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#Misogony #HateCrime
It’s 2023, we’re living in a post-Andrew Tate world, so why is making misogyny legally a hate crime such a controversial subject?
Currently, in England and Wales, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and transgender identity are the only specific characteristics that can, in law, trigger a hate crime.
If one or more of these motives is proved, this can result in higher punishments.
So why is there such a lack of consensus, even between organisations focused on women and girls’ aid?
Campaigners say sex and gender should be added to the characteristics list, arguing that misogyny is one of the “root causes” of violence against women.
But the UK government has consistently rejected the idea, arguing that it could prove more harmful than helpful.
According to the Law Comission, if misogyny was made a hate crime, prosecutors would need to prove that a hate crime had occurred as part of another offence such as rape.
It’s argued that this could make it harder to convict sex offenders and domestic abusers and also create “hierarchies of victims”
The charities like Rape Crisis and End Violence against women expressed concerns about whether the move would make any meaningful change for women.
They say that it would distract from the real priority – prevention work that stops street harassment from happening in the first place.
According to them, criminalisation alone is an ineffective deterrent to violence and harassment faced by women.
But advocates of making misogyny a hate crime say it is needed to tackle prejudice and reduce crime.
The gender-equality charity, Fawcett society, argues making misogyny a hate crime would challenge the “normalisation of toxic attitudes” on our streets.
Meanwhile Refuge, a domestic violence charity says a “radical culture change” is needed in order to better protect women and girs”.
What do you think? Is criminalising misogyny just symbolic? Will it do more harm than good?
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