ProZ.com Translation Forums

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Closing this thread

Andrea Capuselli — Thu, 07 May 2026 13:49:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Andrea Capuselli
Post title: Closing this thread

Hi, everyone!

I want to thank you all for your participation in this discussion, and also for the efforts many of you have made to keep disagreements respectful and civil throughout the thread.

At this point, however, the conversation has moved quite far beyond both the scope of the original post and the types of discussions permitted under ProZ.com's rules regarding political and other potentially controversial subjects. Given the direction the thread has taken, I'm going to close it here before it drifts further off topic.

I appreciate everyone's contributions and ask that future discussions please remain focused on the original subject matter and within site guidelines. Thank you all for your understanding, and for your use of the site!

Have a lovely end to your week :)

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | @Gerard

Jennifer Levey — Thu, 07 May 2026 13:37:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Jennifer Levey
Post title: @Gerard

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:
...
Please remind us of all the terrible things that happened while the PiS party was in power in Poland or Orban was in power in Hungary. Did they invade other countries? Did they persecute certain groups of people living within their borders? ... [/quote]

Recent examples of "persecution of certain groups of people living within their borders":
Orban's Hungary:
[url removed]
"Hungary’s parliament on Monday approved constitutional changes that allows Viktor Orban’s far right government to ban public events by LGBTQ communities and temporarily strip citizenship from dual or multiple nationals. It also states that people can only be male or female, providing a legal framework to deny gender identities."

PiS in Poland:
[url removed]
'On May 4, 2023, the PiS announced its draft amendment to the Education Law Act called “Protect Children, Support Parents,” which would restrict access to schools for nongovernment organizations providing sexuality education. Such groups are often the only reliable source of this material due to a restrictive and discriminatory national curriculum. PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński said the proposed law is intended to curb the “sexualization of children” and “all sorts of strange ideas.” This is the government’s latest attempt to eliminate comprehensive sexuality education.'

And let's not forget Trump's USA:
[url removed]
'US President Donald Trump on Monday, January 27, signed an executive order ridding the military of what he called "transgender ideology," in a potentially major setback for LGBTQ rights.'

[url removed]
'The administration of President Donald Trump has proposed a suite of new rules that seek to bar hospitals across the United States from performing gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth below 18 years of age.
On Thursday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that one of the proposed rules would block hospitals and clinics from accessing its programmes if they chose to continue providing gender-affirming care.'

[url removed]
'Trans people could soon be banned from homeless shelters
Shelters would have to house people based on their birth sex or lose federal funding, according to a new HUD proposal.'

Even my own country of birth, as per an infamous UK Supreme Court ruling last year: [url removed]
'The UK has issued gender recognition certificates since 2005, recognizing legal gender changes and enabling people to change documents such as birth certificates and passports. But the (UK Supreme) court decision, and the UK authorities’ reaction, have undermined the gender recognition certificates. Authorities’ interpretations of the judgment effectively forced trans people to use sex-segregated public services and facilities according to their sex-assigned at birth, and contrary to their identity and appearance. Trans people can also avoid using these services and facilities altogether, or be forced to use segregated facilities, posing risks to their safety and human rights. '

Need I continue ... ?
JL

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | PiS, Orban, authoritariansim, double standards, etc.

Gerard Barry — Thu, 07 May 2026 12:47:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Gerard Barry
Post title: PiS, Orban, authoritariansim, double standards, etc.

[quote]Lieven Malaise wrote:

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:
The low birth rates we are seeing at the moment mean that Western civilisation itself is at risk, so maybe it's time as a society we stopped pushing agendas that are harming us all.[/quote]

Western civilisation is at risk because of the increasing influence of mysogynous, racist, selfish, immoral white thrash in all layers of society, up to and including the White House, with all catastrophic consequences imaginable unfolding before our very eyes.

We've all seen what the "saving of Western civilisation" encompasses: Orban's Hungary, PiS' Poland, Trump's USA and even Putin's Russia: all authoritarian or would-be authoritarian states. And there's not a single reason not to believe that all radical right parties in Europe would try to go in the same direction (Meloni's latest effort in Italy luckily failed).

