This informal CPD article ‘Gender Equality Needs Men Too’ was provided by togetHER against sexism CIC, a social enterprise and collective based in the United Kingdom whose mission is to end sexism and sexual violence.
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Support for feminism is declining among men in the UK, particularly among younger generations. While most young men reject overt misogyny, growing scepticism towards feminism risks reinforcing harmful gender norms and undermining efforts to tackle gender-based violence.
Yet the consequences extend beyond women. The same rigid ideas about masculinity that fuel sexism also make it harder for men to seek help, report abuse and express vulnerability. Gender inequality is not sustained by individual attitudes alone but by a system of expectations that affects everyone.
Building a more equal society therefore requires collective action. Men have a role to play in challenging sexism, but institutions, schools, workplaces and media organisations must also help reshape the narratives that divide young men and women. Gender equality is not a battle between competing interests. It is a shared goal that benefits us all.
A growing divide around feminism
Attitudes towards feminism in the UK appear to be shifting. Research published in 2025 by Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London found that fewer Britons now identify as feminists than a year earlier. The decline is particularly noticeable among men, with only 28% describing themselves as feminists, compared with 38% in 2024.
The findings point to more than a simple change in terminology. Increasingly, feminism has become entangled in broader cultural and political debates. Rather than being understood primarily as a movement for equality, it is often portrayed as controversial, divisive or even threatening to men's interests.
These tensions are most visible among younger generations. Gen Z men are significantly less likely than their female peers to identify as feminists, and many believe that efforts to advance women's equality have gone too far. At a time when younger people are often expected to lead social progress, these attitudes reveal a growing disconnect in how gender equality is understood.
The concern is not simply whether young men embrace the feminist label. It is what this shift tells us about changing attitudes towards gender, power and equality.
Why disengagement matters
The distancing of some young men from feminist ideas has implications for efforts to prevent gender-based violence. While openly misogynistic views remain a minority position, research suggests that younger men are more likely than older generations to express attitudes linked to dominance, control and traditional gender roles.
The popularity of figures among a segment of young men reflects this trend. Although only a minority actively support such influencers, their messages can contribute to the normalisation of sexist attitudes and behaviours.
In practice, this can manifest in everyday ways. Teachers and youth workers have reported concerns about increasing levels of misogynistic language, sexual harassment and gender-based bullying in some educational settings. Even when these behaviours are dismissed as jokes or isolated incidents, they contribute to an environment in which sexism is tolerated rather than challenged.
Restrictive gender norms also harm men
At the same time, the growing polarisation between young men and women risks obscuring the ways in which restrictive gender norms also harm men. Traditional ideas of masculinity continue to place pressure on men to appear strong, self-reliant and emotionally controlled. These expectations can discourage vulnerability and make it harder to seek support when needed.
The impact is particularly evident in discussions about sexual violence. Although women remain disproportionately affected, many men also experience abuse. Yet social expectations surrounding masculinity mean that male victims are far less likely to report what has happened to them or access support services.
As a result, public conversations about gender often overlook the fact that the same system that disadvantages women can also leave men isolated, silenced and unsupported.
A shared responsibility
For generations, patriarchal norms have shaped social expectations, institutions and power structures. Challenging those norms cannot be the responsibility of women alone.
Men have an important role to play in creating change. That includes challenging sexist behaviour when they encounter it, listening to women's experiences and refusing to accept misogyny as harmless banter. Small actions can help create cultures in which respect and equality are the norm rather than the exception.
But individual behaviour is only part of the solution. The growing divide between young men and women highlights the need for broader cultural change. Gender equality must be presented not as a competition between groups but as a collective effort to create greater freedom and opportunity for everyone.
This means schools encouraging young people to question restrictive stereotypes, employers supporting more equal approaches to caregiving and family life, media organisations promoting diverse representations of gender, and public institutions addressing issues that affect both women and men.
The future of gender equality depends on our ability to move beyond narratives of division. Lasting progress will require recognising that rigid gender norms limit everyone, albeit in different ways. Building a fairer society is not about choosing sides. It is about ensuring that everyone has a stake in the outcome.
Gender equality needs men not because women cannot achieve change alone, but because meaningful and lasting change is only possible when everyone is part of the conversation.
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References:
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). What Is Toxic Masculinity and How Does It Impact Mental Health? Available at: https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/what-toxic-masculinity-and-how-it-impacts-mental
BBC News. (2023). How Masculinity Influencers Are Reaching Young Men. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64125045
Forbes. (2025). Gen Z Has a Big Gender Gap When It Comes to Views on Feminism. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/josiecox/2025/03/06/gen-z-has-a-big-gender-gap-when-it-comes-to-views-on-feminism/
Ipsos and Global Institute for Women's Leadership, King's College London. (2025). Progress and Polarisation: Global Attitudes Toward Gender Equality. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/en/international-womens-day-2025
Ipsos UK, King's College London Policy Institute and Global Institute for Women's Leadership. (2024). Masculinity and Women's Equality: Study Finds Emerging Gender Divide in Young People's Attitudes. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/masculinity-and-womens-equality-study-finds-emerging-gender-divide-young-peoples-attitudes
King's College London, Global Institute for Women's Leadership. (2025). Gen Z Men and Women Most Divided on Gender Equality, Global Study Shows. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/gen-z-men-and-women-most-divided-on-gender-equality-global-study-shows
Office for National Statistics (ONS). Sexual Offences in England and Wales. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk
Rape Crisis England & Wales. Statistics on Sexual Violence. Available at: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-informed/statistics-sexual-violence/
Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC). (2024). False Reports: The Facts. Available at: https://www.rsacc-thecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/False-Reports-The-Facts.pdf
Safeline. Support for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Rape. Available at: https://safeline.org.uk/resources/information-for-adult-survivors/support-for-males/
SurvivorsUK. Supporting Men, Boys and Non-Binary People Affected by Sexual Violence. Available at: https://www.survivorsuk.org
Together Against Sexism. (2025). Counting Men In. Available at: https://www.togetheragainstsexism.org/readourblog/couting-men-in
United Nations. International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day
West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Just Don't: Challenging Violence Against Women and Girls. Available at: https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/policing-and-crime/keeping-people-safe/safety-of-women-and-girls/just-dont/
White Ribbon UK. Allyship: The Key to Real Culture Change. Available at: https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/allies
White Ribbon UK and Centre for Protecting Women Online. (2025). The Case for Investing in Primary Prevention: Ending Men's Violence Against Women and Girls. Available at: https://oro.open.ac.uk/107477/1/The%20Case%20for%20Investing%20in%20Primary%20Prevention%20Ending%20Men%E2%80%99s%20Violence%20Against%20Women.pdf
YouGov. (2025). Young Men, Masculinity and Misogyny. Available at: https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/52863-young-men-masculinity-and-misogyny
Further Academic Reading
Gothard, K., Dewhurst, D.R., Minot, J.R., Adams, J.L., Danforth, C.M. and Dodds, P.S. (2021). The Incel Lexicon: Deciphering the Emergent Cryptolect of a Global Misogynistic Community. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.12006
Horta Ribeiro, M., Blackburn, J., Bradlyn, B., De Cristofaro, E., Stringhini, G., Long, S., Greenberg, S. and Zannettou, S. (2020). The Evolution of the Manosphere Across the Web. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.07600
Pelzer, B., Süssenbach, P. and colleagues. (2024). Manfluencers and Young Men's Misogynistic Attitudes: The Role of Social Media Influencers in Attitudes Towards Gender Equality. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-024-01538-2
