- The Nursing and Midwifery Board made moves to replace ‘woman’ with ‘person’
- The drafted changes to new code of conduct met with backlash from midwives
- Experts complained, as they say retaining the term ‘female-centred’ is important
- The Board responded to feedback by keeping ‘person-centred’ for nursing only
The Nursing and Midwifery Board has been slammed for trying to remove the word ‘woman’ from their code of conduct.
A proposal to replace ‘woman’ with ‘person’ so as not to offend females who identify as men was shot down when complaints flowed in from around Australia.
The new Code of Conduct for Midwives, due to come into effect from March 1 2018 will now retain the phrase ‘woman-centred’.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board has been slammed for trying to remove the word ‘woman’ from their code of conduct (pictured is a stock image)
Australian College of Midwives spokeswoman Sarah Stewart said it was important to protect women’s identity.
‘Once we start moving down the road of talking about women as persons, we lose women’s identity – fundamental essence,’ she told The Advertiser.
Ms Stewart said although there were ‘individual instances’ of females who identify as men, the vast majority of people cared for by midwives are women.
A proposal to replace ‘woman’ with ‘person’ so as not to offend females who identify as men was shot down when complaints flowed in from around Australia (pictured is a stock image)
Dr Caroline Homer, from Sydney University of Technology’s Centre for Midwifery added her voice to those of midwives, professors and academics.
‘Person-centred care also removes the woman from the central role in her child-bearing experience and renders her invisible,’ read her submission to the Board.
University of South Australia midwifery professor Mary Steen agreed, saying ‘midwife means woman’ and applauding the Board’s decision not retain the term.
The Board eventually decided against replacing ‘woman’ with ‘person’, although the Code of Conduct for Nursing now uses ‘person-centred’.
The proposed changes were intended to recognise not only the person receiving care but also their family members, the Board said in a statement.
Daily Mail Australia contacted the Nursing and Midwifery Board for comment.