I prefer an imperfect society full of immigrants, the most diverse genders (what the heck do I care?) and women at the top any f***ing day.

[Bijgewerkt op 2026-05-06 06:33 GMT] [/quote]

Please remind us of all the terrible things that happened while the PiS party was in power in Poland or Orban was in power in Hungary. Did they invade other countries? Did they persecute certain groups of people living within their borders? Because while there was a lot of propaganda against both countries at the time (mainly because they stood up to the bully boy EU in its attempts to force them to take in refugees against the will of their citizens), there was actually no real "authoritarianism" in either country.

If you want to talk about authoritarianism, here in Germany people have their homes searched for the "crime" of making fun of politicians online. And let's not forget the very real authoritarianism we saw everyday for two years during the Covid hoax: restrictions on people's movements, discriminination of the "unvaccinated", those in nursing homes and hospitals denied visitors, even in their final hours, etc. etc. But yeah, Pis, Orban, Trump and Putin are all bad and here in Germany, Belgium, Ireland, etc. we live in perfect democracies. Give me a break.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | @Daryo

Samuel Murray — Wed, 06 May 2026 20:16:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: @Daryo

[quote]Daryo wrote:
[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:
According to the site “Women in Translation”...
[url removed] [/quote]
These are two different groups
What Gerard was talking about is [url removed] [which is] a part of ProZ.com... [/quote]
Although Jennifer mentioned that part of ProZ.com, I didn't get the impression that Gerard was talking about it at all. Gerard's comments relate(d) to the sentiments of the separate site mentioned by Maria, which is the site that this thread is about (since this is "Translation news" and that site is mentioned in the news article). Ultimately Gerard (and everyone responding to him) wasn't discussing either of the sites specifically, but the sentiments behind them and the sentiments behind the sentiments.

[Edited at 2026-05-06 20:19 GMT]

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | @Daryo

Jennifer Levey — Wed, 06 May 2026 19:11:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Jennifer Levey
Post title: @Daryo

[quote]Daryo wrote:

[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:

According to the site “Women in Translation”: “Due to the stunning gender disparity in non-English language literature, this project will focus on all literature written by women in any language other than English, regardless of the language in which it is read or discussed.” So, despite their name the project focus on female literature authors and not necessarily on female translators.

[url removed]
[/quote]

What Gerard was talking about is this [url removed] a part of Proz.com, a not that recent add-on but still labelled as NEW.

I can't find any cross-links with [url removed] an entirely different website.

Apart sharing the same name these are two distinct groups. So who was talking about which one?
[/quote]

Actually, it's not at all clear (to me at least...) which group (if any) Gerard was referring to. I rather got the impression he was taking aim at any and all groups that focus on women in the translation profession (or anywhere else in the global job market come to that).
In my first post here I made it clear that I was referring to the Proz Women in Translation community (I even included a link to it), in order to contextualise my personal observations about this community, of which I have been a member since it began in August 2024.
JL

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | These are two different groups

Daryo — Wed, 06 May 2026 18:48:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Daryo
Post title: These are two different groups

[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:

According to the site “Women in Translation”: “Due to the stunning gender disparity in non-English language literature, this project will focus on all literature written by women in any language other than English, regardless of the language in which it is read or discussed.” So, despite their name the project focus on female literature authors and not necessarily on female translators.

[url removed]
[/quote]

What Gerard was talking about is this [url removed] a part of Proz.com, a not that recent add-on but still labelled as NEW.

I can't find any cross-links with [url removed] an entirely different website.

Apart sharing the same name these are two distinct groups. So who was talking about which one?

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Not sure

Lingua 5B — Wed, 06 May 2026 14:41:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Lingua 5B
Post title: Not sure

Not sure how or why suicide has been brought into this. Gerard, you have strange ways of comparing things.

Your statistics is about successful executions, not about attempts. The suicide attempt m vs f ratio is much more even. The reason that men are unfortunately more successful is because they choose more aggesive methods such as gun shots or hanging. Women go for substance overdose which often ends up in medical aid pumping the substance out of their stomach. We could go on with these pointless comparisons forever such as that the depression rate is 3-4 higher in women, which has a lot to do with their circulating hormones or bipolar disorder which is much more prevalent in women. Or postpartum depression (which is basically a covert bipolar disorder).

