultural/social groups.