Kwasi Kwarteng, the Business Secretary, is understood to have already rejected the idea because it would require a vote in the House of Commons.

A source close to Mr Kwarteng said: “It requires primary legislation and we have more pressing issues, like supporting businesses through the pandemic and a war on European soil. The priorities here are all mixed up.”

The calls are backed by Make UK, a group that represents British manufacturing companies, and the Institute of Directors (IoD), which represents company directors.

Both the BCC and Make UK have adopted the non-gendered title “chair” for their chairman roles.

Dame Judith Hackitt, the chairman of Make UK, said that removing references to chairmen would be “small, but positive and highly symbolic”.

She said: “This is a welcome and long overdue change which is easy to make and which I hope all businesses across the UK will support. Despite progress in recent years, it remains the case that women are under-represented in the most senior roles across companies.”

Neither a ‘silver bullet’ nor a ‘trivial move’

Jonathan Geldart, the director general of the IoD, said that although the move was not a “silver bullet”, he did not think it was “trivial” either.

He said: “The importance of language should not be underestimated. By taking this small step, the Government can ensure that gender neutrality is instilled in new business ventures at their inception.”

Data show that as of last month, just 39 per cent of people on FTSE 100 company boards are women, up from 36 per cent in 2020. 

There are just 16 female chairmen in the FTSE 100, and 32 in the FTSE 250.

A spokesman from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “We wholeheartedly support increasing the diversity of business leaders and championing women in business. Companies already have the flexibility to craft their own articles, and to amend their articles as they see fit.”