Replace term 'mother' with ‘parent who has given birth,' Stonewall tells employers
4 June 2021, 11:13
Charity Stonewall has asked employers not to use the term ‘mother’, and instead say ‘parent who has given birth’.
The LGBTQ+ charity has said that the use of “gendered language” will prevent employers being placed on its Workplace Equality Index and that workplaces should remove it if they wish to be featured, according to documents released under Freedom of Information (FOI) requests made by The Telegraph.
They also say that people who identify as female should be able to use female toilets and changing rooms, regardless of the gender they were assigned at birth.
The word “father” is also to be avoided, as part of the push towards gender-neutral language.
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The Workplace Equality Index ranks employers based on how inclusive they are judged to be.
Guidance on Stonewall's website states that, among other things, workplaces should strive towards “the establishment of gender-neutral dress code, all-gender bathrooms and work to explore healthcare coverage for transgender employees”.
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The Ministry of Justice said that it has removed the use of these terms.
The department comes fifth on Stonewall’s equality leaderboard, with the House of Commons, Home Office, MI6 and the Department of International Trade also featuring on the top 100.
It comes as Equality Minister Liz Truss urges the Government to quit Stonewall’s diversity scheme.
