gender bias

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   Unfair treatment or unequal opinion of people based on whether they are male or female.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable: there is gender bias in hiring. Use a gender bias only for a specific kind or case.

   Patterns

   • gender bias in something
   • gender bias against someone
   • address gender bias

   The study found gender bias in how managers reviewed job applications.

   Many schools are trying to reduce gender bias in textbooks.

   She filed a complaint about gender bias at her company.

2. 2nouncountable or uncountabletechnical

   A built-in tendency in data, tests, tools or language that treats one gender as the standard and gives different results for others.

   Grammar: Can be uncountable or countable: gender bias in algorithms; the gender biases in the data.

   Patterns

   • gender bias in an algorithm
   • gender bias in data

   Researchers found gender bias in the software that screens resumes.

   Gender bias in medical research has meant that some symptoms in women were missed.

   The team checked the survey questions for hidden gender bias.

Word forms

Common combinations

reduce gender bias

The company introduced training to reduce gender bias.

unconscious gender bias

Unconscious gender bias can affect who gets promoted.

gender bias in hiring

Blind resumes help to cut gender bias in hiring.

challenge gender bias

Teachers can challenge gender bias in the classroom.

evidence of gender bias

The report found evidence of gender bias in pay.

gender bias against women

The study showed gender bias against women in leadership roles.

Synonyms and how they differ

sexism

Sexism is a stronger, more openly accusing word for discrimination or prejudiced attitudes based on sex, while gender bias can be subtle or unintended.

gender discrimination

Gender discrimination means unfair actions or rules, whereas gender bias can describe attitudes or patterns that cause them.

gender stereotyping

Gender stereotyping is about fixed beliefs of how men and women behave, and is one cause of gender bias.

gender prejudice

Gender prejudice stresses a prior negative opinion, while gender bias can show up in results even without conscious dislike.

Opposites

Word family

bias noun

an unfair leaning for or against something

biased adjective

showing an unfair preference or dislike

gender noun

the social or cultural identity of being male, female or another

unbiased adjective

fair and without preference

gender-neutral adjective

not specific to either sex

Commonly confused: gender bias or gender discrimination?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “gender bias”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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