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Classifying misogyny as extremism will divert resources to counter its threat, prioritizing security approaches instead of focusing on long-term initiatives that promote gender equality
The United Kingdom government announced in August a review of its counter-terrorism strategy and introduced the possibility of classifying extreme misogyny as a form of extremism. This inquiry raised debates worldwide, discussing the effectiveness of such an approach.
While this initiative appears to give light to the battle in advancing women’s rights, bringing misogyny to the security agenda may come at the risk of oversimplifying this socio-cultural issue and failing to address the complex structural causes that allow misogynistic behavior to thrive. Although progress is on the way, gender disparity in the UK persists with men being the majority in leadership positions, increasing violence against women and girls, and widening gender pay gap.
Social media platforms are increasingly being exploited to spread misogynistic and male supremacist ideologies. Public figures, such as the infamously self-proclaimed “misogynist” Andrew Tate, are openly radicalizing young men into extreme misogyny, through harmful online activities that include hate speech, doxing, online harassment, and non-consensual distribution of intimate images.
Violent attacks against women are increasingly linked to the incel (involuntary celibate) ideology, including the 2021 Plymouth attack where Jake Davison killed five people before putting an end to his life. Incel culture represents a dangerous and harmful online community of men who blame women for their perceived lack of masculinity and advocate for violence against both women and men deemed sexually successful. The manosphere, or online community that promotes misogynistic and anti-feminist ideas, uses stereotypical narratives to describe women as promiscuous, manipulative and inferior to men, yet this ideology is merely a reflection of the deeply rooted gender norms that organise societal order and gender hierarchies that value men.
Women’s rights are improving, but at a very slow rate. Gender inequality is a pervasive issue and fundamental denial of women’s rights that threatens the well-being of women and gender minorities who face unique challenges disproportionately from men. The institutionalization of patriarchal social norms, in most countries around the world, has organized gender roles, power relations, and social hierarchies that favor men to lead in society. Women are more likely to face unique challenges such as unequal pay, racial injustice and gender-based violence, to name a few. The worrying absence of women in leadership positions perpetuates gender inequality by reinforcing stereotypes that suggest men are more suited for leadership, limits diversity in decision-making, and hinders societal progress by neglecting the unique perspectives and solutions that women bring to the table.
Misogyny is not an exceptional state of violence, it stems from the institutionalization of gender inequality, which contributes to men’s feelings of domination, power, and entitlement. Securitizing misogyny reduces a complex humanitarian issue to a security concern while ignoring the underlying factors that need to be urgently addressed. This is particularly worrying as it ignores the embedded patriarchal values that guide the UK’s security forces, including the police, militarized and private militarized companies, which traditionally operate in male-dominated environments where casual misogyny is the norm.
Classifying misogyny as extremism will divert resources to counter its threat, prioritizing security approaches instead of focusing on implementing long-term initiatives that promote gender equality. Educational programs and community-based initiatives are best suited to challenge homogenous masculine norms, promote gender-sensitive attitudes and dismantle harmful gender stereotypes. Initiatives such as the Let Toys Be Toys campaign in the UK are essential in transforming the everyday experiences that shape social attitudes, behaviors, and ambitions that associate men with strength and women with subordination.
It remains unclear how the UK will grapple with misogyny as extremism in practice. Where will the line be drawn to differentiate everyday forms of gender discrimination from inflammatory messages inciting violence against women? Can we make a distinction between both? This is particularly important to consider as what can be perceived as innocent conversations or locker-room talks contribute to building hostile environments where women and gender minorities face harassment, discrimination, and even sexual assault.
Giving security institutions the responsibility of tackling extreme misogyny almost sounds ironical, especially in the UK where traditionally masculine and heteronormative institutions make soldiers inherently biased to a skewed conception of gender dynamics that promotes patriarchal values. Two-thirds of female soldiers in the UK military are suffering from the insidious gender discrimination that guides the military environment.
Pinning extreme misogyny as a security challenge isolated from social and cultural practices reflects the UK’s often adopted double standards, such as when it qualified far-right violence as “thuggery” and dismissed the same acts of violence motivated by Islamist ideologies as terrorism.
As the securitization of misogyny presents challenges, this approach could also be a step forward in bringing visibility to the wider issue of gender inequality. Going forward with this inquiry, the UK government should ensure that appropriate measures reflect the government’s will to achieve sustainable gender equality, rather than focus on reactionary measures that fail to address the structural causes perpetuating misogynistic behavior in everyday realities. – Rappler.com
Bonnie White is a post-graduate student of international relations and politics at the University of Auckland.
