Misogyny Is Oppression, Misandry the Response
Addressing the problematic language of patriarchy
"The work of a dictionary is more than just adding new words. It’s an ongoing effort to ensure that how we define words reflects changes in language — and life."
“Manhater!” cried one. “Misandrist!” yelled another. “Sexist bitch!” not far behind.
These were some of the responses to my comments on a thread about domestic violence deaths in Australia after a week when there had been three in quick succession. Naturally, in the wake of so much horror, social media was brimming with discussions about women and children dying “by violence”, as though violence is a thing that hides in a cupboard ready to jump out and stab us to death at any moment.
But violence isn’t a thing capable of holding a knife. It cannot throw a punch. It cannot light a match. Violence is not a tangible thing that can be held accountable, and we really need accountability.
My call — with a view to a more constructive conversation — was to move away from abstract language and name the thing most likely to kill a woman violently. And, as we know the world over, the thing most likely to kill a woman, is a man.
