'Paternalism' is associated with men - it contains the latin word for 'father', and means ".. the manner of a father dealing benevolently and often intrusively

'Paternalism' is associated with men - it contains the latin word for 'father', and means ".. the manner of a father dealing benevolently and often intrusively with his children" according to https://www.dictionary.com/browse/paternalism https://www.dictionary.com/browse/paternalism And in this article, it was deliberately chosen for its association with men - it's clearly the wrong word, even without its connotations of gender. Only laws that are meant to prevent you from harming yourself are paternalistic, not from harming others. E.g. banning high-sugar foods, driving without seat-belts, etc. You wouldn't call laws against assault, murder, or theft 'paternalistic', would you?