Category: Diversity & Inclusion

Neurodiversity in the Workplace The Importance of Awareness
27/02/2024

Neurodiversity in the Workplace: The Importance of Awareness

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on Neurodiversity in the Workplace: The Importance of Awareness

The importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in organizations has gained significant attention in recent years. Companies are investing resources in establishing DEI departments, programs, and initiatives to address diversity based on nationality, culture, race, and gender identity. However, one aspect of diversity that often remains overlooked is neurodiversity, which can silently exist within teams.  

Let’s shed some light on the concept of neurodiversity and emphasize the significance of raising awareness about it in the workplace. 

What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in human neurological conditions, encompassing different ways of thinking, learning, and processing information. Neurodivergent individuals are those whose neurological conditions differ from the dominant or “typical” patterns. Conditions such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia fall under the umbrella of neurodiversity. Understanding the different types of neurodiversity is crucial to creating an inclusive work environment. 

How to support neurodiversity in the workplace

One crucial aspect of supporting neurodiverse teammates is recognizing employees as individuals. Just like any other form of diversity, hiring neurodivergent individuals can bring numerous benefits to businesses, including creative thinking, increased productivity, and innovation. However, not all companies have the capacity to accommodate every type of neurodivergence in their recruitment and hiring processes. Nevertheless, some organizations may discover that they already employ individuals who are neurodivergent. 

 
Some individuals may not exhibit the typical signs of neurodivergence nor have they received a formal diagnosis. They may navigate their lives and perform their job duties effectively, even though they face internal struggles they choose not to share. Others may opt not to disclose their neurodivergence, and it is important to respect their choice. In any case, it is crucial to be aware and avoid assuming that everyone is neurotypical. By actively paying attention and initiating conversations, managers can find the right approach and make necessary adjustments in the work dynamics to accommodate the needs of every employee, promoting inclusion, safety, and value. 

Discovering neurodivergent individuals within a team may raise concerns about how to effectively accommodate them and highlight the need for training managers and employees on this topic. However, it also presents a great opportunity. Managers can harness the unique talents of each employee by being aware of their individual needs and placing them in roles that allow them to maximize their contributions. Neurodiverse individuals, with their different cognitive wiring, can offer fresh perspectives to a company’s efforts to create value and innovation. Accommodations may involve adapting workspaces, adjusting work schedules, and implementing effective communication methods. 

The takeaway

Every individual possesses a superpower, a talent, a gift. Organizations that prioritize neurodiversity and foster inclusion in their culture not only recognize and value the strengths that arise from diversity but also unlock extraordinary potential. Creating a workplace that celebrates differences, accommodates individual needs, and supports every employee benefits the entire organization. By embracing neurodiversity, businesses can cultivate an environment where all employees thrive, contribute their unique abilities, and drive innovation and success. 

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Are You Using These Language & Accessibility Terms Correctly
19/09/2023

Are You Using These Language & Accessibility Terms Correctly?

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on Are You Using These Language & Accessibility Terms Correctly?

There are a handful terms in particular that are frequently confused during conversations surrounding accessibility and inclusivity in regards to language. While these terms sound quite similar, their meanings are very different.

To make understanding them easier, we’re breaking down some key terms you need to know when it comes to making language more accessible.

Accessibility language or language of accessibility

The terms accessibility language and language of accessibility both refer to making sure that disabled individuals have the resources and accommodations they need to be able to participate fully in daily activities when it comes to language. This includes things like providing materials in accessible formats (such as braille or large print) or using sign language interpreters for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. These terms can also refer to being respectful and inclusive when discussing disability and accessibility, as well as avoiding using language that is stigmatizing or demeaning.

Accessible language or plain language

Plain language is a way of communicating information that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. It is often used in written communications, such as documents and websites, to ensure that the intended audience can easily find and understand the information they need. A plain language approach involves using straightforward language, organizing information in a logical and clear manner, and avoiding jargon or technical terms that might be confusing to the reader. It is not the same as oversimplifying or talking down to the reader, but rather it is about presenting information in a way that is accessible to all readers, regardless of their education or background. Using plain language can help to ensure that important information is not missed or misunderstood, and can help to make complex information more accessible to a wider audience.

