The article deals with gender-inclusive language in Austria, Germany and Switzerland which pay particular attention to its use. The lively discussion about gender-inclusive language was prompted in German-speaking countries by an article by Trömel-Plötz nel 1978, who approached the Ungleichbehandlung von Frauen im Sprachsystem und Sprachverhalten in a soberer way than positions expressed in the framework of German feminist linguistics (s. too Sieburg 1997: 25), and the subject remains significant today. The website of the Bundesverwaltungsamt shows very clear guidelines containing various solutions for Sprachliche Gleichbehandlung and indicating pros and cons of achieving gender linguistic equality (e.g. Sprachliche Gleichbehandlung). The very concise Austrian guidelines underline that formulations giving women the impression of being just mitgemeint are unsuitable and indicates solutions to a greater or lesser extent present in the guidelines of Germany stressing the need for double denominations such as Landeshauptmann – Landeshauptfrau or for denominations with derivative suffix, such as Bürgermeister – Bürgermeisterin. In Switzerland, gender-inclusive language is treated in the handbook Geschlechtergerechte Sprache 2009 (192 pages), taking into account Italian, French and Romance in the awareness that gender linguistic equality depends on the specifities of the single language too. The handbook underlines that the decisive element is the
Adressatengerechtigkeit (suitability for the target readership) and that the motto
is creativity. It stresses, furthermore, the importance of using gender-inclusive
language in rules and contracts. The Region Trentino-South Tyrol decidely treads
the path of gender-inclusive language, as shown for ex. by the denomination of
professions using double forms both in Italian and in German.
