Indirect Sexism: Linguistic Representation of Women in Selected Egesa and Minto FM Call - In Shows

Naftal Nyakundi

Abstract: Significant achievements have been made by feminists in challenging direct linguistic sexism by suggesting progressive and alternative ways language can be used to positively represent women. However, this has not hindered sexist individuals from continuing with their discrimination against women. They have come up with ways of strategically drawing on language to indirectly do so. The objective of this paper is to examine some of the ways Ekegusii is strategically drawn on by sexist speakers in Rimore and Enia Amagogi call-in shows to indirectly discriminate against women. This paper focuses on four ways Ekegusii is strategically drawn on by sexist individuals to indirectly discriminate against women. These are: presupposition, humour, collocation and visibility. The overall aim of the study was to collect data that is going to put the problem into perspective so that long term solutions can be formulated. Thirteen indirect linguistic sexist expressions were collected as data from Rimore call-in show on Egesa FM and Enia Amagogi call- in show on Minto FM. The expressions were drawn from four gendered domains: relationships, politics, workplace, and home. Thereafter, analysis was done on how speakers of these expressions draw on Ekegusii strategically to indirectly discriminate against women. This study found that there is indirect linguistic sexism in Rimore and Enia Amagogi call-in shows manifest in expression like: Nyore tari mokane oteneine maega yane onango tindaika aaiga. (Were it not for my wife standing behind me, I wouldn’t have reached this far). The study also discovered that Ekegusii is strategically drawn on by individuals to either consciously or unconsciously discriminate against women.

Keywords: Direct sexism, Indirect sexism, Ekegusii, Feminism, Feminist, Gender