Referring to a women as “females” is a crime that men and women alike have committed. (Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic.) The problem is not that women are not females. In fact, most women are biological females. The problem, however, is the derogatory way in which the word is used.
People who are not familiar with how this term is used today or people who use this term often may find themselves wondering why in the world it’s offensive. After all, isn’t it just a synonym for “women”?
Let’s start with the dictionary definition of the word “female”.
adjective: of, relating to, or being the sex that typically has the capacity to bear young or produce eggs
noun: an individual of the sex that is typically capable of bearing young or producing eggs
By definition, referring to women as “females” reduces them to their reproductive abilities. That sounds a bit degrading, don’t you think? In addition, a “female” could be anything, not necessarily a human. Your dog might be a female. Do you really want to lump your girlfriend and your dog in the same category?
From my observation, “female” is most often used by low-value men (and women) to debase, devalue, and criticize women. Reducing a woman to the level of an animal is not something that…
