Document Portal -- Government of Kerala

‘Chairman’ Now ‘Chairperson’ – A Progression Towards Gender Neutrality

To promote gender neutrality in administration and official communication, the government has issued an order to replace the term ‘Chairman’ with ‘Chairperson’. The circular, issued by the Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department (Official Language), reflects a forward-thinking approach in ensuring social justice.

The aim is to eliminate gender-based terms from government records and titles. While some institutions like the Women’s Commission and Youth Commission already use ‘Chairperson’, many older commissions and departments continued to use ‘Chairman’. The new order seeks to bring consistency by adopting a single, gender-neutral term across all departments and levels.

Going forward, ‘Chairperson’ must be used in all official documents and designations instead of ‘Chairman’. This change is intended to support gender equality within the administrative system.

Additionally, old name boards displaying the term ‘Chairman’ should be removed and replaced with updated boards reflecting the new, inclusive terminology.

This decision follows the recommendation of the Language Guidance Expert Committee, which was accepted by the Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department.

More than just a change in wording, this move is expected to raise awareness about gender equality and help reduce gender bias in language. It marks another step toward building a more inclusive and gender-equal Kerala.

The full version of the circular is available here: https://document.kerala.gov.in/documents/circulars/circular0107202514:38:42.pdf

02-07-2025