What the people of Oxfam are up to when they're not sexually molesting the beneficiaries of their largess — oops! Can't say "people"

Oxfam, an organization best known for its sexual exploitation of women in countries they are “saving”, has found the time to correct the lexicon .

The official advice from the charity – founded in Oxford in 1942 to relieve famine worldwide – attempts to revolutionise its staff's language across a wide range of fields. 

But first, it had to apologize.

“We recognise that this guide has its origin in English, the language of a colonising nation. We acknowledge the Anglo-supremacy of the sector as part of its coloniality.

'This guide aims to support people who have to work and communicate in the English language as part of this colonial legacy. However, we recognise that the dominance of English is one of the key issues that must be addressed in order to decolonise our ways of working and shift power.”

That out of the way, the 92-page report warns against 'colonial' phrases such as 'headquarters', as it 'implies a colonial power dynamic'; and also 'aid sector', which 'cements ideology where an agent with resources gives support on a charitable basis'; and 'field trip' because it can 'reinforce colonial attitudes'.

Workers are told 'parent' is often preferable to 'mother' or 'father', terms such as 'feminine hygiene' should be dropped, and 'people who become pregnant' should be used instead of 'expectant mothers'.

They now proudly proclaim that they stand for nothing and no one.

Released on Monday, the Oxfam publication tells staff not to say they 'stand with' people they support because it 'potentially alienates people unable to stand'. Even 'people' is a suspect word, as it 'is often misunderstood as only referring to men'.