Gender Empowerment through legislation: Extend the concept, or extend the characteristics of hate crime?

Abstract

A chapter describing an interactive activity in a handbook for creating a gender sensitive curriculum.
The chapter describes an activity that began with a short PowerPoint presentation (see resources in handbook) using current England and Wales Law Commission Proposals on Hate Crime. The aim was to consider that including ‘misogyny’ in ‘hate crime’ legislation, as many advocates argue, would be to extend the concept of this legislation since this is currently based upon an identifiable characteristic of the victim.

Misogyny is not a characteristic of the victim, but an internal ‘attribute’ of the perpetrator. However, including ‘gender’ would serve to deal with misogyny in the same way that we do not make ‘homophobia’ illegal, we protect the characteristics of sexual orientation. Gender would also provide wider protection, inclusivity and empowerment since it includes those who see themselves as ‘agendered’, and indeed all sexes and genders. However, this presentation and session focused upon gendered violence against females, mainly because of the interest in including ‘misogyny’ or gender in the legislation. Following the presentation, students have the opportunity to ask questions, clarify concepts, legislative issues, and recount their own experiences in a safe environment.

The activity then moved to group work to consider the most effective way(s) of providing protection against gendered violence, and indeed whether this is seen as empowerment. Students provide feed back to the group, with their suggestions on A3 sheets, displayed around the room.