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | @Gerard

Jennifer Levey — Wed, 06 May 2026 13:42:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Jennifer Levey
Post title: @Gerard

Referring, in general terms only, to a couple of posts that have now been hidden, you might like to consider the possibility - nay, the likelihood - that those of us who 'agree' with the underlying sentiment expressed in any post don't necessarily endorse the use of foul language.

A number of things have been written in this thread which I, personally, find disrespectful towards myself. However, at the end of the day, I take comfort in the realisation that any long-term damage they cause - knowingly or in ignorance - will harm the authors of those offesive ideas far more than it will harm me.
JL

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | For those interested...

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Wed, 06 May 2026 13:01:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: For those interested...

I've received today a publication titled "Closing the gap: Gender equality in Europe". Good reading to you all!

[url removed]

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | A bit contradictory

expressisverbis — Wed, 06 May 2026 11:25:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: expressisverbis
Post title: A bit contradictory

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:

Honestly, this female whinging and envy about such unimportant topics is more than tedious. And as a man who's unnemployed, I really don't give a damn.
[/quote]

It seems a bit contradictory to dismiss others as “whinging” while expressing frustration in the same way.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | How do you know?

Eva Stoppa — Wed, 06 May 2026 09:14:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Eva Stoppa
Post title: How do you know?

Gerard, how do you know that most mothers in Germany only work part-time? Do you have any reliable statistics for this claim?

The reason why many people -- both, men and women -- I'm not claiming most, work part-time is, because many company owners do not want to employ people full-time for various reasons.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Suicide

Lieven Malaise — Wed, 06 May 2026 06:46:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Lieven Malaise
Post title: Suicide

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:
around 80% of suicide victim are male.[/quote]

Yes, and two of the main reasons are that men are more afraid of seeking help and women are way more inclined to talk about their feelings (which leads to less actual suicides, although they do more attempts than men).

I'm sure the promotion of masculinity and virility in your ideal conservative society will help a lot to solve that problem.

[Bijgewerkt op 2026-05-06 06:53 GMT]

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Pathetic

Lieven Malaise — Wed, 06 May 2026 06:30:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Lieven Malaise
Post title: Pathetic

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:
The low birth rates we are seeing at the moment mean that Western civilisation itself is at risk, so maybe it's time as a society we stopped pushing agendas that are harming us all.[/quote]

Western civilisation is at risk because of the increasing influence of mysogynous, racist, selfish, immoral white thrash in all layers of society, up to and including the White House, with all catastrophic consequences imaginable unfolding before our very eyes.

We've all seen what the "saving of Western civilisation" encompasses: Orban's Hungary, PiS' Poland, Trump's USA and even Putin's Russia: all authoritarian or would-be authoritarian states. And there's not a single reason not to believe that all radical right parties in Europe would try to go in the same direction (Meloni's latest effort in Italy luckily failed).

I prefer an imperfect society full of immigrants, the most diverse genders (what the heck do I care?) and women at the top any f***ing day.

[Bijgewerkt op 2026-05-06 06:33 GMT]

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Female writers and female envy

Gerard Barry — Tue, 05 May 2026 18:01:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Gerard Barry
Post title: Female writers and female envy

[quote]Lingua 5B wrote:

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:

[quote]Lingua 5B wrote:

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:

[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:

According to the site “Women in Translation”: “Due to the stunning gender disparity in non-English language literature, this project will focus on all literature written by women in any language other than English, regardless of the language in which it is read or discussed.” So, despite their name the project focus on female literature authors and not necessarily on female translators.

[url removed]
[/quote]

Not necessarily any better. It's still feminist envy and whinging. Nobody's stopping women from writing literature in languages other than English. [/quote]

Do you know how many sisters Shakespeare had?

From Google:
It is widely believed that William Shakespeare’s sisters (and daughters) did not receive the same formal education as him, reflecting the limited opportunities for women in the Elizabethan era.

///

Maybe you were not aware of the fact that you first have to get some schooling in order to be able to read and eventually write? Women didn’t come to be just yesterday, you know? Literatue and humanity have been around for much longer than that.

