I recently made it onto a BBC News page because I submitted comments after reading an article about the woman who coined the term Ms. The Mrs. title is patriarchal and should be eliminated from our language. Patriarchy and the title Mrs. go hand in hand. The BBC edited my comments and included my picture along with comments and photos of a few other women. What fun! It is an important issue, and young women should not voluntarily and knowingly be using the term Mrs. any longer. That is only continuing the linguistic prison we find ourselves in much of the time. Language matters!
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I wrote:
Thank you for the article.
This issue is one of my pet peeves and has been for decades. Several men have told me I am “too sensitive” and am “expecting too much of others” because of my opinions on these words and titles.
I only ever use Ms. and have used it since I was my early twenties. I am now fifty. It is insulting to me that I would be considered a possession of my husband while he is an individual, being a Mr.
I have been frustrated in Europe where Ms. isn’t used so much, so, for example, in Germany, I am Mrs. Gertjejanssen or even Dr. Mrs. Gertjejanssen. “Frau” gets translated as Mrs. instead of Ms. Also, when purchasing an airline ticket there is no Ms. choice on some European airlines.
It is also disappointing how many young American women use the possessive Mrs. Perhaps they don’t understand the meaning behind it and use it because it is traditional. Perhaps they view Ms. as too feminist instead of as an equivalent to Mr.
Thank you again for the article.
Wendy
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Patriarchy is upheld by sexist language, and patriarchy and the title Mrs. go hand in hand. Females are not the property of men and therefore need to reflect this in their names. They need to keep their first names and use an equivalent, non-hierarchical title. Ms. reflects equity, independence, and doesn’t insinuate old-fashioned patriarchal subjugation.
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http://www.victimsheroessurvivors.info/VictimsHeroesSurvivors.pdf
Sexual Violence in War, Police Custody, Civilian Life
