The 海角视频鈥檚 largest business groups have come together to call on the Government to stop using the word 鈥榗hairman鈥, saying it is outdated.
The CBI, the British Chambers of Commerce, Make 海角视频 and the Institute of Directors have all signed the open letter calling for the change. All 53 accredited Chambers of Commerce that are part of the BCC network have also signed up.
Though most companies now use the more neutral word 鈥榗hair鈥, Companies House still has 鈥榗hairman鈥 as its default.
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The business groups say this could be changed in upcoming business legislation and would encourage who still use 鈥榗hairman鈥 to follow suit.
Sarah Howard, chair of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: 鈥淢ore needs to be done to help the young girls and women of today achieve their ambitions. Research from the FTSE Women Leaders Review 2022 reveals just 8% of FTSE 100 CEOs are women and only 13.7% of executive directorships.
鈥淐urrently Companies House still uses the word 鈥榗hairman鈥 in its model articles of association and has done for many years, meaning it has been used by thousands of businesses across the country when they are set up.
鈥淲hile businesses can change it themselves, many are under the impression that it is a requirement of Companies House. Language matters. Just as 鈥榩oliceman鈥 and 鈥榝ireman鈥 have been replaced with more inclusive terms, so too should 鈥榗hairman鈥 be consigned to the history books.鈥
Dame Judith Hackitt, chair of Make 海角视频, said: 鈥淭his is a welcome and long overdue change which is easy to make and which I hope all businesses across the 海角视频 will support. Despite progress in recent years, it remains the case that women are under-represented in the most senior roles across companies.
鈥淭his is a small, but positive and highly symbolic change that I hope Government will back.鈥
Jonathan Geldart, director general of the Institute of Directors, said: 鈥淲hilst significant strides forward have been made on improving gender balance in board and leadership positions, we must continue to strive for greater representation by women.
鈥淐learly changing Companies House鈥檚 model articles is no silver bullet, but neither is it trivial. The importance of language should not be underestimated. By taking this small step, the Government can ensure that gender neutrality is instilled in new business ventures at their inception.鈥
