Fellow MPs criticise Green party co-leader Marama Davidson, who says term was used in death threat against her

Marama Davidson, the co-leader of the New Zealand Green party has launched an initiative to reclaim the word “cunt” for women, saying it had been used as part of a death threat against her and had been maligned as a form of abuse for too long.

Davidson repeatedly used the word at a public event on Friday last week and later backed her stance after it caused outcry among her parliamentary colleagues. “I stand by using that word,” Davidson told Newshub. “That word is a powerful word for women and shouldn’t be used as abuse.”

In praise of the C-word Read more

In a follow up tweet Davidson said: “If women get called the *C* word by men who are trying to death threat us into silence and intimidation – the least we can do is disarm the word and claim it back, *C* is for Cheers :).”

“I simply reclaimed it at a rally after it was used at me in a death threat. That’s not a campaign. That’s just me talking.”

The Oxford English Dictionary [5th edition, 2002] defines cunt as: “the female genitals, the vulva” as well as “a very unpleasant or stupid person”.

Marama Davidson MP (@MaramaDavidson) If women get called the *C* word by men who are trying to death threat us into silence and intimidation - the least we can do is disarm the word and claim it back.

*C* is for Cheers :)

Reaction to Davidson’s use of the word was mixed among the public, but politicians were largely against the linguistic reclamation.

The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said she would not use the word herself, while deputy prime minister Winston Peters said Davidson’s language was inappropriate, “appalling” and “terribly degrading”.

Paula Bennett, the opposition National party’s spokesperson for women, called Davidson’s language “disgusting” and tweeted that is was inappropriate to use around children, while NZ Herald columnist Rachel Stewart said it was “bizarre” and she thought the Greens would have more pressing issues on their agenda.