The Movement #Menaretrash

“When we say #menaretrash, on a scale of 1 to
#nonke, we mean #NONKE: a discussion of the

#menaretrash movement as a form of protest”
TN Khoza
13069676
Department of Jurisprudence
JUR 420
20 June 2017
Introduction
In the past few years we have seen a number of protests against a number of issues
around the world. These protests have come as a result of a general ‘we have had
enough’ outcry from the masses about issues to do with society, the economy and
education. It has also become quite common for protests to be branded with or spread
through hashtags. In this essay, I aim to unpack the #menaretrash movement and
explain why it is also a form of protest.
The #menaretrash protest, as I will explain it to be, did not arise independently. Rather,
it came as a result of other hashtags, other protests and other movements. These
included movements such #RUReferenceList, #Chapere212, #blacklivesmatter,
#RememberKhwezi, #arewesafe and #Iam1in3. All of these ‘smaller’ protests led to
the final call, as it were, that is the grand #menaretrash.
Those who women, especially black women, pleaded with to heed the call of the
previous protests and movements had not listened, this was evidenced by the
continued gender based violence and attitude of not caring which still existed even
after each of the predecessor movements. Thus, #menaretrash serves almost as a
final plea; one which is louder, braver, more robust and less forgiving.
Finally, it is important to note here that the people at the forefront of this protest have
been young adults who are still students. Most of the reports we have been furnished
with have come from young people in universities. Thus, although it may not be a
student-specific protest, this remains a protest spearheaded by students.
In the following paragraphs, I aim to provide some similarities between this hashtag
and other landmark protests. Thereafter, I will provide commentary put together by a
number of people in an effort to also unpack this movement in a manner and with the
attention it deserves.
Likening #menaretrash to other protests
I define #menaretrash as a protest because it is a call for all to take a stand against a
certain injustice, or a collection of injustices, as bold as any other. People, men and
women, took to the streets as well as social media to spread the message of ‘enough
is enough’ and take a stand against gender based violence after the death of one
Karabo Mokoena.
One protest which stands out immediately, for me, is the protest of 1968. Kristeva
writes that one of the main focuses of the 1968 protest was sexual liberation.1 This is
a broad concept which can be taken to mean and include a number of issues. In the
context of #menaretrash, I propose that it speaks directly to the freedom, or lack
thereof, of women to dress as they wish and love whomever they choose.
Gender based violence is a cornerstone of the #menaretrash movement. 2 Two

common forms of violence against women, especially black women here in South
Africa, are assault, which comes as a result of the way a woman is dressed, and
corrective rape, which occurs in instances where a woman is openly lesbian. We have
heard too many reports of women who were cat called, grabbed and groped, hurled
at and even raped because they wore revealing clothing. We have heard more reports
of women who have been beaten, threatened, raped and murdered because of their
homosexuality. Because a woman is attracted to other women, she is always in danger
here in South Africa.
This issue with such issues is that patriarchy has led these men to believe that they
are allowed to treat women in this abusive manner. This attitude has got so out of hand
it has become normalised here in society, so much so that men who do not rape think
that women owe them a ‘thank you’.3 Imagine that entitlement? Wanting to be thanked
for treating another human as no less than a fellow human being.
1 Kristeva, Julia. Revolt, she said. New York. 2002. 11.

2 Mkanyogo, “The importance of spectacle: why #Menaretrash is important”, 16 May 2017,
https://wordsicouldhavesaid.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/the-importance- of-spectacle- why-
menaretrash- is-important/. (accessed: 14 June 2017).
3 Kiri Rupiah, “Men are trash… end of discussion”, 19 May 2017, https://mg.co.za/article/2017-
05-19-00-not-all-men-misses-the-point . (accessed: 15 June 2017).
Just like the 1968 protest, #menaretrash has no time and no room for passiveness. It
calls into question both the direct aggressor as well as the passive and/or indirect
witness.4 The whole movement demands the freedom to revolt.5
Kristeva further defines the 1968 protest as ‘a worldwide movement [which]

contributed to an unprecedented reordering of private life’.6 The same can be said for
the #menaretrash movement, but on a national scale. This movement was such a loud
and direct call to end gender based violence, it secured more support than the
movements from which it was birthed. The main way in which it achieved this is by
calling out all men- the aggressors and the passive witnesses.7 Contrastingly,
#RUReferencelist only called out perpetrators, the aggressors, and so did #Iam1in3,
for example. This movement, however, went over and above that- it called out both
those who made things happen as well as those who let things happen.
Another movement which we can liken #menaretrash to is the one of transformation

(in institutions of higher learning). The transformation protests have been a call to end
the legacy of apartheid in universities as well as a call to treat all humans, including
black people, as human.8
That is exactly what #menaretrash aims to do. It seeks to have the longstanding
legacy, which has always existed, of gender based abuse come to an end.
Furthermore, it seeks to have all people, including women- especially women,
recognised as people. Granted, the types of humanity recognised are different in the
different contexts. However, the common theme still exists there: all people are
people. It is also important to note that both movements call for some type of change
or reform, in the way we think as well as carry ourselves in everyday life.

