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The Bank of England's deputy governor has apologised for saying the UK economy is getting into a "menopausal" period.
Ben Broadbent used the phrase in an interview with the Daily Telegraph to explain economies that had been, in his phrases, "previous their peak, and now not so potent".
Later he stated he was sorry for the "poor selection of language" and any "offence brought about".
He stated productiveness affected "each considered one of us, of all ages and genders".
But his feedback sparked a backlash.
Sarah Smith, professor of economics at Bristol University, advised the BBC they had been "not helpful".
"To be trustworthy if you are going to make an analogy it might assist if it had been significant one.
"It's not helpful and conveys a moderately derogatory view of ladies. I've by no means considered the menopause as not productive."
TUC basic secretary Frances O'Grady stated: "This sort of language is completely inappropriate. There's no have to resort to lazy, s3xist feedback to explain issues within the economy."
Mr Broadbent sits on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which has been criticised for having just one feminine member on its nine-strong board.
The economist can be considered to amongst a variety of potential successors to the Bank's governor, Mark Carney.
In his interview, Mr Broadbent in contrast a latest slowdown in UK productiveness to a comparable lull on the finish of the 1800s, which has been described as a "climacteric" interval.
The time period, which is borrowed from biology and is used for each s3xes, means "you've got handed your productive peak", the deputy governor stated.
He advised that the UK could also be seeing a "pause" between two technological leaps aheadakin to at least one skilled by late-Victorian industrialists from steam to electrical energy.
However, he stated the economy could possibly be awaiting its subsequent huge breakthrough, presumably as a results of Artificial Intelligence.
Mr Broadbent later harassed that his use of the phrase menopausal had solely utilized to the 19th Century.
The Bank's perspective in direction of girls has been questioned prior to now.
In 2013 the Bank introduced a plan to part out £5 notes that includes social reformer Elizabeth Fry, with out plans to place a lady on some other bank notes.
After stress from campaigners the Bank introduced it might make Jane Austen the face of the brand new £10 observe.