Also, refrain yourself from citing examples of old female authors from the past from noble or rich/aristocratic familes that had their bills paid by someone else. Also you don’t need to cite those who were published with the help of their dad’s or husband’s connections, they don’t count either.

[Edited at 2026-05-03 14:25 GMT] [/quote]

Times have changed quite a lot since Shakespeare was around, you know. Nowdays women tend to be better educated than men. Here in Germany I recently heard a statistic that 70% of medical students are female. Not bad for a group of people who - if we were to listen to feminists - are still oppressed victims of the "patriarchy". Other highly paid professions such as law are also now heavily female, especially among the younger cohorts. [/quote]

Yes, but in literary canons all time periods matter ans are counted in, not just the modern times. You can’t just disregard such a large chunk of history or literary creations, influences, formations. Are you aware that these classics are still a part of an official curriculum in most/all schools? And the authors, music composers, poets are in 98% cases men (I already explained why in my initial post). First you are chosen to go to school because you are a man, and then your pieces are pushed into curriculums for the centuries to come so you can influence future generations (hey hey you are a man, so why not!).

Yes, nowadays, at language departments almost 95% of students are females. However, the department head in 95% of cases is a man.

Maybe you should go and check department heads at medical schools in Germany? Here is a quick result from Google:

Professor Dr. Robert Sader is a key leadership figure at the Faculty of Medicine of Goethe University Frankfurt, serving as the Dean for Clinical Student Affairs (since 2010) and Director of the University Dental Institute "Carolinum". He is a professor and director of Oral, Cranio-Maxillofacial and Facial Plastic Surgery…

///

So, maybe let’s have another candy and a scoop of icecream?

In translation companies, most PMs and translation providers are women. But let’s stop for a while and see who the CEOs are in the translation business.

From Google:
Phil Shawe is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of TransPerfect, the world’s largest privately held provider of language and business services. Based in New York City, Shawe co-founded the company in 1992 and now leads its global operations, focusing on artificial intelligence and technology-driven translation solutions

[Edited at 2026-05-04 21:32 GMT] [/quote]

When I was going to school and college, we studied the works of plenty of female writers and poets: Emily Dickinson, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, etc. I honestly don't know if they made up 50% of the writers we studied but who cares? I certainly don't. Just because a group of people is underrepresented in a certain field is by no means proof that they are somehow being discriminated against.

As for heads of medical schools and translation company CEOs: has it ever occurred to you that women are underrepresented here because they aren't interested in such positions or because they don't bring the necessary skills and experience with them? Here in Germany, most mothers only work part-time for instance. Nobody - either male or female - who works part-time can realistically expect to be promoted to a leadership role. And why is it assumed that all women want - or should want - a management position anyway? Management or leadership positions usually mean long hours and greater responsibility. Not everyone wants this. And why should they? And when you think that birth rates are catastrophically low in Western countries and in east Asia, maybe it's actually not such a good idea to be forcing or encouraging women to work more and pursue high-powered careers at the expense of having two or three children. I know you and many other women will consider this idea to be outrageous and "anti-feminist" but I don't care. The low birth rates we are seeing at the moment mean that Western civilisation itself is at risk, so maybe it's time as a society we stopped pushing agendas that are harming us all.

Honestly, this female whinging and envy about such unimportant topics is more than tedious. And as a man who's unnemployed, I really don't give a damn.

If you want to talk about significant differences between the sexes - differences that actually matter - maybe you should consider the fact that, on average, men die several years earlier than women, that they suffer heart attacks at a much higher rate and, most tragically of all, that around 80% of suicide victim are male. I'm not sure if you care about these issues, but if you don't (and it would appear lots of women don't), don't expect me to give two hoots about which gender makes up medical school heads and corporate CEOs.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Transperfect and female CEOs

Samuel Murray — Tue, 05 May 2026 09:20:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: Transperfect and female CEOs

[quote]Lingua 5B wrote:
From Google:
Phil Shawe is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of TransPerfect, the world’s largest privately held provider of language and business services. [/quote]
TransPerfect was founded by two people -- a man and a woman. At some point, 25 years later, the woman sold her 50% share to the man, for around $700 million.