8 M Mamdani. “Between the public intellectual and the scholar: decolonization and some post-
independence initiatives in African higher education”. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies (2016) 68-70.
The transformation debate also concerns itself with the figures which have been there
since apartheid- such as the Rhodes statue.9 We read a host or reports and articles
which damn the statue and university councils for keeping the statues.10 This is
because the people who are vested in the transformation movement understand how
important figures are. Similarly, the people vested in #menaretrash also know and
understand how important it is to do away with the patriarchal figure which exists in
society. The only difference here is that the battle of #menaretrash is against statues
and figures made of flesh, not stone. Notwithstanding this, the battle against figures
exists nevertheless.
Mbembe also speaks of the need to break a cycle in order to decolonise and
transform.11 This is a common theme in #menaretrash too.12 The #menaretrash
movement calls for the ending of this cycle which perpetuates gender based violence
and allows it to continue to take place. Furthermore, it calls for the breaking of the
cycle which recognises woman as humans only relatively (I will deal with this idea in
more detail in the following paragraphs).13
Thus, form a collective reading and analysis of these different articles, we can
conclude that the #menaretrash movement really is a protest- against gender based
violence. In the following paragraphs, I will proceed to unpack the movement and
explain what it is protesting against.
9 AJ Mbembe. “Decolonizing the university: New Directions”. Arts and Humanities in Higher
Education 15 (1) (2016). 30.
Education 15 (1) (2016). 29.
Education 15 (1) (2016). 31.
12 Unknown, “#Menaretrash”, 6 June 2017,
https://streetlyspeaking.wordpress.com/2017/06/06/menaretrash/. (accessed: 19 June 2017).
What are we protesting against?
As already stated, the #menaretrash movement finds relevance in talks around gender
based violence and its evils. This is a movement which takes a stand and speaks out
against issues such as a patriarchy, rape, abuse and suffering in silence. This
movement really concerns itself with the struggles which women are faced with on a
daily basis and it seeks, in my opinion, to establish itself as a mouthpiece which can
be used by all women in order to vent about the issues which they face on a daily
basis.
The #menaretrash movement does not concern itself with trivialities such as the
bruised egos which came to fore with a counter ‘not all men are trash’. In fact, it is that
very patriarchal marginalisation which the movement seeks to stand against.
Therefore, it did not, or does not, have the time for any response which seeks, as per
usual, to take away from a genuine concern or undermine real issues. 14 Thus, the
#menaretrash, in a way its predecessors did not, established itself as a movement
which would not be made or broken, so to speak, by efforts to trod on women issues.
This movement placed issues faced by women daily in the face of every person-
including the woman who has not been a victim and the man who has not, directly,
victimised.15
The movement sought to speak out against a number of injustices which have been
normalised within society, even though they should be rejected by all. For example,
there is no reason or valid explanation for why or how we as society arrived at a place
where we have made it socially acceptable for gender based violence to take place.
Not only that, we have also allowed it to flourish in a number of ways in all different
kinds of spaces.
In light of the counter movement, the one of ‘not all men are trash’, Rupiah also makes
a valid statement where she says that physical assault is not the only form which abuse
can take.16 This is very true; and a lack of understanding here is what has resulted in
05- 19-00- not-all-men- misses-the- point . (accessed: 15 June 2017).
men thinking that it okay and acceptable to say that they are not trash, or should be
excluded from the debate, simply because they have never physically assaulted a
woman. The sad reality is that women are violated on a daily basis in a number of
ways which do not take into light their humanity, dignity or integrity. This counter
argument, in its very nature, is also a form of violation because it seeks to trivialise a
valid and pressing issue which has existed for too long. It can be, and is argued, then,
that even this countermovement is in itself a display of ‘trashiness’.
These men let slip words such as ‘bitch’, ‘s’febe’ and ‘whore’ but they also want to tell
their victims that they cannot be classified as being trash.17 It has become so normal
and so acceptable for such terms to be used in everyday life, even women themselves
have been using the terms in their own circles and against each other without cause.
Another question which nags me when I think of all these derogatory terms is: how
many male versions do we have? These men have an arsenal of derogatory terms
which they use almost on a daily; yet, as soon as we call them trash, as a retaliation
to their trashiness, we become the problem. This is a paragon of privilege.
Finally, Rupiah speaks of how women are only recognised in the relative sense. 18
What does this mean? It means that whenever men speak of protecting women, they
do so in terms relative to them. For example, we often here phrases such as, ‘imagine
if it was your sister/mother/friend’. This means that men have troubles with identifying
women as their own, independent beings who deserve humanity and respect, without
having to prove some relation to a man. Men have a problem with recognising women,
outside of themselves. This is why #menaretrash is so important; even more important
is that the men hear the women out, difficult as this mat be for them.
This movement has also been described as a cry of exhaustion. 19 Women face the
same issues each and every day and they are difficult to deal with- this is now
compounded by the lack of care from the people who cause these issues. Women are
exhausted, tired of dealing with misogyny and abuse. That is why #menaretrash can
be seen as the be all and end all of protests against these issues. It is almost like a
19 Refilwe Pitjeng, ‘Why the hashtag men are trash is so important”, 12 May 2017,
http://ewn.co.za/2017/05/12/why-the- hashtag-menaretrash- is-important. (accessed: 18 June
2017).
final cry against these issue; a collection and culmination of all the protests which
came before it.20
This movement is very important because it is so general, it is able to bring to the fore
and to everybody’s attention the issues which women face daily. But over and above
that, this movement also offers itself as a platform where discussions can be had,
suggestions can be made and awareness can be raised.21 The movement also lends
itself as a place of comfort for all women- ranging from those who have been catcalled
to those who have been raped. This space, because it is not as specific as its
predecessors, welcomes every woman to tell her story. These are all very important
themes which must be offered if we want to see any real change the society.
2017).
2017).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the #menaretrash movement is a direct retaliation and call for revolution.
It is a call for bringing an end to a social ill, gender based violence, as well as a call
for complete change in society, starting with our minds. This movement concerns itself
with discussions, efforts and upliftment. It has also been loud and present in an effort
to claim its space and its place. By virtue of its being and all which it stands for, this
movement is a protest. Undoubtedly, this movement has been a (powerful) form of
protest.
Bibliography
1. Refilwe Pitjeng, ‘Why the hashtag men are trash is so important”, 12 May 2017,
http://ewn.co.za/2017/05/12/why-the- hashtag-menaretrash- is-important.
(accessed: 18 June 2017).
2. Kiri Rupiah, “Men are trash… end of discussion”, 19 May 2017,

