New Delhi : In a stark warning issued on June 22, 2025, UN Women, the United Nations agency dedicated to ending gender discrimination, has highlighted the growing influence of the “manosphere” as a significant threat to gender equality. This loosely connected network of online communities is promoting toxic masculinity, misogyny, and anti-feminist rhetoric, with far-reaching consequences that extend beyond digital spaces into real-world attitudes, behaviors, and policies. With over 5.5 billion people connected online, nearly all active on social media, the manosphere’s harmful narratives are infiltrating schoolyards, workplaces, and even intimate personal relationships, undermining decades of progress toward gender justice.
What is the Manosphere?
The manosphere is an umbrella term encompassing a diverse collection of websites, blogs, forums, and social media influencers that champion narrow and aggressive definitions of masculinity. These platforms often propagate the false narrative that feminism and gender equality have eroded men’s rights, portraying men as victims of modern social change. Rooted in misogyny and anti-feminist ideologies, the manosphere uses digital platforms to spread hate, reinforce deep-seated gender biases, and promote regressive gender roles. According to UN Women, this toxic digital ecosystem is no longer confined to fringe internet forums but is now shaping broader cultural and political landscapes.
Kalliopi Mingeirou, Chief of the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Section at UN Women, emphasized the manosphere’s growing influence, particularly among young men and boys. “We are seeing an increasing trend of young men and boys looking to influencers for guidance on issues like dating, fitness, and fatherhood,” she told UN News. However, these individuals often encounter online communities that exploit their insecurities, offering “strength” and validation while promoting harmful attitudes that distort masculinity and fuel misogyny.
Why is the Manosphere on the Rise?
Several factors contribute to the manosphere’s growing traction, as outlined by UN Women:
- Need for Validation: Social isolation and a desire for belonging drive many young men toward the manosphere, where they seek support and validation. These spaces exploit insecurities, circulating messages that dismiss the roles of women and girls in society and portray women’s rights activists in a negative light.
- Digital Anonymity: The anonymity provided by online platforms lowers social and legal consequences, making it easier for individuals to spread misogyny and hate speech without accountability.
- Social Media Algorithms: Algorithms on social media platforms amplify provocative and polarizing content, boosting the visibility of harmful anti-women narratives and reinforcing their reach.
- Masculinity Influencers: A significant number of young men follow influencers who promote regressive gender roles, often portraying men as victims of feminism. According to the Movember Foundation, a leading men’s health organization and UN Women partner, two-thirds of young men regularly engage with these influencers online.
While some content within the manosphere offers genuine support, much of it is steeped in extreme language and sexist ideology. The most recent UN Secretary-General’s report on violence against women and girls notes that manosphere communities are united in their rejection of feminism, often depicting women as manipulative or dangerous.
The Real-World Impact of the Manosphere
The manosphere’s influence extends far beyond the digital realm, contributing to real-world harm and undermining gender equality in multiple ways:
- Reduced Safety for Women and Girls in Digital Spaces: The manosphere fosters environments where women and girls face increased harassment. A notable example is the Gamergate campaign, where female gamers were targeted by male-supremacist groups, highlighting the dangers of online misogyny.
- Undermining Gender Equality: By distorting public understanding of gender issues, the manosphere erodes support for gender justice and women’s rights. This distortion contributes to reduced participation of women in public spheres such as politics, media, and academia, as women journalists and politicians often avoid engagement due to fear of online abuse.
- Fueling Real-World Harm: The manosphere’s toxic narratives trivialize gender-based violence and reinforce discriminatory stereotypes, leading to verbal harassment, workplace discrimination, and even physical violence against women. Mingeirou noted growing evidence linking perpetrators of mass shootings and other extreme incidents to engagement with misogynistic online platforms. These ideologies often intersect with other forms of radicalization, including racism, homophobia, and authoritarianism, posing a broader threat to society.
- Harming Boys and Men: The manosphere’s harmful stereotypes also create anxiety and harm for boys and men, pressuring them to conform to toxic gender expectations. Mingeirou stressed the need for safe spaces where individuals can seek guidance without being exposed to harmful content.
A Threat to Democracy and Gender Equality
The rise of online misogyny poses a significant risk not only to women and girls but also to democratic principles. Mingeirou highlighted that the abuse faced by women in digital spaces discourages their participation in public life. “Women and girls are feeling less comfortable to be exposed to the risks and threats when they engage in digital platforms,” she said. This reluctance is particularly evident among women journalists and politicians, who often face targeted harassment that impacts their mental and physical well-being.
The manosphere’s narratives are no longer confined to obscure corners of the internet. They are shaping how people think, vote, and treat others, influencing broader cultural and political landscapes. As these ideas gain traction, particularly among boys and young men, they threaten to reverse hard-won progress toward gender equality, especially as the world marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025.
