In the Netherlands, officials have been advised to drop the words "father" and "mother" in favor of inclusive terms

The Dutch Ministry of Education has called on civil servants to rethink official communication by replacing the traditional terms ‘father’ and ‘mother’ with more neutral language. The measure is aimed at supporting inclusive policies and recognizing the diversity of family models in modern society.

According to the Tribune Chrétienne news portal, the guidelines published by the ministry propose to eliminate gender-specific words from state circulation. The authorities emphasize that the goal of the reform is to adapt the official language to current social realities, including taking into account the interests of same-sex families and respecting the principles of family pluralism.

The proposed changes have caused mixed reactions in society. Critics of the initiative claim that the abandonment of the notions of “father” and “mother” affects not only linguistic aspects, but also fundamental notions of parenthood and continuity of life. In their opinion, the replacement of traditional vocabulary with neutral expressions provokes a discussion about the limits of linguistic transformations and their impact on the perception of the institution of the family.