> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mzizi.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Inclusive language

> Guidelines for inclusive, respectful language in a pan-African context — geography, economics, gender, terminology, and fields that fit real names.

The ecosystem serves users across Africa — 54 countries, thousands of languages, and no single
representative culture. Language has to be inclusive, respectful and free of assumptions.

## Pan-African context

### Avoid geographic flattening

* Do not treat one country as representative of "Africa".
* Do not assume shared culture, language or economic context.
* Be specific where specificity is the honest answer.

```
Good: "Available in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Kenya"
Bad:  "Available across Africa" — when it is available in three countries

Good: "Popular in Southern Africa"
Bad:  "Popular in Africa"
```

### Economic sensitivity

Do not assume high-speed internet, an expensive device or a credit card.

```
Good: "Works on any device"
Bad:  "Optimised for the latest smartphones"

Good: "Choose a plan that works for you"
Bad:  "Upgrade to premium for the full experience"
```

## Gender

Use gender-neutral language by default. Do not infer gender from a name, a role or a context.

```
Good: "They submitted the form"        Bad: "He submitted the form"
Good: "The developer can configure…"   Bad: "He or she can configure…"
Good: "Sales representative"           Bad: "Salesman"
Good: "Chair" / "Chairperson"          Bad: "Chairman"
```

## Technical terminology

### Exclusionary metaphors

| Instead of            | Use                      |
| --------------------- | ------------------------ |
| master / slave        | primary / replica        |
| whitelist / blacklist | allowlist / blocklist    |
| sanity check          | validation check         |
| dummy value           | placeholder value        |
| man-hours             | person-hours, work hours |
| grandfathered         | legacy, exempt           |

These alternatives are already the convention in the registry codebase — the `ai-safety`
library uses allowlist validation, not the older term.

### Ability

Do not use disability as a metaphor. Describe what the system does, not what the reader
cannot do.

```
Good: "This feature is not available offline"
Bad:  "You are unable to use this feature offline"

Good: "Screen reader compatible"
Bad:  "For blind users"
```

## Names and identity

### Name fields

* Use a **single "Full name" field**. Do not split into first and last.
* African naming conventions vary widely — patronymic names, clan names, single names.
* **Never validate name length.** Some names are one character; some are very long.
* Support Unicode. See [internationalisation](/foundations/internationalization) for why the
  font choice matters here too.

```tsx theme={null}
{/* correct */}
<Field>
  <FieldLabel>Full name</FieldLabel>
  <Input name="fullName" />
</Field>

{/* incorrect — assumes a Western naming convention */}
<Field><FieldLabel>First name</FieldLabel><Input name="firstName" /></Field>
<Field><FieldLabel>Last name</FieldLabel><Input name="lastName" /></Field>
```

### Phone numbers

Support international format with a country code, support the `+` prefix, and do not assume a
default country.

### Addresses

Do not assume street–city–state–postcode. Many African addresses use landmarks, area names or
postal agency addresses. Make the fields flexible rather than rigidly structured.

## Religion and culture

Do not assume religious holidays or observances. Prefer secular references: "end of year"
rather than "the Christmas period".

## Age and experience

Do not infer technical literacy from age. Avoid patronising qualifiers — "simply" and "just"
tell the reader the task is easy, which is unhelpful when it is not going well.

```
Good: "Run the install command"
Bad:  "Simply run the install command"

Good: "Configure the theme provider"
Bad:  "Just add the theme provider"
```

## Review checklist

* [ ] Would this make sense in Lagos, Nairobi, Harare and Cape Town alike?
* [ ] Does it avoid assumptions about gender, religion or economic status?
* [ ] Are technical terms free of exclusionary metaphors?
* [ ] Do name and identity fields accommodate diverse naming conventions?
* [ ] Is the tone respectful rather than patronising?