Language access

Language access is about ensuring that individuals who speak languages other than English (referred to as Limited English Proficient or LEP individuals) are able to access the same services and information as English speakers. This often involves providing translated written materials or hiring interpreters to facilitate spoken communication. Providing language access is important because it allows LEP individuals to fully participate in various activities, such as accessing healthcare, partaking in the educational system, and interacting with government agencies.

Inclusive language

Inclusive language is about using terms and expressions that are inclusive of LGBTQIA+ and minority individuals and that do not exclude or diminish them. This includes using language that is gender-neutral or non-sexist, as well as avoiding terms that are derogatory or stigmatizing. Using inclusive language is an important aspect of creating a more inclusive and equitable society, and it is essential for promoting respect and understanding among all members of our communities.

The Takeaway

Language and accessibility are key in our daily lives. Being aware of what each of us can do in these aspects can have a huge impact on someone else’s life. Professional translation services can help businesses and organizations reach their accessibility goals and can help them establish brand loyalty amongst their diverse customer base.

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Fostering Inclusion and Embracing Diversity: Terra's New Diversity Policy
29/08/2023

Fostering Inclusion and Embracing Diversity: Terra’s New Diversity Policy

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on Fostering Inclusion and Embracing Diversity: Terra’s New Diversity Policy

Terra recently launched our official diversity policy. Federico Colombo—the HR Generalist who led the initiative— shared insights into the inspiration behind the policy, its creation process, and its expected impact. CEO Marina Ilari and Chief People Officer Natalia Quintás also provide their valuable perspectives. Let’s break down what they shared with us.

Diversity Policy: The Journey Begins

The idea for Terra’s diversity policy was the result of several conversations around diversity and inclusion certifications. Adri Carbajal, Operations Lead at Terra, suggested we look into different organizations and explore ways to effect change. And while we had always embraced inclusivity, the need to officially document our commitment to diversity and inclusion became evident.

There were several factors that contributed to the need for such a policy:

  • Increasing awareness: The global conversation around diversity, equity, and inclusion has been gaining momentum in recent years. We’ve become more aware of the tremendous benefits that come from fostering diversity and creating an inclusive workplace.
  • Changing demographics: With our expansion into global markets and collaboration with diverse populations, we recognize the importance of embracing different cultures and perspectives. As a multicultural company with teams all over the world, it was crucial for us to establish a policy that respects and values this diversity.
  • Ensuring fairness: We understand the significance of providing fair and equal opportunities to all candidates. That’s why we’ve adopted blind recruitment processes, which help reduce biases during the hiring process. This commitment to creating a level playing field for all applicants demonstrates our dedication to fairness.

“By implementing this policy, we aim to foster an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and included,” Federico shared, “We believe that embracing diversity will lead to enhanced creativity, collaboration, and overall happiness within our team.”

Building on the Foundation

Terra’s journey toward the diversity policy was an evolution rather than a creation from scratch. Although there was no previous written policy, diversity and inclusion were always fundamental values at Terra. The challenge lay in organizing and articulating these values into a cohesive framework. To aid this process, Terra sought assistance from the Institute of LGBT+ Public Policies, whose expertise helped shape the action plan and timeline.

Employee Input and Insights

Terra actively values employee feedback and involvement. Every year, we participate in the Great Place to Work survey, and this time, we specifically wanted to gather insights from employees regarding diversity and inclusion. This was incredibly valuable to us because we were able to capture their thoughts and feedback, which we then incorporated into our policy. Their input played a significant role in shaping our approach to diversity and inclusion.

The Committee’s Crucial Role

Recognizing the importance of diverse perspectives, Terra formed an internal committee comprised of Adri, Angie, Marcelo, Marisol, Natalia, Paula, Santiago, and Federico himself. Their collective expertise and direct contact with employees made them invaluable contributors to the policy’s development. By actively involving the committee from the outset, Terra aimed to create a policy that truly reflected its values and principles.

