Home Linguistics & Semiotics Chapter 13. “I cannot be blamed for my own assault”
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 13. “I cannot be blamed for my own assault”

Ghanaian media discourses on the context of blame in Mzbel’s sexual assaults
  • Grace Diabah
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Search
Gender and Language in Sub-Saharan Africa
This chapter is in the book Gender and Language in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Much research on gender-based violence, especially sexual assault, indicate that women are often blamed for their predicament (Ehrlich 2002; Clark 1998). Prominent among the reasons given is ‘indecent dressing’ – which lures ‘innocent’ men to commit such crimes. Context therefore plays a major role in who is blamed. To contribute to this discussion, I discuss the role of context in apportioning blame in the two cases of sexual assault on a Ghanaian female artiste (Mzbel). This is done through the analysis of linguistic data from media reports, readers and Mzbel herself. The analysis shows that people view these cases differently depending on their personal ideologies and the context within which they operate. Whereas most of the text producers draw on the socio-cultural context to either directly or indirectly ‘justify’ the actions of the perpetrators, others draw on the legal to condemn the crimes.

Abstract

Much research on gender-based violence, especially sexual assault, indicate that women are often blamed for their predicament (Ehrlich 2002; Clark 1998). Prominent among the reasons given is ‘indecent dressing’ – which lures ‘innocent’ men to commit such crimes. Context therefore plays a major role in who is blamed. To contribute to this discussion, I discuss the role of context in apportioning blame in the two cases of sexual assault on a Ghanaian female artiste (Mzbel). This is done through the analysis of linguistic data from media reports, readers and Mzbel herself. The analysis shows that people view these cases differently depending on their personal ideologies and the context within which they operate. Whereas most of the text producers draw on the socio-cultural context to either directly or indirectly ‘justify’ the actions of the perpetrators, others draw on the legal to condemn the crimes.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements xi
  4. Gender and language in sub-Saharan Africa 1
  5. Part 1. Gender and linguistic description
  6. Chapter 1. Issues of language and gender in iweto marriage as practised by the Kamba in Kenya 29
  7. Chapter 2. Language, gender and age(ism) in Setswana 53
  8. Chapter 3. Variation with gender in the tonal speech varieties of Kera (Chadic) 79
  9. Part 2. Public settings and gendered language use
  10. Chapter 4. Language, gender and social construction in a pre-school in Gaborone 97
  11. Chapter 5. Variation in address forms for Nigerian married and unmarried women in the workplace 117
  12. Part 3. Mediated masculinities and femininities
  13. Chapter 6. A new South African man? 131
  14. Chapter 7. The ‘Tinto’ image in contemporary Tswana songs 149
  15. Chapter 8.Language and gender in popular music in Botswana 177
  16. Part 4. Gendered struggles and change
  17. Chapter 9. Sex discourses and the construction of gender identity in Sesotho 205
  18. Chapter 10. Student Pidgin 217
  19. Chapter 11. Gendered linguistic choices among isiZulu-speaking women in contemporary South Africa 233
  20. Chapter 12. Homophobic language and linguistic resistance in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 253
  21. Chapter 13. “I cannot be blamed for my own assault” 275
  22. Part 5. Epilogue
  23. African feminism? 301
  24. Gender, sexuality and language in African contexts 315
  25. Contributors 325
  26. Index 327
https://doi.org/10.1075/impact.33.18dia

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements xi
  4. Gender and language in sub-Saharan Africa 1
  5. Part 1. Gender and linguistic description
  6. Chapter 1. Issues of language and gender in iweto marriage as practised by the Kamba in Kenya 29
  7. Chapter 2. Language, gender and age(ism) in Setswana 53
  8. Chapter 3. Variation with gender in the tonal speech varieties of Kera (Chadic) 79
  9. Part 2. Public settings and gendered language use
  10. Chapter 4. Language, gender and social construction in a pre-school in Gaborone 97
  11. Chapter 5. Variation in address forms for Nigerian married and unmarried women in the workplace 117
  12. Part 3. Mediated masculinities and femininities
  13. Chapter 6. A new South African man? 131
  14. Chapter 7. The ‘Tinto’ image in contemporary Tswana songs 149
  15. Chapter 8.Language and gender in popular music in Botswana 177
  16. Part 4. Gendered struggles and change
  17. Chapter 9. Sex discourses and the construction of gender identity in Sesotho 205
  18. Chapter 10. Student Pidgin 217
  19. Chapter 11. Gendered linguistic choices among isiZulu-speaking women in contemporary South Africa 233
  20. Chapter 12. Homophobic language and linguistic resistance in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 253
  21. Chapter 13. “I cannot be blamed for my own assault” 275
  22. Part 5. Epilogue
  23. African feminism? 301
  24. Gender, sexuality and language in African contexts 315
  25. Contributors 325
  26. Index 327
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 15.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/impact.33.18dia/html
Scroll to top button