To mark this year’s International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Oxford Languages team will be holding a panel discussion to explore how and why sexist terms are recorded in the dictionary and what this language tells us about the world around us.

Drawing on real evidence of language use, the panel will discuss why the dictionary even captures terms like ‘bitch’, ‘bint’, and ‘maid’; what these most challenging definitions tell us; and the trends we’re seeing right now around women and language.

Introducing the panel:

• Katherine Martin, Head of Product, Oxford Languages

• Eleanor Maier, Executive Editor, Oxford English Dictionary

• Professor Helen Taylor, Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Exeter and author of Why Women Read Fiction

• Dr Sarah Ogilvie, Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Linguistics, Philology, and Phonetics, Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford

• Chair: Leila McKenzie-Delis, CEO, DIAL Global

You will be able to submit questions during the event or via email beforehand.

Please send your questions to the panellists to oxford.languages@oup.com by 5pm on Friday 5 March. A recording will be made available after the event.

Please join the event here.

We look forward to seeing you there!