[Edited at 2026-05-05 09:21 GMT]

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Not only at Transperfect

Eva Stoppa — Tue, 05 May 2026 08:32:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Eva Stoppa
Post title: Not only at Transperfect

[quote]Lingua 5B wrote:

So, maybe let’s have another candy and a scoop of icecream?

In translation companies, most PMs and translation providers are women. But let’s stop for a while and see who the CEOs are in the translation business.

From Google:
Phil Shawe is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of TransPerfect, the world’s largest privately held provider of language and business services. Based in New York City, Shawe co-founded the company in 1992 and now leads its global operations, focusing on artificial intelligence and technology-driven translation solutions

[Edited at 2026-05-04 21:32 GMT] [/quote]

And not to forget this very site we are discussing on.

Who is the CEO of this site? A woman?

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Wow! Another word I haven't heard of until now

Eva Stoppa — Tue, 05 May 2026 08:25:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Eva Stoppa
Post title: Wow! Another word I haven't heard of until now

@Samuel Murray, with the expression "not cis men", I learned a new expression this morning. Thank you for this.

[Bearbeitet am 2026-05-05 08:35 GMT]

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Excluding the classics

Samuel Murray — Tue, 05 May 2026 07:31:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: Excluding the classics

[quote]Lingua 5B wrote:
Yes, but in literary canons all time periods matter ans are counted in, not just the modern times. [/quote]
The WIT website actually says that they exclude classics. In fact, their statistics is based on a dataset spanning from 2008 to 2018.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Here’s another candy

Lingua 5B — Mon, 04 May 2026 21:10:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Lingua 5B
Post title: Here’s another candy

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:

[quote]Lingua 5B wrote:

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:

[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:

According to the site “Women in Translation”: “Due to the stunning gender disparity in non-English language literature, this project will focus on all literature written by women in any language other than English, regardless of the language in which it is read or discussed.” So, despite their name the project focus on female literature authors and not necessarily on female translators.

[url removed]
[/quote]

Not necessarily any better. It's still feminist envy and whinging. Nobody's stopping women from writing literature in languages other than English. [/quote]

Do you know how many sisters Shakespeare had?

From Google:
It is widely believed that William Shakespeare’s sisters (and daughters) did not receive the same formal education as him, reflecting the limited opportunities for women in the Elizabethan era.

///

Maybe you were not aware of the fact that you first have to get some schooling in order to be able to read and eventually write? Women didn’t come to be just yesterday, you know? Literatue and humanity have been around for much longer than that.

Also, refrain yourself from citing examples of old female authors from the past from noble or rich/aristocratic familes that had their bills paid by someone else. Also you don’t need to cite those who were published with the help of their dad’s or husband’s connections, they don’t count either.

[Edited at 2026-05-03 14:25 GMT] [/quote]

Times have changed quite a lot since Shakespeare was around, you know. Nowdays women tend to be better educated than men. Here in Germany I recently heard a statistic that 70% of medical students are female. Not bad for a group of people who - if we were to listen to feminists - are still oppressed victims of the "patriarchy". Other highly paid professions such as law are also now heavily female, especially among the younger cohorts. [/quote]

Yes, but in literary canons all time periods matter ans are counted in, not just the modern times. You can’t just disregard such a large chunk of history or literary creations, influences, formations. Are you aware that these classics are still a part of an official curriculum in most/all schools? And the authors, music composers, poets are in 98% cases men (I already explained why in my initial post). First you are chosen to go to school because you are a man, and then your pieces are pushed into curriculums for the centuries to come so you can influence future generations (hey hey you are a man, so why not!).

Yes, nowadays, at language departments almost 95% of students are females. However, the department head in 95% of cases is a man.

Maybe you should go and check department heads at medical schools in Germany? Here is a quick result from Google:

Professor Dr. Robert Sader is a key leadership figure at the Faculty of Medicine of Goethe University Frankfurt, serving as the Dean for Clinical Student Affairs (since 2010) and Director of the University Dental Institute "Carolinum". He is a professor and director of Oral, Cranio-Maxillofacial and Facial Plastic Surgery…

///

So, maybe let’s have another candy and a scoop of icecream?

