In a bid to become more gender inclusive, several universities in Australia are ditching “gender-specific” words they claim could be perceived as discriminatory, such as “housewife” and “mankind.”

Students who continue to use the blacklisted words could be penalized with the loss of marks or even the failure of a course, according to news.com.au.

Jill Downie, deputy vice-chancellor of Curtin University in Perth, told the news publication that the university’s “inclusive language procedures” was designed to help staff and students speak and write in an inclusive manner.

“The Student Charter and the Staff Code of Conduct set out the behavioral expectations in relation to students and staff, including a requirement to avoid behaviors which constitute discrimination and harassment,” she said. “Where a member of the university community acts contrary to our expectations, there are clear processes to provide educative and/or other actions to address the issue.”

A student who violates this policy by using language deemed discriminatory in coursework of tests could result in a failing grade, Downie said.

“Whilst it is possible that a student may fail an assessment or be subject to actions under the student charter or misconduct provisions, our preference would be to work with students to educate them on the use of inclusive language and this would be typically handled in the feedback provided to learners,” Downie added.

CQUniversity offers their school community a list of gender neutral alternatives for common words like “man,” which they say could…

Religious antagonism saw its biggest surge in over a decade in 2016, with the world’s two biggest faith groups—Christians and Muslims—ranking as the top victims of political restrictions and social hostility, according to a new Pew Research Center report analyzing religious freedom in 198 countries and territories.

Christians reported incidents of harassment in more places worldwide than any other tradition: 144 countries in 2016, compared to 128 countries in 2015 and 108 in 2014. Incidents include discrimination, verbal assault, physical attacks, arrests, and the destruction of religious sites.

Islam, the world’s second largest religion, is close behind Christianity: Muslims suffered harassment in 142 countries in 2016, up from 125 in 2015 and 100 in 2014.

The Pew report comes just weeks after the US State Department reviewed an annual assessment of religious freedom across the globe.

“The state of religious freedom is dire,” said Sam Brownback, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, last month. “We have work to do. We must move religious freedom forward—we must defend it in every corner of the globe.”

Religious restrictions ramping up

Pew’s overall findings correlate with Brownback’s disappointment: Religious repression is pervasive and rising.

“When combining measures of government restrictions and social hostilities, more than…

With nationwide marijuana legalization in Canada on the horizon, the industry is shaping up differently there than the way it was established in nine U.S. states that have similarly broad legalization. Age limits, government involvement in distribution and sales, and access to banking are some big discrepancies.

And, yes, Canadians will be able to order cannabis online and have it delivered through the mail — something that’s illegal in the United States.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday that marijuana will be legal in Canada on Oct. 17. In the meantime, its provinces and cities are working out issues concerning regulations.

Here’s what to expect:

GOVERNMENT-RUN STORES

It’s up to the provinces and territories to determine how to handle distribution, and they’re taking a variety of approaches.

Ontario plans to open up to 150 stores run by its Liquor Control Board — a model of public ownership that is unusual in the U.S. No state owns marijuana retail outlets, though the tiny Washington state town of North Bonneville has one city-owned pot shop.

British Columbia is planning for a mix of public and privately owned stores, while Newfoundland and Saskatchewan will have only private pot shops. In some remote areas where stand-alone marijuana stores might not be economically feasible, including in the Northwest Territories, cannabis could be sold at existing liquor stores.

Just like U.S. states, the provinces also differ on home-growing, with many allowing up to four plants and others, including Quebec, barring it.

And rather than a minimum age of 21, as U.S….