Forms of Direct Linguistic Violence against Women in Secondary Schools in Tanzania: A Case of Dar Es Salaam Region

Abstract

The present study sought to make a descriptive account of how forms language use is violence against young women. It specifically sought to identify various forms of linguistics violence against women and assess the diversity of such linguistics violence on the women’s self image. The study involved 107 students of different levels of secondary education out of whom 71 were females and 35 males. Data were gathered through questionnaire and observation.
 The findings revealed that linguistics violence is plural as it involved different forms and strategies which were captured under six themes: pejorizing, sexualizing, animalizing, feminizing, masculining and stupidizing. I was also noted that of the six forms of linguistics violence, pejorizing was the most prevalent and most diverse. However, it was sexualizing which was the most pervasive and the most offensive since the women’s sexual and excretory organs and processes are used as disgusting and sickening sight. Further, the continuous use of female-related body parts and psycho-sexual behaviors and processes has resulted in women being adversely affected so much that they are not only the source of linguistic repository from which insults are mined and served to male and female victims, but also the perpetrators of the same.