The Nursing and Midwifery Board has been slammed for trying to remove the word 'woman' from their code of conduct.

The board had proposed replacing the word 'woman' with 'person' so as not to offend females who identify as men, but that idea 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.

A spokesperson for the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and AHPRA said:

'There was support for the use of both 'woman-centered' and 'person-centered' in the feedback on the Code of conduct for midwives.

Overall the feedback from the midwifery profession and key midwifery stakeholders, including the College of Midwives, strongly supported the use of the term 'woman' to describe the interaction between a midwife and the person receiving care.

'The feedback covered that "woman-centred" is a term well understood by midwives and women are at the centre of midwifery care.

'The definition of the term "woman" is very broad and refers to all individuals who have entered into a professional relationship with a midwife.

'"Woman" is inclusive of the woman’s baby, partner and family.

'Based on the consultation feedback, the NMBA decided to continue with the term "woman-centred care" in the new Code of conduct for midwives, which comes in to effect in 2018.'