“Female” and “male” describe biological sex—in humans, non-human animals, and other organisms. “Females” and “males” should be used only when the subject matter in question is solely biological sex.
- ● “Women” and “men” should be used when referring to humans where both biology and culture are concerned, such as “women engineers” or “men engineers.”
- ● “Female” and “male” should be used when referring specifically to sex (a biological characteristic).
- ● “Femininities” and “masculinities” should be used when discussing gender traits (socio-cultural characteristics).
