The formative years of a child are probably the most crucial in the formation of one’s identity and these all start as they enter school. And thus, schools should be a safe place for every student, it is after all considered as their second home. But time and time again the youth are faced with a certain dilemma — gender inclusivity.

Anyone would be familiar with this struggle, whether if you identify as a man or a woman and especially if you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community. And for a young adult navigating life, it is important to have a safe place where anyone would be represented equally.

And while the world has taken huge strides in making sure that no gender inequality will be present in the halls of an educational institution, many students are still too afraid to express themselves because of all the gender norms society has put on their shoulders.

Fast forward to 2020 when learning has moved in the safety of our homes and in front of a screen, gender inclusivity has become more of a problem now than ever. Especially since a student’s classroom is now on the internet. So how are we going to know if the websites that we are using are gender-inclusive?

The answer is Equal Writes! Presented by the University of the Philippines’ Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), Equal Writes aims to make “equal” natural by neutralizing the way people refer to each other.

The said website provides an online tool that will give any website a score based on its gender fairness. It also provides suggestions for biased pronouns and terms of reference. Just by copy-pasting the link of a website you can now find out if you are entering a gender-neutral website.

With the internet being an important aspect of any students’ educational growth, it is crucial that we enter a space that understands us and represents us. And who knows! Equal Writes just might be what we need to shift gender norms.

You can Equal Writes for free at https://equalwrites.com.ph/