For as long as structured society has existed, there has always been some form of hierarchy. Some people are at the bottom, and others are at the top.

Since its founding in 1776, the United States of America has made significant progress in combating gender inequality; however, that doesn’t mean it has been eradicated entirely. Misogyny overall is a complicated issue, with it taking many forms that may not be so obvious. 

Metea senior and board member for the club Elevate, Ava Hensley, addresses how misogyny isn’t just when guys hate women just because they are women.

“I think a lot of people, they don’t think that they hate women, but I think there are a lot of people that genuinely believe that women aren’t as good at certain jobs or as good at thinking,” Hensley said. “It has to be due to [the] unconscious bias that we all have.”

The angle at which people look at misogyny and feminism varies based on a number of factors, such as age, background, location, education, and lifestyle. In recent years, there has been a growing traditionalist community online. These people are typically conservative and religious in a way that hasn’t been around for decades. The number of people in this movement has skyrocketed, especially after the second election of Donald Trump as president. 

Even government officials partake in this movement. In August, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reposted a video of a pastor saying that the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, should be repealed. Rhetoric like this has been platformed by the “trad” movement for some time now, causing it to become mainstream. While this remains a niche part of the internet, rhetoric like this can snowball over time.

“It’s similar to racism in that the small comments build up over time and they create a cultural acceptance of putting other people down,” Hensley said. “I think we’ve seen an increase in inflammatory speech online and in general overall.”

One of the internet’s major flaws is that harmful ideas can be spread quickly, giving the impression that this rhetoric is new or has increased. While the internet may make thoughts look like they have increased or are new ideas, it’s common knowledge that ideas do not appear suddenly.

“Most people would say Oh, it’s gone up because you’ve seen more of it online, but those ideas are not built overnight,” Hensley said.

It is also harder for men to speak up against misogyny. Despite all the “sigma male grindset” videos that you see on TikTok, there are still guys out there who think of women as equals. The issue is that these men are put down by other men and ostracized because they are not “masculine” enough. 

One of these “sigma” influences is Andrew Tate. He became relevant after being arrested by Romanian police for sexual assault, human trafficking, and prostitution. According to a study by McGill University in Montréal, Quebec, Tate left a harmful impact on young men and boys, giving them ideas of sexism, misogyny, and violence towards women.

Overall, misogyny persists as a major social issue across the world and will likely continue to plague society for generations. This doesn’t mean it can’t be restricted. There are many organizations fighting against misogynistic language online and in person through education and awareness campaigns. As long as awareness is spread and people are educated, we can work toward a world in which women, men, and all those in between can finally live side by side in peace.