“The creation of the committee allows us to create an internal and safe space to run debates looking for improvements in our policies and procedures to ensure that we are taking care of our people at Terra in all aspects,” Natalia shared, “Our desire is that every person at the company feels that Terra is a great place to work and that they can be authentic and feel respected for their individuality.”

Policy Pillars: A Comprehensive Approach

The diversity policy at Terra encompasses a range of pillars: gender, sexual/LGBT+, generational, functional, neurodiversity/neurodivergence, and ethnic or national origin diversity, as well as interculturality. These themes form the bedrock of the policy, ensuring that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all internal processes.

Aligning with Company Values

Marina Ilari, Terra’s CEO, emphasizes the policy’s alignment with the company’s core values. “We’ve always been fully committed to diversity and inclusion; this is woven into our fabric as a company and it’s part of our mission,” Marina explained, “But I believe this policy will give our efforts a clear framework so that not only can our team members refer to it, but also potential collaborators and clients can learn more about our positioning and actioning on this important topic.”

Looking Forward

Terra recently launched the diversity policy company-wide. Training sessions are being conducted with leaders and employees to foster awareness and understanding of the policy. Additionally, Terra aims to share the policy with clients, showcasing its internal operations and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Looking ahead, Terra has identified three key steps: Training and Education, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and Ongoing Measurement and Accountability, to further enhance diversity and inclusion within the organization.

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04/07/2023

ChatGPT and the Importance of Linguistic Diversity

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on ChatGPT and the Importance of Linguistic Diversity

In a world where linguistic diversity is the norm, and as our digital society continues to evolve and expand, it is paramount that tools like ChatGPT (which we talked about in a previous blog post) embrace diversity and inclusivity to create a more meaningful and impactful online experience. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of linguistic diversity and the challenges and opportunities that come with incorporating language diversity into AI tools like ChatGPT.

Understanding Language Diversity

Language diversity refers to the rich and varied ways in which people communicate across different linguistic backgrounds, dialects, and accents. It encompasses the vast array of languages spoken worldwide, from the world’s biggest languages like English and Mandarin to smaller languages spoken by just a few thousand people.

Moreover, language diversity also includes cultural nuances and idioms that reflect the unique values, beliefs, and practices of speech communities. For instance, in some cultures, direct communication and assertiveness are highly valued, while in others, indirect and polite speech is preferred.

Recognizing and respecting language diversity is crucial in the development of AI tools that aim to communicate with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Failure to account for linguistic and cultural differences can result in AI algorithms that are biased, insensitive, or even offensive.

Moreover, AI developers must strive to incorporate different dialects, accents, and cultural nuances in their models to ensure that their algorithms can correctly interpret and produce responses that don’t sound robotic or too unoriginal. This requires a deep understanding of different linguistic and cultural practices and the ability to adapt language models to meet the needs of diverse populations.

Challenges and Opportunities

The development of AI models like ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionize how we communicate, but incorporating language diversity presents many challenges. One of the most significant challenges is data bias. Language models learn from vast amounts of data, and if that data is biased, the AI model can perpetuate that bias. This can result in inaccurate or offensive language generation, which can be harmful to individuals and communities.

Developing AI models for less commonly spoken languages or dialects is also challenging due to limited resources (like data sets, language experts, and research). There may not be enough data available to train language models accurately, and linguistic features unique to a particular language or dialect may be difficult to incorporate seamlessly. This can result in language models that are inaccurate or incomplete, which can limit their usefulness.

Furthermore, the accuracy and quality of language generation can be impacted by variations in grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Languages can vary greatly in these areas, making it challenging to develop AI models that can accurately generate language across different languages and cultures. This can result in language models that are not effective in communicating with a diverse range of people as their outputs are too standard. If you ask a chatbot to produce a summary of a text, it typically won’t incorporate the linguistic uniqueness of the community the content will be used in. While it can produce text in the language needed, the richness of the language is lost because it can’t reproduce it (it was not trained on that).

