How the words we choose shape equality, culture and the future.
As young men, you have influence. The question is not whether you will shape the culture around you – you will. The question is how
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Captain of School Ben Hofmann addressed Senior School students about the 2026 United Nations theme Balance the Scales – an initiative centred on human rights that aims to “bridge gaps of difference, with equality at the forefront”.
Balancing the scales, Ben explained, is not only about “closing gaps of pay or addressing the historical inequality and discrimination faced by women”.
It is also about something more immediate, focusing on “how we treat women” every day.
To explore this further, English Teacher and Curriculum Leader Rebecca Shiel addressed parents, staff and students about one of the most powerful forces shaping society – language.
“When we hear the words ‘International Women’s Day’, some of us might quietly wonder: what does this have to do with an all boys’ school?” she begins
The answer, she explained, can be simple “We all have grandmothers, mothers, wives and sisters who constitute 49.7% of the global population and like you, are simply extraordinary human beings to celebrate every day.”
But the answer is also more complex, as “women are critical in the world, but attitudes towards women are directly influenced by language and the way gender equality is either reduced or increased through language.”
How language shapes our world
Language shapes our world.
The words we choose determine who is seen, who is heard and who is valued.
“Language is a tool of discrimination and we are surrounded by examples of how carefully chosen language can change attitudes” says Ms Shiel.
History offers countless examples of language shaping social change.
“I can’t breathe”
In 2020, the final words of African American man George Floyd, “I can’t breathe”, became a global catalyst for conversations about racism, police brutality and inequality.
The phrase alone helped propel the Black Lives Matter movement, reshaping international discourse on racial justice.
Language can also protect dignity.
The Mpox Epidemic
During the 2022 Monkeypox outbreak, the World Health Organisation renamed the virus “Mpox” to reduce the increasing racist and homophobic association that was emerging toward African and LGBTQ+ communities.
This single change in terminology helped shift public understanding and reduce harmful stigma.
In both cases, language did more than describe events. It influenced how society responded to them.
Women who reframed the conversation
The power of language has also been central to the fight for women’s rights.
Emmeline Pankhurst, Malala Yousafzai and Julia Gillard. Three women who changed the world for women not through extreme violence or brutal force, but through the power of language.
Emmeline Pankhurst
In early twentieth-century Britain, women were widely described as ‘too emotional’ to participate in politics. Voting was framed as a privilege belonging to men. In her famous 1913 speech Freedom or Death, she challenged the way society spoke about women as equals.
Because of voices like hers, the language around democracy shifted. Voting was no longer described as a male privilege, but as a human right.
Malala Yousafzai
A century later, after speaking publicly about girls’ right to education in Pakistan, Malala was shot by extremists at just fifteen years old. Instead of being silenced, she responded with words and in 2014 became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
In her address to the United Nations, she declared
“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.”
Her language was simple, inclusive and universal – reframing girls not as victims, but as powerful agents of change. She shifted the global conversation from whether girls should be educated to how quickly it could happen.
Julia Gillard
Closer to home, Australia witnessed a similar moment when former Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard delivered her famous Misogyny Speech in Parliament. In that moment, Gillard challenged sexist attitudes in Australian politics head on, confronting opposition leader Tony Abbott and the misogyny faced by women in politics.
By calling out sexism in politics directly, and challenging misogynistic attitudes she sparked national debate about the treatment of women in politics.
Three women, three continents, three contexts, but one common outcome.
These women ‘balanced the scales’ of gender by owning language.
The influence of young men
For students listening, the message was clear.
We use language every day – in classrooms, on the sporting field, online, and in group chats.
The jokes we repeat. The comments we let slide. The way we talk about each other, about boys, girls, men and women.
All of it contributes to the culture we create.
International Women’s Day offers our society the chance to pause and reflect: are we using language that limits or uplifts? Is the language we’re using belittling or celebrating women?
“As young men, you have influence. The question is not whether you will shape the culture around you – you will. The question is how,” Ms Shiel said before asking students:
“Will you be the generation that balances the scales?”
