MALE pronouns could be replaced with gender neutral ones in Staffordshire County Council’s constitution to make it more inclusive.
A committee chairman would be known as a chairperson, while references to “him” and “himself” would be replaced with “them” and “themselves” if the recommendations put forward in a recent review are approved.
A report was presented to the county council’s audit and standards committee this week which detailed a number of proposed amendments including changes of wording and updates.
The requested changes are now set to be considered at the next full council meeting on 13th March.
The report said “updates to language” had been suggested “to ensure gender inclusivity”. It added:
“The Staffordshire County Council constitution sets out how the council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people.
“Some of these processes are required by the law, while others are a matter for the council to choose. The constitution is divided into sections which explain how the council makes its decisions by outlining how the different parts of the council work and the basic rules governing the council’s business.
“At the audit and standards committee meeting held on 24th September it was agreed that a full review of the constitution would be undertaken. A working group comprising of members of the committee was formed to support this process and ensure that members’ views and suggestions were captured.
“Over the past few months, officers have been working to ensure that the constitution remains up to date and brought forward suggestions for amendments to be made. The members of the working group were supportive of the changes suggested.”