Cultural sensitivity is another significant challenge when incorporating language diversity into AI tools like ChatGPT. AI models may generate language that is culturally insensitive or offensive due to a lack of understanding of cultural nuances, customs, and beliefs. This can result in language models that are discriminatory or cause harm to individuals or communities.

Finally, incorporating multiple languages and dialects into AI tools like ChatGPT can be complex and require significant resources and expertise. AI models that can generate language across multiple languages and cultures must be carefully designed to ensure accuracy and avoid cultural bias. This requires a deep understanding of linguistic and cultural differences and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

In light of these challenges, it’s also important to look at the potential benefits of incorporating language diversity into AI tools like ChatGPT. Incorporating language diversity into AI models is a critical step toward achieving more accurate, relevant, and culturally sensitive chatbots. AI models that incorporate diverse languages have the opportunity to exhibit better performance when it comes to sentiment analysis, converse fluently, and more effectively handle the diversity of expressions and tones of emotions specific to multilingual users. In addition, language diversity is beneficial when it comes to reducing machine bias and implementing more ethical AI.

The Takeaway

For people designing and developing these tools, it’s important to prioritize linguistic diversity and not leave behind other languages and dialects, so that the richness of language is not lost. For users worldwide, it’s important to understand how these tools work, identify their weaknesses, and use them responsibly. There’s nothing wrong with making use of their perks, but the human intellect and unique touch will never be replaced.

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How to Create and Promote an Inclusive and Diverse Culture - Portada
20/06/2023

How to Create and Promote an Inclusive and Diverse Culture

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on How to Create and Promote an Inclusive and Diverse Culture

Terra is proud to be a certified women-owned and minority-owned business for which diversity and inclusion are at the core of our company culture. We believe teams win together when they are both diverse and inclusive. As a result, we cultivate an environment that promotes equity and celebrates differences, allowing all voices to be heard, acknowledged, and valued.

Keep reading to learn more about some of the initiatives we’ve implemented at Terra so far to help create and promote an inclusive and diverse culture.

Inclusive Institutional Communications

How we communicate with our employees matters. Naturally, as a global translation company, many of our employees speak different languages. Our communications incorporate inclusive language and are presented in both English and Spanish to accommodate our diverse workforce.

Strategic Sessions

To help promote inclusivity and diversity at Terra, we also host sessions that raise awareness on topics such as different types of diversity, inclusion, and unconscious biases—amongst other key topics. Having these conversations with our employees helps us better understand what we can do to improve inclusivity and reminds them of our commitment to building a diverse workforce.

Conscious Recruitment Process

How we hire is also taken into consideration when accounting for inclusivity and diversity. We use a conscious recruitment process where we ensure no bias affects the possibility of candidates being selected. This process helps us select the best person for the role without bias getting in the way.

Respect Gender Identities

At Terra, we respect all gender identities and expect our team to do so as well. We help promote the usage of correct gender identities for each individual employee when it comes to usernames, registers, signatures, and corporate communications.

Internal “Diversity and LGBTQ Community”

At Terra, we support diverse and LGBTW employees by hosting an Internal “Diversity and LGBTQ Community” channel where members share resources with each other. This channel helps promote an open dialogue about the topics that are important to our employees.

Inclusive Initiatives

We promote a variety of initiatives aimed at encouraging individuals to be their authentic selves. Terra has an internal newsletter that welcomes submissions of photos and relevant personal news members want to share, as well as a close-friends group on Instagram where we post trivia about members who volunteer to participate.

The Takeaway

Organizations have a lot to gain by prioritizing diversity and inclusion. Having a diverse workforce can lead to more innovation, can lead to increased revenue, and can help attract the right type of clients whose values align with yours.

By allowing employees of different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to interact with each other, companies create a more vibrant workplace. Additionally, understanding the unique needs of a diverse set of employees helps a company better serve its target audience. Ultimately, by fostering an inclusive environment that values everyone’s contributions equally, companies can unlock unrivaled innovation built on true collaboration for their own success in the long run.

