When I look back on the challenges I’ve had to overcome and am still facing, many people may be surprised to learn that it isn’t racism that has had the most negative impact on my life, but misogyny.
There is a law against racism – so there are consequences. But misogyny – the dislike of, contempt for or ingrained prejudice against women – is rife in probably almost every culture.
Even in Britain – one of the most civilised nations in the world for human rights, education and civil liberties – misogyny is not defined as a hate crime.
As a South Asian woman, I have talked openly about the misogyny I’ve experienced and witnessed , from forced marriages and domestic violence to Eve teasing – explained as “a euphemism used in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan for public sexual harassment, street harassment or molestation of women by men”.
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There have been many times over the last 30 years when I have felt a lone voice calling out misogyny in the Asian culture I was brought up in.
But now technology has given Asian women a social media platform from where to speak up, and name and shame practices that rob them of their human rights and civil liberties.
Groups such as The Indian Feminist, F*** Patriarchy and others are teaching men and women about misogyny, and how to effect change.
But it’s not just a South Asian problem, as we saw this week with the despicable article in the Mail on Sunday about Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner.
It claimed that, according to an unnamed Conservative MP, she “crossed and uncrossed her legs during Prime Minister’s Questions to distract Boris Johnson” as Sharon Stone did in the film Basic Instinct.
The article then went on to talk about her background, after which Angela said: “The potted biography is given – my comprehensive education, my experience as a care worker, my family, my class, my background. The implication is clear. But it is the PM who is dragging the Conservative Party into the sewer – and the anonymous Tory MPs doing his bidding are complicit. He and his cheerleaders clearly have a big problem with women in public life.”
A male conservative MP, too cowardly to be named, goes to a male reporter, who writes a story dripping in misogyny.
His male editor sees nothing wrong in publishing degrading, sexist and offensive slurs on one of our leading female politicians.
Angela is no shrinking violet, but no matter how strong you are, it does affect you. And clearly it affected her as she wore a trouser suit on ITV ’s Lorraine, saying: “I wanted to be defiant, I don’t think women should be told how to dress... but I didn’t want to distract from the fact that it’s not about my legs.”
That's what misogyny does – it forces a woman to cover up to be taken seriously. It’s way past time it was made a hate crime.
