# Leader still means man, and language does not change that, according to study

Source: [Science News - Mathematics, Economics, Archaeology, Fossils](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-leader-language.html) · 2026-11-10 · Life
Page: https://themorning.science/story/leader-still-means-man-and-language-does-not-change-that-according-to-study-1bea27ccb47584b8
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- An international study conducted in 42 countries found that gender-inclusive language has little impact on the stereotype that a political leader is a man.
- The study involved researchers from SWPS University.
- The findings suggest that introducing gender-inclusive forms into language does not change how people associate leadership with men.

## Why it matters

It suggests that changing language alone may not be enough to weaken deeply ingrained gender stereotypes about political leadership, which matters for anyone working on gender equality or inclusive communication.

## Coverage

- [Leader still means man, and language does not change that, according to study](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-leader-language.html) — Science News - Mathematics, Economics, Archaeology, Fossils, 2026-11-10

Tags: gender stereotypes, inclusive language, political leadership, psychology, linguistics

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science