A commitment to promoting an inclusive and diverse culture in the workplace is an ongoing process driven by continuous improvement. There must be a serious commitment made by leadership as well as the team as a whole. As a company, Terra continues to work towards a more inclusive work environment for all.

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Why is Localization Important For Your Brand
09/05/2023

Why is localization important for your brand?

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on Why is localization important for your brand?

Localization takes the translation process a step further by adapting content, video games, services, apps, online courses, and many different types of products to a specific local market. Alongside translating text, localization involves adapting formats, designs, colors, images, payment methods, cultural references, and any elements that can make an impact by being customized to meet the needs of a new market. 

Keep reading to better understand why localization is so important for your brand. 

Deeper connections and improved customer satisfaction

When you localize content or a product to a local market, you can better meet your customer’s needs in that market and can forge a deeper connection with them. Whenever a customer engages with your brand, you have a chance to build a connection with them. From your product, to customer support resources, to your checkout process, it’s important that your customers feel understood and appreciated. When you localize your brand to their unique market, it’s easier to build a natural connection and to improve customer satisfaction.

Competitive advantage

One way to get a leg up on your competition is to localize your products, websites, and brand materials. If your competitors aren’t already doing this, you’re a step ahead of them. If they are localizing their brand to the same target markets, you don’t want your customers to turn to them.

Let’s look at a company website as an example. Localizing your company website to meet your target market’s needs will make it so they better understand the selling points of your products, how to purchase from you, and what they need to do to access customer support. If a consumer has to choose between making a purchase from a brand that takes localization into account and one that doesn’t, there’s a good chance they’ll choose the brand that is easier to understand and that resonates more with them. 

Improved accessibility

Localization can also help increase your brand’s accessibility. More than 5% of the population is impacted by hearing loss, which makes audio and video content inaccessible to millions of people if there are no subtitles for that content available in their language. When you localize subtitles, you improve inclusion and expand your brand reach in one fell swoop. 

Increased customer base and brand loyalty

The easier it is for a customer to interact with your brand, the more likely you are to attract and retain them. If you want to introduce your brand to a new market, localization is a crucial step to breaking into that market. Using a language that your new market clearly understands is of course a key step to take. But again, localization takes translation a step further. Because localization takes local culture into account, you can use this process to avoid causing offense to customers and to create content and products that are more likely to appeal to them. 

At the end of the day, customers who feel seen and heard will always be more loyal to your brand than customers who feel like a second thought. 

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04/04/2023

What is Language Access and Why is it Important?

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on What is Language Access and Why is it Important?

Language access makes it possible for individuals and the businesses or organizations they interact with to communicate when they don’t speak the same language. In some cases, such as with certain federal agencies, language access is actually a legal requirement. Even if language access isn’t required by law, businesses can benefit financially and can improve their customer service efforts and brand reputation by turning to translation services to improve language access for their customers.

Let’s take a closer look at what language access is, why it matters, and how much of the U.S. population it can affect.

What is Language Access?

Language access is an important aspect of accessibility for people with limited English proficiency (LEP). The term language access refers to the ability of individuals to communicate effectively and access information, services, and opportunities in their preferred language. Similar to how certain accommodations must be made for those with physical disabilities (such as businesses having wheelchair ramps), language access is a key element to building an inclusive society.

Why is Language Access important?

Language access can help ensure that LEP individuals have equal access to services and opportunities, all while reducing barriers and promoting inclusivity. This can be especially important in situations where individuals rely on services for essential needs, such as healthcare, education, or legal assistance.

For example, medical patients need to be able to communicate with their medical care team in a language they fully understand. That way, there is no confusion around a diagnosis, treatment, or prescription. Not being able to fully understand medical care can lead to dangerous results. Even medical records and insurance claims can benefit from embracing language access.

Understanding LEP in the US

To better understand why language access matters, it’s important to have context surrounding just how many people this affects in the U.S.

LEP individuals don’t speak English as their primary language and have a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that nearly 21 percent of the U.S. population speaks a language other than English, and of that percentage more than 40 percent speak English less than “very well.”

