In a bid to promote inclusivity, Somerset Council has come under fire for its decision to replace the term “new and expectant mothers” with “new and expectant parents” in its pregnancy and maternity leave policy. The move, aimed at accommodating all employees who are pregnant, have given birth in the last 6 months, and those who are breastfeeding, including transgender and non-binary individuals, has drawn criticism from feminist campaigners who argue that only biological women can give birth and breastfeed.
The alterations were made by the council’s HR committee, with the intention of ensuring that the policy is truly inclusive, but it has stirred controversy. The New and Expected Parents Policy now incorporates the word “parent” 16 times, while the term “mother” is entirely absent.
For instance, the policy now states that it is the council’s responsibility to “provide a place for pregnant and breastfeeding parents to rest or, where practicable, provide a private room for nursing parents to express and store breast milk.” This change has sparked backlash from various women’s rights groups.
Claire Loneragan, from the Women’s Rights Network campaign group, voiced her concerns, stating, “Replacing the word ‘mother’ with ‘parent’ is not neutral. It changes the scope of the policy to include men. But men, whether new parents or not, will never need the ‘place for pregnant and breastfeeding parents to rest’ that Somerset County Council will provide. It is not inclusive to remove the words ‘mother’ and ‘woman’ from a policy that relates entirely to pregnancy, breastfeeding, and the challenges that new and expectant mothers face. It writes women out of our own life experiences.”
The decision by Somerset Council was made public by Milli Hill, a writer and founder of the Positive Birth Movement, who questioned the council’s inclusivity argument. She emphasized that the policy exclusively covers pregnancy and maternity leave, intended solely for women. She questioned, “How is it inclusive to erase the word ‘mother’ from this policy completely?”
In response to the controversy, a spokesperson for Somerset Council stated, “Somerset Council is an inclusive organization. The move to gender-neutral language in our policies highlights our commitment to inclusivity. It does not exclude women; it simply ensures that no staff, for whom this and other policies may be applicable, are excluded.”
The council’s decision to replace the term “mother” with “parents” has ignited a debate surrounding the balance between inclusivity and the preservation of the language and policies that reflect the unique experiences of expectant and new mothers. The controversy over the use of gender-neutral language in such policies is likely to continue to be a topic of discussion in the coming days.