UN Women’s Response: A Multi-Pronged Approach
In response to the growing threat of the manosphere, UN Women is scaling up efforts to counter toxic digital environments through a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy:
- Research and Data Collection: UN Women is conducting research to understand the spread and impact of online hate, providing critical insights to inform policy and interventions.
- Policy Advocacy: The agency is advocating for stronger digital safety regulations to protect users from online abuse and hold platforms accountable for amplifying harmful content.
- Support for Survivors: UN Women is providing resources and support for survivors of online abuse, helping them navigate the challenges of digital harassment.
- Public Education Campaigns: The agency is launching campaigns to challenge toxic masculinity and promote positive gender norms, countering the manosphere’s harmful narratives.
- Youth-Focused Programming: UN Women is developing programs aimed at building digital resilience among young people and promoting gender equality from an early age.
- Media Engagement: The agency is calling on the media to take a more active role in addressing online misogyny, amplifying accurate narratives about gender equality.
Education as a Tool for Prevention
UN Women emphasizes that education is one of the most effective tools for dismantling the foundation of misogynistic ideology. By engaging children and adolescents in conversations about gender equality, healthy relationships, and digital citizenship, harmful attitudes can be prevented from taking root. “It’s not just about protecting girls,” Mingeirou said. “It’s about creating a world where boys and girls alike can grow up free from the toxic pressures of harmful gender expectations.”
These educational efforts are critical for fostering a generation that values equality and rejects the divisive narratives perpetuated by the manosphere. By equipping young people with the tools to navigate digital spaces responsibly, UN Women aims to build a more inclusive and equitable future.
The Broader Implications of the Manosphere
The manosphere’s influence is a stark reminder of the challenges facing the global development community as digital spaces become battlegrounds for gender equality. As Kalliopi Mingeirou noted in an opinion piece published on June 24, 2025, “For many women and girls, what begins as a meme can too often end in menace.” The rapid spread of online misogyny is outpacing the ability of governments and institutions to implement effective countermeasures, making it imperative to act swiftly.
The manosphere’s toxic narratives are not a joke—they are fueling real-world harm and undermining decades of progress toward gender equality. From trivializing gender-based violence to discouraging women’s participation in public life, the manosphere’s impact is profound and far-reaching. As these ideologies continue to gain ground, they pose a direct threat to the principles of equality, justice, and democracy.
Conclusion
The rise of the manosphere represents a critical challenge to gender equality, with toxic digital spaces influencing real-world attitudes, behaviors, and policies. UN Women’s warning underscores the urgency of addressing online misogyny through research, policy advocacy, education, and public engagement. By countering the manosphere’s harmful narratives and fostering safe, inclusive digital environments, the global community can protect progress toward gender equality and ensure that both boys and girls can thrive free from toxic gender expectations. As the world reflects on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, the fight against the manosphere is a call to action for governments, media, and individuals alike to confront this growing threat head-on.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the manosphere, and why is it considered a threat to gender equality?
The manosphere is a network of online communities, including websites, blogs, forums, and influencers, that promote aggressive definitions of masculinity and anti-feminist ideologies. It portrays men as victims of feminism and spreads misogynistic narratives, undermining gender equality by distorting public understanding of gender issues, discouraging women’s participation in public spheres, and fueling real-world harm like harassment and violence against women.
2. Why is the manosphere gaining popularity among young men and boys?
The manosphere’s rise is driven by factors like social isolation, a need for validation, and digital anonymity, which lowers consequences for spreading hate. Social media algorithms amplify provocative content, while masculinity influencers exploit insecurities, offering support but often promoting regressive gender roles and portraying feminism as harmful.
3. How does the manosphere impact women and girls in digital and real-world spaces?
The manosphere fosters unsafe digital environments, as seen in campaigns like Gamergate, where women faced targeted harassment. It discourages women’s participation in politics, media, and academia due to fear of abuse, erodes support for gender justice, and contributes to real-world issues like verbal harassment, workplace discrimination, and violence against women.
4. What is UN Women doing to counter the manosphere’s influence?
UN Women is addressing the issue through a multi-pronged approach: researching the spread of online hate, advocating for digital safety regulations, supporting survivors of online abuse, launching public education campaigns to challenge toxic masculinity, developing youth-focused programs for digital resilience, and urging media to combat misogyny.
5. How can education help prevent the spread of manosphere ideologies?
Education is a key tool for dismantling misogynistic ideologies by teaching children and adolescents about gender equality, healthy relationships, and digital citizenship. This helps prevent harmful attitudes from taking root, creating a world where boys and girls can grow up free from toxic gender expectations, as emphasized by UN Women’s Kalliopi Mingeirou.
