Messages of Misogyny on the Rise–and Boys are Listening
By Lynnette McIntire
In the 1970s, the phrase “Our Bodies, Our Choice” emerged as a battle cry for women seeking to advance women’s reproductive rights. In this election year, the phrase has been perverted to “Your body, my choice” – a phrase now used to provoke men to take ownership of women’s bodies.
One of the online instigators of this recent distortion was Nick Fuentes, an influential white nationalist podcaster, who promoted the phrase on November 5. His X post, “Your body, my choice. Forever,” as of November 13, has been viewed more than 90 million times and reposted more than 35,000 times, according to CNN.
Social media drove the distribution of this phrase and other misogynist messages, particularly around the time of the U.S. election in early November. According to the human rights organizationInstitute for Strategic Dialogue, social media has also featured postings promoting the repeal of the 19th Amendment (which authorizes voting for women), a “get back to the kitchen” movement, and even violence.
Misogynistic Messages Resonating with Young Men
Violence and degradation of women is ubiquitous in the U.S. and throughout the world. Video games, movies, television shows, bloggers–all reinforce images that show women dominated and assailed by men. The failure of legal systems to enforce women’s human right to be free from violence persists everywhere.
Younger men seem to have been taking cues from their elders, with reports of incidents in middle and high schools across the country using these phrases and threatening their female peers.
How can we redirect young men away from such misogynistic thinking and messages? The mission won’t be easy.
Adolescent boys also are increasingly hearing about the “oppression” of men – a perception that men have lost their status due to the success of women in the workforce;That their future is curtailed by stagnant salaries, lower levels of education compared to women, job opportunities lost to DEI initiatives, and onerous childcare support
These factors are often cited by researchers examining the reasons for the voting gaps between men and women in the recent election. According to the Associated Press, “More than half of men under 30 supported Trump over Harris, but in 2020, the split was reversed.Trump also about doubled his share of young Black men, cutting into a key Democratic voting group. About 3 in 10 Black men under the age of 45 went for Trump, roughly double the number he got in 2020.” Economic inequality was one of the key issues.
The U.S. isn’t the only nation facing growing misogyny among adolescent males. Britain saw a rapid rise when a Tik Tok influencer named Andrew Tate used the social media platform to promote misogyny and violence to women. Tate was banned from Twitter for saying women should “bear responsibility” for being sexually assaulted. He was later reinstated on the platform, now known as X.
He and his brother were charged in Romania in January 2023 with rape and sex trafficking and are awaiting trial. In a combative interview with the BBC in June 2023, when pushed on whether his views on women harmed young people, the influencer claimed he was a “force for good” and that he was ”acting under the instruction of God to do good things.”
In the wake of the Tate case, British boys and men from generation Z are more likely than older baby boomers to believe that feminism has done more harm than good, according to 2023 research that shows a “real risk of fractious division among this coming generation.”
“One in four UK males aged 16 to 29 believe it is harder to be a man than a woman, and a fifth of those who have heard of him now look favourably on Andrew Tate, the polling of over 3,600 people found,” The Guardian reported.
Getting Young Men and Boys to Embrace Equality
In reaction to Tate’s influence, London’s mayor launched in October an education program in schools to combat sexist messages. According to the Guardian newspaper, the program aims to help teachers counter dangerous messages from influencers. “The toolkit, developed by the healthy relationships organization Tender, trains teachers how to run workshops, drama and interactive classroom sessions to teach nine- to 11-year-olds how to recognise and call out inequality and sexism.”
“Children will be taught to identify positive aspects of friendships and also look at potential red flags such as controlling behaviour, the misuse of pressure and power in relationships. Pupils will be taught what their rights are and where they can seek support.”
Outside of schools, one of the most powerful spaces to model equality is in homes and around the kitchen table with family. Parents can act to change the dynamic:
- Challenge inappropriate behavior, encouraging men and boys to disengage in harassment and harmful jokes.
- Speak up about gender-based violence to counter misogynistic messages and contribute to changing the culture.
- Generate a shared understanding that gender-based violence should not be tolerated as should any other crime.
- Respect the physical space of women and listen with courtesy and consideration when they speak.
- Proactively manage social media and entertainment channels and discuss any content that is disrespectful and degrading.
- Celebrate the achievements of women as individually earned rather than a consequence of her gender.
- Support women in leadership positions.
We cannot let misogynists have the last word especially for our boys who will, all too soon, be men.
Lynnette McIntire, CEO of Silver Birch Communications, advises companies on their environmental, social and governance practices. She also is a member of GRW’s Development and Communications Committee.