Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Promotes Gender Neutrality with 'Human-Days' Terminology

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw adopts 'human-days' terminology, replacing 'man-days,' to promote gender inclusivity in a Cabinet presentation. This change aligns with PM Narendra Modi's broader initiative for gender neutrality in policies and language across India.

In a significant move towards gender neutrality, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has replaced the term 'man-days' with 'human-days' in a presentation on Cabinet decisions. While briefing the media on the new Manmad-Indore railway line, Vaishnaw used the more inclusive term to describe the potential employment generation capacity, underscoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to gender inclusivity.

This linguistic shift aligns with Prime Minister Modi's commitment to gender inclusivity and follows an earlier decision to use gender-neutral pronouns like 'her' and 'she' in the draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) law. The DPDP Act, tabled by Vaishnaw as IT Minister, explicitly mentions these pronouns. The introduction of 'human-days' is part of a broader initiative to embed gender inclusivity across all sectors under Modi's leadership.

Gender neutrality is the idea that policies, language, and social institutions should not distinguish roles based on sex or gender. Some laws in India that are considered gender-neutral include the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, which recognizes the rights of transgender people and prohibits discrimination in education, jobs, and healthcare services.

Articles 14 to 18 of the Constitution of India provide the right to equality for all citizens. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)