Overt Misogyny
Overt misogyny is blatant, hostile sexism; it appears as more direct and aggressive. It can appear as harassing behaviour, catcalling, unwanted touching or taking pictures without consent, all of which are harmful yet normalised behaviours. Verbal abuse and sexist behaviour are also common forms of overt misogyny.
Signs of Overt Misogyny
There are many different signs of overt misogyny, such as violence, harassment, catcalling, and threatening language. Overt misogyny starts with both the belief and the treatment of women as inherently “less than”. This leads to dismissing women's competency at work because of their gender, enforcing rigid traditional gender roles professionally or in relationships, and controlling behaviours by dictating a woman's actions, appearance, or personal choices.
Who can experience Overt Misogyny
With misogyny being defined as a hatred or prejudice against women, anyone who identifies as or is perceived as a woman or girl can experience it. Transgender women can experience not only misogyny but also transphobia; this is known as transmisogyny. Women in public-facing roles are also subject to overt misogyny. Due to high-ranking positions and being in the public eye, they face more scrutiny and suffer online abuse. With there being anonymity with social media, and the rise of the manosphere, it has become much easier for people to leave harassing messages online. People with disabilities can also face a unique intersection of both misogyny and ableism, sometimes called ‘double discrimination.’ Those with disabilities may also face vulnerabilities, making them more likely to become victims of abuse. Sometimes, disabled women have their bodily autonomy violated. Some women with intellectual disabilities are forcibly sterilised.
Handling Overt Misogyny Personally
If you notice patterns or thoughts of overt misogyny within yourself, unlearning it can require consistent active interventions. The first is to recognise and address internalised misogyny. This can be done by identifying and correcting the patterns when they appear. When a misogynistic thought occurs, stop, correct it, and replace it with a supportive one. Challenge yourself, your thoughts and your actions. It may be hard, but remind yourself that misogynistic behaviours are learned, not inherited, meaning they can also be unlearned. Do not let the shame of these thoughts immobilise you; instead, learn long-term strategies for change. Seeking out a reputable therapist and building a supportive community can help develop effective coping skills and challenge misogynistic norms.
Handling Overt Misogyny in others
In the moment, if the situation is safe, call it out. By saying ‘that’s offensive’ you can call out to the situation in a non-aggressive manner. You can also address the remarks by asking what they meant by that. Refuse to laugh or smile at the situation; a neutral expression is a simple way of showing disapproval. If the situation is hostile or makes you feel unsafe, remove yourself immediately, and always prioritise your safety. If you witness others facing overt misogyny, ask the person, "Are you okay? I'm sorry that happened," to make them feel less alone in the situation. Lastly, if someone shares their experiences with you, validate their feelings rather than questioning them.
Examples of Overt Misogyny
Violent and Aggressive Behaviour
Physical aggression is very evident with overt misogyny. Sometimes in intimate relationships, it starts off with pushing and shoving. It can escalate to slapping, punching, strangulation and even murder. Verbal abuse is also included as aggressive behaviour. Catcalling or using derogatory slurs should not be normalised.
Victim
Blaming
​This is claiming a person is asking for it because of how they are dressed, behaving or surrounding themselves with. It is never a person's fault for being a victim of abuse. Sometimes, when a person is in an abusive relationship, others ask, “Why didn’t they just leave?” This ignores the complexities of abuse and blames the survivor for staying in an abusive relationship.
Online
Abuse
This is using a screen to anonymously harass, make threats, and use misogynistic slurs at people you know or even strangers around the world. High-profile women, such as politicians or celebrities, are frequently targeted with rape and death threats. They can also face and/or body-shaming, and, with the rise of AI, deepfakes are made of celebrities naked, often in compromising positions
Workplace Discrimination
This can show in many ways, such as demanding sexual favours in exchange for promotions, consistently interrupting women or speaking over them to explain topics that some men don’t believe women are knowledgeable or skilled with. Additionally, stealing or overtaking ideas from women while refusing to give credit is a common example. Sometimes, when a woman is being assertive, derogatory, sexist language such as ‘bitchy,’ ‘emotional,’ and ‘irrational ' is used to label them. Even explaining her behaviour as ‘it must be that time of the month.’
Controlling Behaviour
This is dictating a woman's choices such as clothes, behaviours and the people they surround themselves with. With abuse, isolation is used under the guise of protection. This starts by restricting the freedom of movement, preventing a woman from seeing friends or family, and justifying it by stating that the world is "dangerous" and she needs protection. This can come with exchanging phone passwords if ‘she doesn’t have anything to hide.’ This allows him to have access to her phone and access to start checking her phone, messages, or location, and demanding to know who she is with at all times.
Ideological Beliefs
This is often rooted in traditional and rigid gender roles and beliefs. With the rise of incels, they believe they are entitled to sexual access to women. Women are also portrayed as shallow and manipulative for denying them sex. They also use dehumanising language to describe women, such as ‘femoids,’ which means female humanoids. Cultural upbringing can emphasise and normalise misogyny. With tradwives and patriarchal beliefs, it is the belief that women must be completely submissive to male family members. With these beliefs, it normalises the idea that men have the right to "discipline" women physically for "incorrect" behaviour. This includes the belief that women cannot refuse sex to their husbands.