26. Fighting for Gender-Fair Language at the National Institute of Astrophysics of Italy
by Marina Orio
This essay describes the ongoing struggle of the author to change the culture of “tolerance” of women scientists in the academy and the “acceptance of a few exceptional women” into a culture of inclusion and diversity at the National Institute of Astrophysics of Italy (INAF), an endeavor advanced through the adoption of gender-fair language. Language usage in the Italian scientific and academic environments offers a particularly interesting case, given its unusual and complex development.