It’s easy to see how a large amount of the U.S. population could lose equal access to vital education, legal, or healthcare services due to language barriers.

The Takeaway

It is important for organizations and businesses to be aware of the language needs of their customers and clients and to take steps to provide language access when necessary. This can involve providing interpretation services, offering materials in multiple languages, or hiring staff who speak multiple languages. Hiring professional translators to translate content can help improve language access across a wide variety of industries. You can work with a highly specialized translation company to ensure you’re providing clear and correct content to LEP individuals.

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08/03/2023

Making Progress for Women in the Language Industry

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on Making Progress for Women in the Language Industry

At Terra, we’re proud to be a women-owned company and to have 72% of all leadership positions occupied by women and non-binary individuals and throughout our company. Overall, we have a 73% representation of women. Which is why celebrating International Women’s Day is so important to us, as is working towards gender equality and women empowerment in the translation industry and beyond.

Some of the Challenges Women Faced and Continue to Face

The UN has defined one of their main Sustainable Development goals as striving to “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life.”

While you may think numbers in the localization industry are better because the vast majority of translators are women, we still see that leadership positions are mostly held by men. According to Nimdzi, only 17% of the companies featured in the Nimdzi 100 ranking are women-owned or women-run.

Knowing the challenges women historically faced and still face today is an essential step towards awareness, which is necessary to fuel action. In particular, there is still a lot of work to be done in regard to:

  • Gender gap in salaries
  • Gender-based discrimination (being a mother for example, can lead to less fair career opportunities for women)
  • Lack of women representation in leadership positions

Improvement has been made in these areas, but there’s still a lot to do if we want to work towards true equality. According to BoardEx data, only 5% of CEOs are women and 19.2% of corporate leadership team members are female. About 28.2% of board members are female, the study found. However, many of these women were appointed to non-executive roles, which are often centered on board oversight rather than real decision-making power.

What Can We Do to Support Fellow Women?

We’ve come a long way. But the truth is that the progress we’ve seen throughout history is thanks to the contributions that other women have made through the years. So, we encourage fellow women in the language industry to look for local organizations, so they can learn more about the different initiatives and how they can help them reach their goals.

These are a few of the organizations Terra supports:

  • Women in Localization: This nonprofit organization has a mission to foster a global community for the advancement of women and the localization industry by providing networking, education, career advancement, and mentoring opportunities to women in the localization industry.
  • Women in Games: Women in Games aims to build a fair, equal and safe environment that empowers girls and women to join and thrive in the global gaming ecosystem.
  • Chicas en Tecnología: This non-profit organization in Argentina works to reduce the gender gap in technology in that region by motivating and training the next generation of women leaders in technology.
  • Enterprising Women Magazine: A national and global magazine for female entrepreneurs that celebrates achievements by women and provides valuable resources.

These organizations are ones we are proud to support, but there are many others doing good work in this space. Spend some time researching where your volunteer efforts can make the most impact.

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Discover what The Challenges of Translating Gender Neutral Language are
30/08/2022

The Challenges of Translating Gender Neutral Language

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on The Challenges of Translating Gender Neutral Language

A push for a shift to gender neutral language is garnering a lot of attention worldwide. While there is no universally agreed upon answer for how we should handle gender neutral language across a variety of cultures and languages, some individuals and even organizations are choosing to make the shift to not using gendered language choices. 

If you have a source text that has gender neutral language in it and it needs translating, what do you need to know about gender neutral language? Let’s investigate. 

What Gendered Language Is

Gendered language refers to language choices that assign a gender to a noun, verb, pronoun, or adjective. It’s especially common to see gendered language choices in both French and Spanish where nouns have gender inflections. Around the world there is a push happening to embrace gender neutral language. In order to achieve gender neutrality, most languages have to stray away from traditional grammar and linguistic standards and embrace new ones. While some people are more than ready to make this shift, others are fighting to hold onto more traditional language standards. 

