Captain once praised for her gender, now defended against misogyny after HMNZS Manawanui sinking

Summarised by Centrist

Defence Minister Judith Collins fiercely defended Commander Yvonne Gray, dismissing misogynistic trolls as “armchair admirals” and condemning the gender-based blame as “deeply concerning.” 

She stated, “The one thing that we already know did not cause [the ship’s sinking] was the gender of the ship’s captain.”

Collins praised Gray for her swift decision-making when the ship became stuck on a reef off Samoa. Rear Admiral Garin Golding also backed Gray’s actions, stating that she “made the right call” to abandon ship and save lives. “It was something of a triumph, frankly,” Collins added, commending the captain’s leadership under difficult circumstances.

The Navy has initiated a Court of Inquiry to investigate the sinking, promising transparency in the final report.

Editor’s note: While critics misuse celebrating gender equality to undermine Gray’s competence, the Navy may have unintentionally set up a narrative that invites gender-based scrutiny when things go wrong. 

In March 2023, the NZDF included a celebration of Gray’s gender as an attribute, and her leadership a milestone for women’s progress in the force in an article “Women lead from the front in today’s Royal New Zealand Navy.“  It quotes Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral David Proctor:  

“But we also need to walk the walk and demonstrate that women have just as much opportunity to succeed as men. Having wāhine as commanding officers on more than 60% of our ships, as well as heading up shore units and other important portfolios, is a realisation of that goal.”

Read more over at Stuff