In a first, India uses ‘she’ and ‘her’ to refer to all genders in a draft data protection bill

For the first time, the Indian government used the pronouns she and her for referring to all genders in the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill. Here’s all you need to know.

Digital Personal Data Protection Bill uses she/her pronouns to empower women

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill focuses on protecting the user’s digital personal data and recognizes their right for protecting their data. On Friday, the Indian government used the pronouns “she” and “her” while referring to persons of all genders in the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022. The bill is put up for public consultations by Ashwini Vaishnav, the Union Minister for Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology. The government is seeking comments and consultation until December 17. 

“With the philosophy (Indian) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government works, we have attempted to use the word ‘she’ and ‘her’ in the entire Bill instead of ‘him’ and ‘his’,” stated Vaishnav. “In this Act, the pronouns “her” and “she” have been used for an individual, irrespective of gender,” states the legislation. Additionally, as per the explanation of the draft, the move is in line with the Indian government’s aim to empower women. 

More on the Indian government’s move

The Personal Data Protection Bill was withdrawn in August 2022 following a joint committee discussion. A minimum of 81 amendments were suggested to the 99-section-long bill. It was first proposed in the lower house in December 2019 after the opposition insisted it violates fundamental rights. The new bill will bring focus and aim at creating a safe and trusted digital space in the nation.

“We have made sure that all the principles of privacy have been laid down by the Honourable Supreme Court in various judgments and based on the experience of various countries. We have included all principles,” confirmed Vaishnav.

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