INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES ON THE USE OF FEMINITIVES IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article explores the features of gender-sensitive language functioning in the higher education system of Ukraine and identifies general trends in the institutional use of feminine correlates to masculine nouns denoting positions, professions or occupations, academic degrees, and scholarly titles. The research methods include content analysis of official university websites, analysis of regulatory documents and institutional policies, as well as a sociological survey of Kherson State University staff regarding their attitudes toward feminitives. The findings reveal a diversity of approaches to the implementation of feminitives across higher education institutions, ranging from neglect to systematic usage in communications and official documents. Three main trends in the use of feminitives are identified: systematic use by eight universities (6%); inconsistent (non-systematic) use by 28 universities (18.4%) — limited to certain administrative levels or structural units, institutional news feeds, or specific documents; and the largest group (110 universities, 72.3%) where feminitives are primarily used only in institutional news texts. The sociological survey shows a predominantly positive or neutral attitude within the academic community toward the use of feminitives in professional communication: 51.2% support their use, 40.8% are neutral, and only 6.4% hold a negative view. The conclusions point to the gradual institutionalization of feminitives in higher education of Ukraine, contributing to the reduction of gender asymmetry and the promotion of gender-sensitive communication. The implementation of institutional policies for the use of gender-sensitive language in Ukrainian universities and research institutions enables the deconstructing of gender stereotypes shaped over the past century by socio-ethical taboos and constraints influenced by both linguistic and extralinguistic factors.