Is misogyny a breeding ground for extremism? A report says yes
30 January 2025
A leaked Home Office report identified misogyny and the 'manosphere' as breeding grounds for extremism – the online space that promotes masculinity, misogyny, and anti-feminism. While the true scale of the movement is difficult to determine, a 2024 study found that 42% of men felt that feminism had "done more harm than good", a significantly larger portion than one in three men in 2022.
The government, however, chose to ignore the report's advice to include the manosphere in the UK's definition of terrorism. Security minister Dan Jarvis responded that "Islamist extremism, followed by far-right extremism, are the biggest threats that we face".
That does not take away from the fact that misogyny is fatal. Every week, three women are killed by men in England and Wales, and across the EU, 800 femicides were recorded in 2022. The real number is likely far higher, as many countries do not record femicide as a specific crime.
![]() | Elsie Haldane The chasm between young men's and women's ideologies is widening, as young men become increasingly entrenched in right-wing and extremist views. Several EU and UK reports show that young men are more likely to feel threatened by the advancement of women's rights, provoking misogynistic behaviour. This goes hand in hand with far-right parties across Europe framing gender equality as a threat to traditional values; Germany's AfD has called for rolling back women's rights, while in France, far-right firebrand Éric Zemmour has openly attacked feminist movements. |
〉https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/27/misogyny-identified-as-breeding-ground-for-extremism-in-leaked-report">Misogyny identified as breeding ground for extremism in the UK, in leaked report
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