From online hate to workplace harm: understanding the manosphere

The TUC has committed to highlighting the influence of misogynistic ideology in the UK and is working with unions to challenge this in workplaces. Our new literature review on misogyny and the manosphere written Dr Olivia Brown, University of Bath, is part of this work.  

The evidence is clear – online content is shifting our views on gender roles, contributing to increased acceptability of misogynistic behaviours. And misogynistic content can be a pipeline entry point to far-right communities and male violence.  

The blog provides an overview of the literature review launched at Congress. We encourage you to read the full version here which includes what the TUC is doing to support affiliates.   

Firstly, what is the manosphere? 

It’s not a uniform space but loosely it’s an online network that is characterised by resentment towards women and a belief that men’s problems in society are because of women and feminist ideas. Audiences, predominantly young men, are often drawn in through gym, gaming and dating content where misogynistic content can be more subtle. Influencers play a central role and make money off hate – misogynistic content holds commercial and ideological value. 

Young people are exposed on a regular basis with multiple reports showing the majority have seen misogynistic content online and around a third to half see it daily.  

What’s the impact? 

Whilst not everyone who watches this content holds misogynistic views, there is widespread concern that misogyny is on the rise in the UK with research suggesting that the increase in online content is partly fuelling this. This includes a concerning rise in male violence against women in younger age groups.  

Studies by Women’s Aid have found that children and young people who had been exposed to content were more likely to report there should always be a dominant person in a relationship and that physically hurting someone was acceptable if you apologised afterwards. Other research found that misogynistic beliefs were associated with greater willingness to engage in violent extremism, interpersonal violence and to support violence against women.  

There have been cases of violent attacks by men who are heavily embedded within incel communities such as Jake Davison in the UK who murdered five people including his own mother. 

The content is also harmful to men and boys, having a negative impact on mental health, including self-harm and low self-esteem, due to the unrealistic ideals around masculinity. It also fails to identify the actual causes of the real suffering that many young men experience in our society. 

How do they reach our workplaces? 

While research is limited, emerging evidence indicates a link between online misogyny and workplace sexism. Young Women’s Trust annual surveys indicate that discrimination against young women is rising. Most research comes from schools with teachers reporting high levels of concern about misogyny from students.  

NASUWT’s survey of 5,000 teachers found that a quarter of female respondents reported experiencing misogyny from a student in the past year, with 59% of all teachers stating that they believed social media was playing a role in negatively impacting pupils’ behaviour, citing influencers such as Andrew Tate. This affects teachers today and the workforce of tomorrow.  

TUC and union evidence consistently shows that women face discrimination, harassment and violence at work with those who experience additional forms of inequality more likely to face these. Half of women have experienced sexual harassment and this is higher for Black women, LBT+ women and disabled women.   

And what’s the connection to the far right? 

Despite differences between them, the manosphere and the far right are both deeply patriarchal, with core beliefs in traditional gender roles, upholding male superiority and opposition to LGBT+ and women’s rights in the name of protecting the traditional family.  Central to the far right is a need to protect white, cis, straight women for childbearing and securing the future of majority race, religion and nation.  

Evidence also shows that engagement in misogynistic content provides a pipeline entry point to far-right communities.  

Adjacent to the manosphere is the Trad Wives community, largely promoted to a female audience, with similar values where women are defined as caregivers and homemakers. In these communities, there is promotion of right-wing ideologies, including the 14 words, the promotion of having children to maintain the white race.  

Why this matters for trade unions. 

Trade unions have always organised against discrimination at work. The law protects us, but it is our values of solidarity, justice and equality that build coalitions of workers who unite against hate in our workplaces and communities.  

The manosphere acts as a threat to all of us. It increases the likelihood for harassment and violence, divides workers and makes it harder for us to tackle institutional discrimination.  

Let’s fight it together.