Why Gender Neutral Language Matters in Translation

When working on a translation project, it’s important to understand what is happening in the source text in order to decide how it should be translated. If the original document is using gender neutral language, then there is an explicit intention of the author, writer, or company to be inclusive in their communications. Because of this, it would make sense for the translated text to take those gender neutral language choices into account and incorporate them in the translation to the target language to the extent possible.

To What Extent is Gender Neutrality in Translation Possible?

Because gender neutral language may not be as developed in that target language or even target country, it can be challenging to provide a clear and concise translated text that honors the desire of the original creator to use gender neutral language while making sure the newly translated text is easy to understand by the reader. 

Some languages are already genderless, in which case the translator won’t run into any problems. Some cultures are starting to use gender neutral alternatives so translating the text into one of those target languages may also present less roadblocks. 

In some cases, the translators may be able to use workaround word choices that are perfectly correct grammatically and that convey gender neutrality, but some others deviate from the traditional grammar structure. Regardless of whether it’s grammatical or ungrammatical, the use of gender neutral language may not be spread equally within the country or even within certain age groups. In some other cultures, gender neutral language is not even in the conversation.

Because of the various approaches currently being taken to adapt language (or in some cases not adapt it) to being gender neutral, the choice to translate your already gender neutral material is not as simple as it may seem. It’s super important to assess your target audience and consult with in-country linguists regarding the current climate surrounding this for that target audience and country, so you can be informed about what the best way to proceed is.

For those looking to adapt to gender-inclusive language when working with the English language, the United Nations has created helpful strategies that can be applied to any type of communication, including oral or written content, as well as formal or informal speech.

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Does machine translation reinforce gender bias - Portada
21/06/2022

Does machine translation reinforce gender bias?

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on Does machine translation reinforce gender bias?

Although a machine learning model can be a powerful tool in the translation space, it can only be as good as the data it learns from. If there is a systematic error in the data used to train a machine learning algorithm, the resulting model will reflect this. These errors are the main reason that gender bias is present in machine translation. Some aspects of this are out of the control of the machine translation engine creators, but some others aren’t. Let’s examine how machine translation reinforces gender bias and how it can be fixed.

How Errors Can Occur

Wikipedia serves as a good example of how machine translation errors can occur and reinforce gender bias. Wikipedia’s entries tend to be geographically diverse, lengthy, and refer to subjects in the third person, which leads to the use of a lot of pronouns. Because of this, Wikipedia entries (particularly biographies) often have potential to cause machine translation errors related to gender, especially if an article refers to a person explicitly early in a sentence, but not later on. 

How Errors Can Be Resolved

Let’s look at Google as an example of a company aiming to resolve machine translation mistakes regarding gender. Google acknowledges that its translation tools struggle with errors that lead to reinforcing gender bias. They believe that they need to advance translation techniques to surpass single sentences. Doing this requires setting new metrics for measuring their progress and creating datasets with the most commonly encountered context-related errors. They’re facing a significant challenge. Translation errors related to gender are susceptible, as they can incorrectly refer to someone and how they self-identify. 

Google is working towards long-term improvements on their machine learning systems so they can continuously improve how they translate pronouns and gender.

The Takeaway

In recent years there’s been more awareness that these biases exist and machine translation engineers are trying their best to resolve this issue quickly, but it’s no easy endeavor since gender works so differently in all languages. Even though many advancements have been made in the machine translation industry, work still needs to be done. In all reality, a human translator is much better equipped to handle such sensitive issues like gender. 

It has taken many years to improve machine translation quality, and additional improvements will take more time to make. However, this issue can’t wait that long to be addressed. Errors that reinforce gender bias are critical to work on now, considering the recent relevance gender inclusivity has taken recently. If a company wants to prioritize inclusive language, it’s not safe to use an automated solution. Gender is a sensitive topic; with a translation, you want to ensure your message is conveyed discreetly. Right now, human translators are researching and staying up to date with the latest trends in the languages they work with. This is necessary, as everything is changing so fast. Companies should turn to these professionals to ensure their brand is not hurt by a careless machine translation mistake.

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