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It’s a difficult period for the feminist movement. Space has opened up in public life for people who argue, very loudly, that efforts to level the playing field for women have come at the expense of men.
Many political parties don’t merely neglect women’s interests – they put anti-feminism at the forefront of their agenda. There are strong powers at play, pitting women against men.
The question, then, is what can be done? Here are three starting points.
1. End the ‘backlash’ narrative
Anyone interested in equality needs to fight back against those pushing a narrative that claims misogyny and backlash against feminism is inevitable or the norm. It is in fact only a small fraction of the population who feel this way. Most young men support women’s rights.
For example, a survey my colleagues and I ran in 2024 found that 16% of young men in the UK aged 16-29 believe that feminism has done more harm than good, but more than double that number (36%) think it has done more good to the world. Similarly, 36% of young men say feminism has not gone far enough, while only 18% think it has gone too far.
Humans are social animals. We are influenced by what we perceive as the accepted norm. This is why it is vital to challenge the idea that figures like the self-styled misogynist influencer Andrew Tate represent a majority viewpoint.
This narrative is not only misleading but also politically motivated. Under the Donald Trump administration, there is political gain to be made when tech oligarchs such as Mark Zuckerberg call for more “masculine energy” in organisations or society.
There are financial gains to be made for media outlets desperate for engagement in a clickbait economy. The prevalence of content that promotes anti-feminist worldviews risks shifting attitudes over time, as people often conform to what they believe is the dominant social norm.
To counteract this, we must consistently highlight that the majority of people support social justice and gender equality. Most people believe in the goals of feminism, and want greater freedom for both men and women. The real norm is not regressive attitudes, but progress.
2. Acknowledge men’s grievances
Having said that, we must also acknowledge that a significant proportion of young men feel frustrated and disillusioned, and that this is a genuine issue. In a recent YouGov survey, a quarter of young men said they support Tate.
However, they do so despite his misogynistic views, not because of them. They are drawn to his rhetoric about masculinity. This highlights a broader issue – the awkward positioning of young men in the evolving conversations around equality and diversity.
For decades, campaigns have rightly encouraged girls to pursue their ambitions, break away from being squeezed into traditionally female roles, break into traditionally male-dominated spaces, and redefine gender norms. Just look at the number of girls taking STEM subjects in A-levels and how well they are doing, or how girl’s football has exploded.
However, we have not done the same for boys. Boys are not doing traditional “girl” subjects, nor are they engaging in traditionally girl spheres like netball or ballet.
In effect, society has embraced the “masculinisation” of women but has not equally shattered the barriers to enable the “feminisation” of men. Feminism was always intended to be about the liberation of all genders, yet we have neglected the other half of the equation – enabling boys to move beyond rigid masculinity.
To truly advance gender equality, we must create space for compassionate masculinities to be valued. Boys need to be empowered to explore identities beyond the traditional mould of “being a man”.
This includes embracing traits and roles historically coded as feminine – such as caregiving and emotional openness – without stigma. Only by expanding the possibilities for all genders can we achieve true equality.
3. Counter populist exploitation
Finally, the rise of populist movements across the world is partly attributable to economic inequality. Young people today are less likely to own their own house, many are also earning less than their parents.
This may feel particularly pronounced for young men who once benefited from a system that privileged them – many of whom saw their fathers hold wealth and power. For them, equality can feel like a zero-sum game, where gains for others mean losses for them.
Populist politicians and media exploit this frustration, directing young men’s grievances away from the real source of economic inequality – the extreme concentration of wealth among the richest, and exploitative labour market systems – and instead blaming women, migrants and other marginalised groups.
Gender equality and economic social justice are deeply interconnected. We need to show that the challenges we face, and the causes of the problems we face are also shared. Likewise, the solutions to those problems benefit men and well as women.
Many of the things feminist groups have been long arguing for, such as well-paid parental leave for both parents, directly benefit men. Better leave for fathers helps them and children as well as supporting mothers’ employment and the wellbeing of the entire family and community.
In other words, what we want is not very dissimilar. We need to be able to share that our utopian vision of feminist futures is a place where both women and men would also want to live. The equal society we dream of is one in which men will thrive as well.
Finally, we need better male role models. There are a wide range of masculinities that are compassionate, brave, support communities and protect the most vulnerable. We not only know they are possible but see them existing in the world in the men we know.
We need to put greater efforts in to stop the problematic narrative of manhood that is being spread on social media algorithms and hack and flood these channels with more positive visions of the world.
The next stage of feminist activism is going to be challenging. We therefore need all genders to come together to fight the good fight with us. Are you ready? Don’t be afraid. I guarantee, you will also love the future it will bring us.
Heejung Chung receives funding from the Productivity Institute, Norwegian Research Council, the European Commission, Nuffield Foundation, and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF-2023S1A5A2A03083567). She is the Director of the King's Global Institute for Women's Leadership which receives funding from a wide range of philantrophic foundations and individuals. She has previously received funding from the TUC, Government Equalities Office, NORFACE, ESRC, European Commission and others. She is currently an academic advisory board member of the NGO Working Families.
