The word “woman,” on the other hand, is used by almost everyone. It’s a socially acceptable term that refers to an adult female human being.
Why is the term “woman” considered an offensive word by a certain museum in London?
The Vagina Museum in London recently announced that it will no longer use the word “woman” on social media when discussing abused women from Poland.
The museum’s statement, according to which the organization decided to use the phrase “people with vaginas” in place of “woman,” is an obvious attempt at revisionism.
The museum’s refusal to use the term “woman” sparked a firestorm of criticism. The museum’s love for the word provoked social media outrage. People were outraged that a world-renowned museum that is largely concerned with vaginas refused to employ the word “woman.” Others thought it was a strange move. Many people asked them to revert to the original wording, while others praised them for using an “inclusive language.”
One person wrote: “Thank you for using inclusive language. I’m a cis woman, and I appreciate having my trans and non-binary siblings being recognized as being damaged by this horrific law too. We all need to stand together.”
Another person said: “It’s difficult to think of anything more ludicrous than a vagina museum that refuses to use the word woman. It’s just utterly pathetic.” Another person commented: “They are snowflaking so hard at this point.”
A museum spokesperson released a statement in response to the criticism on their next tweet. They twetted: “We are receiving comments questioning this language. Not all people who have vaginas are women.”
Because of the tremendous amount of attention the museum is receiving, many people are asking how this problem began.
It all started with the Polish museums’ Twitter account, which was taken over by Aleksandra Karpowicz to help bring attention to Poland’s current situation.
Poland has already made significant changes to its abortion laws. After the Polish government became more restrictive on abortion, it was prohibited to terminate a pregnancy due to fetal abnormalities. That is why big demonstrations have started.
Both men and women organized demonstrations to express their discontent. Once the new ruling takes effect in Poland, abortions will be allowed only in the cases of rape, incest, or a danger to the mother’s health and life.
The Camden museum then passed the blame to Karpowicz’s account. “This is a takeover by @a_karpowicz to share with you the abuse of rights that is going on with Polish people who have vaginas,” the museum tweeted. They included the hashtag #StrajkKobiet as well. The name StrajkKobiet is derived from the Polish word for strike, meaning “women’s strike.” The women’s rights organization responsible for organizing these protests in Poland is called StrajkKobiet.
Similar problems have occurred in the past, such as when the British Museum was threatened with demolition.
J.K. Rowling was criticized for describing women in one post as ‘people who menstruate.’ She came under fire for using the expression. Rowling wrote on Twitter: “I’m sure they’re used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
The use of the gendered noun ‘woman’ in London was also discontinued by Goldsmiths University students, who said it is non-inclusive of males since the word implies dependence on males. In its place, these students started referring to women as “womxn.”
