The Ombuds Blog: Washington State May Adopt Use of Gender-Neutral 'Ombuds'

January 30, 2013

Washington State May Adopt Use of Gender-Neutral 'Ombuds'

The Washington State Senate is debating a bill that would replace 'Ombudsman' with 'Ombuds' throughout the state's legislative scheme. Included in the technical revision are replacements for 'foreman,' 'fireman,' 'signalman,' 'journeyman,' and 'freshman. It does not, however, rename the state's Office of the Education Ombudsman. (Sunlight Foundation, WA SB 5077.)

Related posts: Linguist Finds "Ombuds" Usage Shifting Slowly; Former ESPN Ombuds Explains Why She Was Not an “Ombudswoman”; Statute Changes BC "Ombudsman" Into "Ombudsperson"; New Google Tool Shows Dominance of ‘Ombudsman’ Over Variants; Washington State Education Ombuds Faces Budget Cuts.

1 comment:

Anonymous1/31/2013 10:35 AM
How can people keep saying 'ombuds' is not a word?
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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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