Nsozi Mwazi
Misogyny is hatred, contempt, or prejudice against women. It is a branch of patriarchy that fuels harmful societal and gender norms, placing women as inferior to men. This leads to women being treated as lesser beings, often exploited, undermined, ignored, disrespected, or ridiculed.
There is a clear link between the rise of independent women who know their rights and the increase in misogyny. Women are targeted on social media and face growing online violence and harassment because of their success, beauty, or morals. Women’s achievements are frequently undermined and linked unfairly to ‘sexual favours,’ which is a form of misogyny.
Cultural practices place men’s opinions and value above women’s, creating power imbalances. A telling example is Namibia’s first female Speaker of the National Assembly, Honourable Dr. Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila. Despite her hard-earned position, she faces disrespect and challenges managing
Parliament, behaviours not experienced by previous male speakers. This shows how deep misogyny runs, with both men and women in Parliament guilty of undermining her authority.
It is vital to have policies addressing misogyny, including how to identify and report it. Many workplace policies mention abuse but lack effective reporting mechanisms, leaving victims with little guidance.
A 2019 study, Violence and Harassment in the World of Work in Namibia, found that 72% of Namibians see sexual harassment as the most serious workplace violence. At least 5% of women, 3% of men, and two out of three transgender people reported being denied jobs or promotions for refusing sexual favours. Additionally, 97% said bosses have the right to insult or shout at them because they pay their salary, despite many understanding their human rights. This shows employees don’t truly know their rights.
At the Combating Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Harassment at the Workplace conference earlier this year, most attendees—ranging from police officers to government and private sector workers—could not define sexual harassment or say if their workplaces had policies against it. Many were shocked to learn how common harassment is. This is a serious concern given Namibia’s high rates of gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual GBV.
Workplaces must do more to protect and educate employees and raise awareness. Policies need to explicitly address misogyny alongside sexual harassment, promoting zero tolerance. Encouragingly, Namibian women are pushing back, suing for defamation, and winning cases.
Former First Lady Monica Geingos and public figure Beata Siteketa (Ms. Betty Davids) are notable examples of establishing zero tolerance for harassment and misogyny.
However, many young women avoid public life due to fear of online abuse. Women must no longer stay silent but seek justice to criminalise misogyny in the long run.
Internalised misogyny is another major issue. It involves women subconsciously projecting sexist ideas onto themselves and others, often manifesting as shame, doubt, mistrust, minimising women’s value, and favouring men. This self-hate perpetuates harmful stereotypes at home, school, work, and society.
Women often don’t know what female leadership should look like and mimic men’s behaviour, often suppressing empathy or dismissing other women’s struggles. For example, some women bosses belittle colleagues who report period pain or undermine pregnant coworkers to avoid appearing weak or favouring their gender.
To truly empower women, workplaces must create supportive environments through policies that oppose internalised misogyny and provide mechanisms to stop it. It is also important to teach men and boys not to perpetuate misogyny.
Social media algorithms worsen misogyny by prioritising engagement over ethics, exposing boys to misogynistic content. The age of perpetrators is decreasing, with 17-year-olds committing hate crimes and 10-year-olds raping children. In some countries, teenage girls are murdered for rejecting advances.
At a recent Attitudinal Research Conference in Johannesburg, experts noted that as some people grow more anti-capitalist, they also become anti-women and anti-gender. This ideology is spread online as education, exemplified by “incel” and “red pill” content promoted by internet personalities like Andrew Tate, who, though popular among boys, preaches misogyny and toxic masculinity.
In South Africa, the top-ranked podcast Podcast and Chill with MacG regularly spreads misogyny. Actress Minnie Dlamini is suing the podcast for ongoing harassment after standing up for fellow actress Amanda du-Pont.
The Netflix series Adolescence highlights the urgency of addressing these issues before they escalate further.
Trans misogyny is the intersection of transphobia and misogyny faced by trans women and trans feminine people. It includes using “transgender” as a slur and discrimination in workplaces and society. Namibian trans activist Mercedez won a 2021 High Court case against police brutality, showing that legal redress is possible, but policies remain essential.
Both cis and trans women suffer from trans misogyny. Successful women, especially Black women, often have their femininity and womanhood questioned and are accused of “not being real women.” This leads to misogynoir, the specific hatred and prejudice against Black women—a mix of racism and sexism.
Misogynoir manifests in harassment, healthcare bias (where Black women’s pain is underestimated), and cultural portrayals in media that oversexualize or subordinate them. These forms often overlap.
Recently appointed Health Minister Dr. Esperance Luvindao faced misogyny online, in Parliament, and in public discourse. Her womanhood was questioned, and accusations of sleeping her way to the top and corruption were spread. Such attacks increase as more women reach CEO and managerial roles.
Athletes Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi faced misogynoir globally when mandated hormone therapy limited their participation in events. Both have not performed at their peak since, showing how lack of protective policies harms Black women. Similarly, South African runner Caster Semenya’s lengthy legal battle stripped her prime athletic years.
It is vital to develop policies that clearly define all forms of misogyny, including internalised, trans, and racialised, and provide clear steps to identify, report, and respond. These policies should include consequences for perpetrators and support for victims.
Everyone must be trained on these policies to ensure a safe, inclusive work environment. Anti-misogyny policies can be integrated into anti-sexual harassment frameworks and should extend online.
By standing up against one woman’s abuse, we stand up for all women. As Ms. Monica Geingos said, “Next time you see a woman going through crude abuse, remember: it’s not about her alone; it’s about what society thinks of women’s place. Challenge it.”
To live in a pro-women society, misogyny must be criminalised, challenged, and confronted with strong policies, legislation, and education.
Let us end the War on Women.
*Nsozi Mwazi is a feminist advocate and the policy and advocacy officer at Regain Trust. She began activism at 15, working with adolescent girls with visual and hearing impairments. She founded the Slut Shame Walk and the Slut Shame Movement in Windhoek to end sexual violence and empower girls and young women. The views expressed here are her own, not those of her employer.