In translation companies, most PMs and translation providers are women. But let’s stop for a while and see who the CEOs are in the translation business.

From Google:
Phil Shawe is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of TransPerfect, the world’s largest privately held provider of language and business services. Based in New York City, Shawe co-founded the company in 1992 and now leads its global operations, focusing on artificial intelligence and technology-driven translation solutions

[Edited at 2026-05-04 21:32 GMT]

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Women and education

Gerard Barry — Mon, 04 May 2026 17:22:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Gerard Barry
Post title: Women and education

[quote]Lingua 5B wrote:

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:

[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:

According to the site “Women in Translation”: “Due to the stunning gender disparity in non-English language literature, this project will focus on all literature written by women in any language other than English, regardless of the language in which it is read or discussed.” So, despite their name the project focus on female literature authors and not necessarily on female translators.

[url removed]
[/quote]

Not necessarily any better. It's still feminist envy and whinging. Nobody's stopping women from writing literature in languages other than English. [/quote]

Do you know how many sisters Shakespeare had?

From Google:
It is widely believed that William Shakespeare’s sisters (and daughters) did not receive the same formal education as him, reflecting the limited opportunities for women in the Elizabethan era.

///

Maybe you were not aware of the fact that you first have to get some schooling in order to be able to read and eventually write? Women didn’t come to be just yesterday, you know? Literatue and humanity have been around for much longer than that.

Also, refrain yourself from citing examples of old female authors from the past from noble or rich/aristocratic familes that had their bills paid by someone else. Also you don’t need to cite those who were published with the help of their dad’s or husband’s connections, they don’t count either.

[Edited at 2026-05-03 14:25 GMT] [/quote]

Times have changed quite a lot since Shakespeare was around, you know. Nowdays women tend to be better educated than men. Here in Germany I recently heard a statistic that 70% of medical students are female. Not bad for a group of people who - if we were to listen to feminists - are still oppressed victims of the "patriarchy". Other highly paid professions such as law are also now heavily female, especially among the younger cohorts.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | I guess

ipv — Mon, 04 May 2026 08:47:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: ipv
Post title: I guess

[quote]Samuel Murray wrote:
According to their FAQ, they also focus on literature by trans men, trans women, and non-binary authors. I guess they named it "women in translation" because they could not come up with a single term that means all four things which doesn't imply a sexual orientation. [/quote]

I guess they named it "women in translation" because nowdays it can mean whatever the hell we want it to mean... Which proves Gerard's point of pointlessness of the group.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Not just women, though

Samuel Murray — Mon, 04 May 2026 06:47:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: Not just women, though

[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:
According to the site “Women in Translation”: “Due to the stunning gender disparity in non-English language literature, this project will focus on all literature written [u][b]by women[/u][/b] in any language other than English, regardless of the language in which it is read or discussed.” [/quote]
According to their FAQ, they also focus on literature by trans men, trans women, and non-binary authors. I guess they named it "women in translation" because they could not come up with a single term that means all four things which doesn't imply a sexual orientation. There is such a term -- "not cis men" (-: but it wouldn't have been safe to use that.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Chapeau, Jennifer!

P.L.F. Persi (X) — Sun, 03 May 2026 18:39:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: P.L.F. Persi (X)
Post title: Chapeau, Jennifer!

You said it all, well put.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | @Gerard

Jennifer Levey — Sun, 03 May 2026 17:22:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Jennifer Levey
Post title: @Gerard

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote/asked:

Are female translators so rare that you have to form an exclusionary group such as this to defned (sic) your interests? [/quote]

Well, Gerard, if you had a genuine interest in understanding why female translators form groups to defend their shared interests, you'd have done well to apply to join the Proz platform's very own, absolutely non-exclusionary Women in Translation Community when it was launched in August 2024.

Even if you'd only come and sat quietly at the back of the room while your colleagues related their experiences and difficulties as freelancers, translators, mothers, partners in a multi-racial, multi-faith, multi-lingual community of open-minded, courteous, non-judgmental women-folk (and a tiny handful of blokes, too), you'd perhaps have drawn useful comparisons with the often-times distasteful ideological discourse that we see taking over the public forums.

