The Politics of Gendered Insults

• VITALIO ANGULA“A GENDERED INSULT is any word or phrase which is disproportionately applied to a member of a particular gender and which generally bears some connection to societal expectations or norms placed upon that gender.”

Affirmative Repositioning member and candidate legal practitioner Kavetu Maitjituavi often reiterates that they “are not in the business of nursing people’s feelings” when their leaders are called out for sexist remarks and disparaging comments towards female opponents when disputes arise.

Their leader, who is being sued for defamation by female parliamentarian Maureen Hinda, nonchalantly charged that Hinda is spiteful because he ignored her alleged romantic advances when still a member of the Swapo Party Youth League.

The sexist overtone in this remark reflects a broader misogynist culture embedded in a patriarchal society whereby “women continue to be the primary targets of insults based on sexual promiscuity and physical unattractiveness”.

Eliza Scruton, in her essay titled ‘Gendered Insults in the Semantics-Pragmatics Interface’, says: “Women are more likely to be derogated on the basis of physical unattractiveness or sexual promiscuity, whereas men are more likely to be derogated on the basis of attributed homosexuality, weakness or sexual inadequacy”.

Hinasha Mbudje summarised this in a Facebook post. She noted that “when women take a stance or position on something that a man in authority disagrees with, they are usually labelled as ‘promiscuous’, ‘barren’, ‘angry’, ‘materialistic’, etc”.

Crimen injuria – the intentional harm to the dignity of another person – is a criminal offence punishable with a prison term.

Public figures, regardless of their social standing, are guaranteed equal protection in law like other citizens.

SLURS AND SBGV

In the case of the State versus Govender delivered on 19 May 2022 (heard before judge Liebenberg and judge January), Thurupallan Govender was charged with crimen injuria, read together with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act 4 of 2002, “in that he called the complainant (whom he had previously been romantically involved with) a ‘bitch’.

“He had also been previously convicted and sentenced on 12 April 2018 to a fine of N$2 000 or six months’ imprisonment for calling the complainant a ‘bitch’, insulting her with her mother’s ‘vagina’ and even called her a ‘witch’.”

We can all agree that these types of insults are disproportionately directed atwomen who continue to be discriminated against on the basis of their gender.

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) within the Namibian context is an umbrella term that encompasses domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment at work and at school, some forms of human trafficking, forced prostitution and early marriages.

It should not be seen as a stretch if gendered insults and gendered slurs are added to the category of SGBV, given that in many cases verbal confrontation is likely to escalate to physical confrontation. Insults by their very nature are violent any way.

Similar to slurs, gendered insults are harmful because they enforce and reinforce harmful stereotypes.

Within rural communities where justice is swift, gendered insults are quickly punished. However, in urban centres where justice is slow and costly, complainants prefer not to seek relief from the courts, and this is a matter that needs to be seriously addressed.

THE FIRST LADY

Last Friday, first lady Monica Geingos succeeded in a civil suit against a politician, Abed Hishoono, who made disparaging remarks about her in a widely circulated social media post.

Geingos sued Hishoono for defamation and making false allegations.

She was awarded damages of N$250 000.

Although this is not the first such case to be heard in the High Court, it sends a message to society that gendered insults cannot and should not be tolerated in a country where the right to dignity for all citizens is enshrined in its Constitution.

Women’s emancipation seeks to remove gender discrimination from laws, institutions and behavioural patterns.

But before we can remove gender discrimination in practice, it is essential that behavioural patterns that reinforce this type of discrimination are addressed.

In this regard, the first lady, as a vocal champion of women’s rights, took a step in the right direction.

Although costly and time-consuming, this case has the potential to help change the status quo where women are often denigrated, attacked, humiliated and insulted on the basis of their gender alone.

* Vitalio Angula is a socio-political commentator and independent columnist.

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