Sexist Language against Female Passengers by Matatu Crew: A Case of the Kawangware-Nairobi Route 46

The purpose of this study was to analyze Sexist Language used by the Matatu crew against female passengers on the Kenyan public transport system popularly known as Matatu. Although several studies have been done on language and gender, little has been explored on the sexist language used by the Matatu crew. Sexism includes both genders in terms of discrimination, but in the real sense, women are always the most vulnerable to sexism. A language is a social tool, and a speaker may deliberately and consciously use language that reflects their attitude to their listener or reader in this case women folk. This study sought to analyze sexist language as a tool used by the matatu crew to women in Matatus plying route 46 Kawangware of Nairobi County. The study intended to achieve three objectives that focused on the words used by Matatu Crew and the response of the female gender on how it affects them psychologically and emotionally. This was achieved using Grice's theory of implicature (1975) and Speech Act Theory advanced by Austin (1962). Combining the two theories allowed the researcher to examine the implicature and indirect speech attacks to avoid misinterpretations. Speech act theory was undertaken in comprehension of public rules to produce meaningful assertion of sexist words used and why they are viewed as going against required ethical standards, in contrast Grice theory will handle the perlocutionary aspect of total speech act addressing the psychological effect of such words on the female gender. The result of the study will be used to sensitize people in general and the Matatu industry in particular to the current portrayal and its implications on female passengers in Matatus.