No Label: a local gender glossary

A new 60-word glossary defines and explains key gender-related terms in English, isiXhosa, and Afrikaans in a way that makes sense for young people in South Africa. It has been developed in collaboration with – and is for – trained community-based facilitators and educators working in the sexual and reproductive health field. 

The local gender glossary was developed as part of a three-year collaborative research project (the Learning Partnerships to Support Gender Transformative Innovations for Adolescents’ Sexual and Reproductive Health in South Africa) by the School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, NACOSA and H.O.P.E Africa, in partnership with the Triangle Project.

Called ‘No Label: some gender and sexuality terms decoded’, the 60-word glossary defines and describes some gender-related terms in a way that makes sense in a local South African context and to young people themselves. This first edition provides a description of the words in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans, with future editions planned for other official languages.

It’s difficult being a man who is like soft, there’s different expectations of what a man is.”

The glossary is not intended as a mass communication tool, or to be distributed in communities without any facilitated discussion. It has been developed with, and for, trained community-based facilitators and educators working in the sexual and reproductive health field. As such, it has been conceptualized as an additional resource in a peer facilitators’ ‘toolbox’ of resources that they use to facilitate dialogue and discussions with adolescents and young people about key gender words and concepts.