New Zealand’s Defence Minister, Judith Collins, has strongly condemned online critics, dubbed “armchair admirals,” who attributed the sinking of the naval vessel HMNZS Manawanui to the gender of its female captain. The incident, which occurred near the Samoan island of Upolu, involved the ship running aground while conducting a reef survey. The vessel later caught fire and capsized, but all 75 crew members were safely evacuated.
Collins, New Zealand’s first female Defence Minister, denounced the wave of misogynistic comments directed at the ship’s leadership. The rhetoric has drawn attention to the persistent gender biases that, despite New Zealand’s long history of gender equality, continue to plague women in leadership positions, particularly in traditionally male-dominated sectors like the military. The Defence Minister’s remarks sparked a national conversation on the challenges faced by women in uniform, with Collins vowing to protect the integrity of female leaders under her watch.
The HMNZS Manawanui, a dive and hydrographic vessel, ran aground on Saturday night, approximately one nautical mile from Upolu Island in Samoa. The ship was conducting a routine survey of a reef when it collided with underwater terrain that had not been surveyed since 1987. Rough weather was reported at the time, compounding the vessel’s navigational difficulties. Despite efforts to stabilize the ship, a fire broke out aboard, leading to its eventual capsizing.
According to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), all 75 crew members were promptly evacuated into lifeboats and rescued early Sunday morning. The evacuation was hailed as a well-executed maneuver, with no reported injuries among the crew.
A statement issued by the NZDF confirmed that an official inquiry was underway to investigate the cause of the accident, assess the environmental damage, and determine the next steps for mitigating the impact on local ecosystems.
“A court of inquiry has been stood up to establish what caused this terrible incident,” Collins said. “The one thing that we already know did not cause it is the gender of the ship’s captain.”
Despite the investigation being in its early stages, an alarming wave of online abuse emerged, focusing on the captain’s gender rather than the facts of the incident. Social media was flooded with derogatory comments from anonymous users questioning the captain’s competence solely based on her being a woman.
Collins did not mince words in her rebuke of the “armchair admirals” who propagated the sexist narrative. “I am appalled to see the level of trolling that has occurred,” she said. “These are people who will never have to make decisions which mean life or death for their subordinates, yet they feel entitled to pass judgment on someone who was in that very position.”
Collins went on to express her dismay that such attitudes still persisted in 2024. “I thought seriously, in 2024, what the hell is going on here with people who are sitting there in their armchairs operating a keyboard, making comments about people that they do not know, about an area they do not know, and they are just vile. Where’s a bit of decency?”
The incident highlights the broader issue of gender-based discrimination in New Zealand, particularly in sectors like the military, where women remain a minority. Though New Zealand has a proud history of advancing gender equality—it was the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote—recent events have cast a spotlight on the challenges that women continue to face in leadership roles.
Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the nation’s third female head of government, faced frequent misogynistic attacks throughout her tenure. Her treatment became a focal point of national debate, reflecting a broader societal issue that persists despite New Zealand’s progressive reputation.
For Collins, the online abuse directed at the female captain is part of a larger problem. “This is outrageous behavior, and New Zealand is not known for this. We are better than it,” she said. She further disclosed that women in military uniform had recently been subjected to verbal abuse in public, a disturbing trend she vowed to address.
The Defence Minister’s fierce response has garnered widespread support from various quarters, including women’s rights organizations and military personnel. Advocates have rallied behind Collins’ stance, emphasizing that the focus should be on the facts of the incident rather than outdated gender stereotypes.
The sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui marks a significant moment in New Zealand’s naval history. It is the first time the country has lost a naval vessel to the sea since World War II, underscoring the gravity of the incident. While investigations are ongoing, initial reports suggest that the ship was navigating waters that had not been thoroughly charted in recent decades, a fact that may have contributed to the grounding.
Collins had previously indicated that the area where the ship ran aground had not been surveyed since 1987. This fact raises important questions about the adequacy of navigational data and whether more could have been done to prevent the incident.
The ship’s crew, comprised of 75 individuals, was safely evacuated thanks to the swift actions of both the captain and the rest of the personnel on board. Collins highlighted the professionalism displayed during the emergency, making it clear that the gender of the captain was irrelevant to the ship’s fate.
In the aftermath of the sinking, environmental concerns have emerged as a primary focus. The ship was carrying a significant amount of fuel, and despite the fire that engulfed the vessel, some oil has reportedly leaked into the surrounding waters.
On Thursday morning, Samoa’s Marine Pollution Advisory Committee (MPAC) confirmed that the ship was leaking oil from three separate locations, though it also noted that no oil had washed up on shore as of yet. Most of the fuel aboard the ship is believed to have been consumed in the fire, and the oil observed in the sea is reportedly dissipating quickly.
The New Zealand Defence Force has dispatched a team to monitor and mitigate potential environmental damage. This team will react to any contamination of local beaches and work to remove debris that has already begun to wash ashore. Samoan officials, including divers from the Ministry of Resources and Natural Environment, have also observed damage to the reef where the grounding occurred.
For Samoa, the wreck represents both an environmental and an economic concern. The island nation relies heavily on its marine ecosystems, both for sustenance and tourism. Any long-term damage to its reefs could have significant consequences for the local economy.
New Zealand’s military has made significant strides in gender diversity over the past few decades, but women still make up only about 20% of uniformed personnel. The ongoing criticism of female leadership in the wake of the Manawanui incident highlights the challenges that women in the military continue to face.
Women serving in New Zealand’s Defence Force are not immune to the sexism that persists in many corners of society. While progress has been made in opening up roles traditionally held by men, the toxic response to the Manawanui sinking serves as a reminder of how far there is still to go.
Collins made it clear that the NZDF would not tolerate gender-based attacks on its personnel. “We have highly trained, highly capable women in our military, and I will not stand for this kind of behavior,” she stated.
As the inquiry into the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui progresses, the focus will be on determining what went wrong and ensuring that lessons are learned to prevent future incidents. The gender of the ship’s captain should not, and will not, be part of that equation.
Collins’ strong defense of the captain, as well as her broader condemnation of the misogyny that surfaced after the incident, has been hailed as a step forward in challenging entrenched gender biases in New Zealand. Her response is a reminder that, despite the country’s progressive history, there is still work to be done to achieve true gender equality, especially in sectors like the military. The sinking of the Manawanui is a tragedy, but the silver lining may lie in the broader conversation it has sparked about gender equality, both in New Zealand and beyond.