You'd have noted, too (perhaps), that a significant proportion of the Proz Women in Translation community are based in those same countries that are so disparagingly referred to here, on the main Proz forum, as 'the east', all too often accompanied by snide comments about 'non-native (i.e. non GB/US) English', peanut rates, and other unwarranted generalisations. Hmmm... Little wonder, methinks, that that sector of our profession is so greatly under-represented in the public debate here.

You'd (perhaps) have been struck by the willingness of all the women present in the Community to contribute to the professional and social well-being of their peers - not only on matters specific to the work of freelance translation/interpretation, but also with regard to discrimination against minorities, harassment, dealing with social norms affecting insertion in unfamiliar cultures - all that (and more) alongside many of the problems that can affect all freelancers (scam avoidance, low rates, etc.).

You might even have come to understand that it's most certainly NOT about what you refer to as:
[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:
feminist envy and whinging[/quote]
[quote]Gerard Barry also wrote:
Women in translation are about as rare as men in the construction sector.[/quote]
That may well be true, but at the end of the day it's not about mere numbers. It's about the value we place, as individuals, on the profession we share, and our willingness to contribute positively and creatively to the well-being - and ultimately the success - of all our colleagues, whatever their gender.
JL

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Gerard, chill down. Take a candy or ice cream

Lingua 5B — Sun, 03 May 2026 14:21:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Lingua 5B
Post title: Gerard, chill down. Take a candy or ice cream

[quote]Gerard Barry wrote:

[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:

According to the site “Women in Translation”: “Due to the stunning gender disparity in non-English language literature, this project will focus on all literature written by women in any language other than English, regardless of the language in which it is read or discussed.” So, despite their name the project focus on female literature authors and not necessarily on female translators.

[url removed]
[/quote]

Not necessarily any better. It's still feminist envy and whinging. Nobody's stopping women from writing literature in languages other than English. [/quote]

Do you know how many sisters Shakespeare had?

From Google:
It is widely believed that William Shakespeare’s sisters (and daughters) did not receive the same formal education as him, reflecting the limited opportunities for women in the Elizabethan era.

///

Maybe you were not aware of the fact that you first have to get some schooling in order to be able to read and eventually write? Women didn’t come to be just yesterday, you know? Literatue and humanity have been around for much longer than that.

Also, refrain yourself from citing examples of old female authors from the past from noble or rich/aristocratic familes that had their bills paid by someone else. Also you don’t need to cite those who were published with the help of their dad’s or husband’s connections, they don’t count either.

[Edited at 2026-05-03 14:25 GMT]

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Sunday afternoon

Lieven Malaise — Sun, 03 May 2026 14:06:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Lieven Malaise
Post title: Sunday afternoon

It's Sunday afternoon and Gerard is bored. It's almost Monday, Gerard. Hang in there.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | .

Gerard Barry — Sun, 03 May 2026 14:02:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Gerard Barry
Post title: .

[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:

According to the site “Women in Translation”: “Due to the stunning gender disparity in non-English language literature, this project will focus on all literature written by women in any language other than English, regardless of the language in which it is read or discussed.” So, despite their name the project focus on female literature authors and not necessarily on female translators.

[url removed]
[/quote]

Not necessarily any better. It's still feminist envy and whinging. Nobody's stopping women from writing literature in languages other than English.

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | @Gerard

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Sat, 02 May 2026 13:12:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: @Gerard

According to the site “Women in Translation”: “Due to the stunning gender disparity in non-English language literature, this project will focus on all literature written by women in any language other than English, regardless of the language in which it is read or discussed.” So, despite their name the project focus on female literature authors and not necessarily on female translators.

[url removed]

Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature | Women in translation

Gerard Barry — Fri, 01 May 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Women in translation: 5 voices redefining global literature
Poster: Gerard Barry
Post title: Women in translation

Why does this group "Women in translation" exist? Are female translators so rare that you have to form an exclusionary group such as this to defned your interests? Women in translation are about as rare as men in the construction sector.