<https://mg.co.za/article/2017-05- 19-00- not-all-men- misses-the- point>.
(accessed: 15 June 2017).
3. Unknown, “#Menaretrash”, 6 June 2017,

https://streetlyspeaking.wordpress.com/2017/06/06/menaretrash/. (accessed:
19 June 2017).
4. Mkanyogo, “The importance of spectacle: why #Menaretrash is important”, 16

May 2017, https://wordsicouldhavesaid.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/the-
importance- of-spectacle- why-menaretrash- is-important/. (accessed: 14 June
2017).
5. AJ Mbembe. “Decolonizing te=he university: New Directions”. Arts and

Humanities in Higher Education 15 (1) (2016). 28-35.
6. M Mamdani. “Between the public intellectual and the scholar: decolonization

and some post-independence initiatives in African higher education”. Inter-Asia
Cultural Studies (2016). 68-70.
7. Kristeva, Julia. Revolt, she said. New York. 2002. 11-28.

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“When we say #menaretrash, on a scale of 1 to

#nonke, we mean #NONKE: a discussion of the

Gender based violence is a cornerstone of the #menaretrash movement. 2 Two

1 Kristeva, Julia. Revolt, she said. New York. 2002. 11.

Kristeva further defines the 1968 protest as ‘a worldwide movement [which]

Another movement which we can liken #menaretrash to is the one of transformation

4 Mkanyogo, “The importance of spectacle: why #Menaretrash is important”, 16 May 2017,

2. Kiri Rupiah, “Men are trash… end of discussion”, 19 May 2017,

3. Unknown, “#Menaretrash”, 6 June 2017,

4. Mkanyogo, “The importance of spectacle: why #Menaretrash is important”, 16

5. AJ Mbembe. “Decolonizing te=he university: New Directions”. Arts and

6. M Mamdani. “Between the public intellectual and the scholar: decolonization

7. Kristeva, Julia. Revolt, she said. New York. 2002. 11-28.

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