We have come far when it comes to not only acknowledging the need for a more feminist translation approach in our work. Moreover, more and more authors and researchers are now creating guidelines and materials on the topic. This said, I want to present you a comprehensive guide to understanding and implementing feminist translation approaches in modern practice.
What is Feminist Translation?
Feminist translation is a methodological approach that focuses on criticising and transforming patriarchal language through the translation process. It goes beyond mere linguistic transfer to address gender consciousness and ideologies in creating inclusive, empowering translations.
As we will see in this article, there are different ways to implementing feminist translation. They are all valid, depending on what we wish to achieve, what the end client’s intentions are, the purpose of the translation, and the platform where it will be published.
Core Theories and Types
1. Interventionist Approaches
In his article “Feminist translation and paratextual mediation: the case of Shaarawi’s and Khalidi’s memoirs in English”, Mohammed Al-Batineh explains that “Feminist translation has been described by von Flotow (1991) as ideological ‘correcting’ the text”.
With this purpose, the Canadian author proposes four main strategies to address the need for a change in the discourse to fight sexism, which are the following:
- Supplementing: Compensating for differences between languages by expanding target text to include feminist context
- Prefacing and Footnoting: Adding explanatory materials to highlight gender-related translation choices
- Hijacking: Deliberately transforming texts to challenge patriarchal language
These strategies can be combined along the translation depending on a series of circumstances and objectives, as we mentioned earlier, or we can select just one, but in that case, it is important to be consistent.
2. Cultural Translation Theory
Here we have a concept that appears as a result of addressing two different fields. While anthropologists explain it as “describing for members of one cultural community how members of another interpret the world and their place in it”, “In cultural studies, it usually refers to the different forms of negotiation that people engage in when they are displaced from one cultural community into another, or it refers to the displacement itself”.
When we discuss cultural translation theory, we then focus on cultural context and power dynamics while addressing gender representation across different cultural frameworks and emphasising the role of women translators in shaping cultural narratives.
3. Linguistic Transformation
As society evolves, so does language. Said changes, and this is why some clients and some fellow linguists may oppose to the feminist theory approach, challenge traditional grammatical structures. When implementing gender-inclusive language, we then create new linguistic forms to express feminist concepts that would, otherwise, keep repeating the same traditional and often men-centred perspective.
Practical Applications and Examples
1. Text Intervention Techniques
When we implement the feminist theory into our work, we are replacing generic masculine pronouns with inclusive alternatives. Also, we add a feminist context through strategic word choice and, with this, we highlight the voices of women and other minoritised groups in translated texts.
2. Cultural Adaptation Strategies
It is key, when using a feminist approach, to consider cultural differences as well, because not two cultures address the issue in the same way. We need to, therefore, maintain cultural sensitivity while promoting gender equality, adapt idioms and expressions to remove gender bias and preserve situations authentically experienced by women and other groups in translation to fight sexism through our work.
3. Professional Implementation
As part of our work, it is highly useful and recommended creating style guides for our feminist translation projects, as well as to share with other colleagues and, why not, clients. In the same line, to promote feminist translation, we can develop glossaries of gender-inclusive terminology and establishing quality control processes.
Best Practices for Feminist Translation
1. Research and Preparation
As we already do in our professional work, and before implementing any of the feminist translation theories mentioned above, it is mandatory to study the source text context thoroughly. This is done to identify potential gender-related challenges and decide which translation methodologies we can apply. If needed, do additional research.
2. Translation Process
As mentioned above, we can decide which feminist translation strategies we can apply, and if we want to use more than one, but we need to do it consistently. When opting for adding footnotes and comments, for example, we can complete the work on the usual CAT tools, and then use secure online text editors, like Google Docs, to make sure that everything is tracked. We can then proceed to document our translation choices and rationale, and use our notes to justify our options. We can also maintain dialogue with clients about which feminist approaches we have opted for and which ones they would like us to use.
3. Quality Assurance
Before delivering our work, it is highly important to review it, not only to make sure that there are no grammatical, linguistic or structural mistakes but also to search for gender biased elements. This way, we can ensure consistency in the feminist terminology we used and validate cultural appropriateness.
Benefits of Feminist Translation
Among the benefits of choosing a feminist translation approach, we can mention many, like promoting gender equality in language, challenging traditional power structures, creating more inclusive communication, preserving women’s voices across languages and progressing in social justice through our translations.
Challenges and Solutions
Common Challenges:
Just like in any field in life, opting for a feminist translation approach is not as easy as it seems. We often encounter resistance to non-traditional translation approaches from colleagues and potential clients. At the same time, we need to balance faithfulness to source text with feminist objectives and managing client expectations.
Solutions:
But we also have some solutions, and these are just of them:
- Promoting a clear communication about feminist translation methodology to combat criticism
- Documenting and debating our translation choices to raise awareness
- Educating others about the importance of inclusive language
Conclusion
Feminist translation theories offer valuable tools to create more inclusive and equitable translations that actually reflect realities of women and other minoritised groups. By understanding and applying these approaches, we, as translators, can contribute to positive social change while maintaining professional standards and translation quality.
For more information on feminist translation theories, check my course on Translation, Pinkwashing and Feminism in collaboration with TranslaStars.
Bibliography:
- Al-Batineh, Mohammed & Al-Issa, Muna. (2024). Feminist translation and paratextual mediation: the case of Shaarawi’s and Khalidi’s memoirs in English. Cogent Arts & Humanities. 11. 10.1080/23311983.2024.2417468.
- von Flotow, Luise. (1991). Feminist Translation: Contexts, Practices and Theories. TTR : traduction, terminologie, rédaction. 4. 10.7202/037094ar.
- Conway (ed.) (no date) Conway: Cultural Translation, Handbook of Translation Studies Online. Link: https://benjamins.com/online/hts/articles/cul2?srsltid=AfmBOoowO4bu5ae6tnMJ6NZm8YkQFbygOLJWTIypgwbb-IW_rHte0Ex0.
