By Natalia Tomczak
Opinions Editor
How far should a society go in order to correct a power imbalance between groups of people? What happens when the side effects of this power imbalance are ignored? On one scale, it is casual; the president of the United States insulted the women’s olympic hockey team, meanwhile the men’s hockey team erupted in laughter at this degradation of achievement by female athletes competing in the same sport.
On another scale, it is deadly. Statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline show that roughly 1-in-4 women have experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner, and 1-in-3 have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner. This should not be a fact of life.
Where is the outrage? Where is the action? Where is the policymaking? Waiting for action when facing such a deadly matter is tiring. A change must be ignited, and policy must start by educating young people and adults on these truths so society can truly be bettered. Empathy is the key to compassion — the motor that puts positive change into motion.
When it comes to education on misogyny, many react with dismissal. It is understandable why people might have the mindset that it is strange and unnecessary to talk about this with young people. I have heard the argument that speaking about misogyny merely alienates people based on gender, assuming that issues of hatred towards women are sporadic instances, not systemic patterns.
People may also point to how misandry, contempt or prejudice against men, seems to be a common sentiment among many women. While online, misandrist posts may circulate, it is not a systemic, oppressive force with deep-rooted history the way that misogyny is.
This misandrist sentiment does not manifest in the same violent ways misogyny does.
It is ironic that this fear many women have for the violence they may be subject to in a patriarchal society, is often misinterpreted by men as rudeness and a lack of respect, furthering a sentiment of disrespect towards women as a whole.
While misogyny is men’s anger towards those that are oppressed, misandry is women’s anger towards their oppressors. This means that addressing misogyny in schools will mean addressing misandry as well.
At the end of the day, it isn't about who deserves respect more, it is about who pays the highest price when respect is missing. Ego can recover from a blow, whereas a life cannot.
Moreso, patriarchy defines society. Boys are raised to limit emotional expression, taught to live a lifetime of disconnection. And in school, the way that boys socialize is often through misogyny, where banter is founded on a language of diminishing women. Meanwhile, girls are taught that to be a woman means to be less. This hierarchy ultimately harms everyone, encouraging people to fit into these boxes.
This is an issue in the U.S. The oppression of women persists through legal, political and social structures. There is no equivalent to this kind of systemic oppression for the current generation of white men in the U.S.
Ignorance may be bliss, but that doesn’t mean ignorance is harmless. The Women’s Rights movement’s peak in the U.S. coincided with the Civil Rights movement during the 1970s — a relatively recent development in history. A significant amount of time has passed since this era, and perhaps people have forgotten their history.
Many influencers, who have presented themselves to be role models for young men, have been critical of feminism. Famously, figures like Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson and Nick Fuentes have promoted rhetoric that feminism has “gone too far” and women need to take on a more traditional, submissive role in society.
When people hear the word feminism, they often shift in their seats. Young men may feel a desire to resist this change, seeing feminism as a term dragged online and among their friends. Proper education could be the key to changing this misconception.
Contrary to popular belief, women who are feminists report lower levels of hostility toward men than non-feminists. Still, the misconception persists that feminism excludes men.
Positive feminist role models, as opposed to misogynistic mentors, could change the way young men view traditional masculinity and women’s progress.
What can be done in schools to address this?
The department of education statutory guidance in the United Kingdom since July 2025 says that secondary school students should be taught about consent, the negative impacts of pornography on sexual relationships and that sharing and viewing indecent images of children is a crime.
The updated guidance, to begin in September 2026, says students should be equipped to recognise misogyny, its links to violence, and understand the importance of challenging it. This change was sparked, in part, by the 2025 Netflix drama “Adolescence,” which called attention to the impact online misogyny is having on teenage boys.
Guidelines in the U.S., however, seem to be falling short. In New Jersey, for example, curriculums must include education on pregnancy outcomes, contraception, sexual orientation, gender identity, consent and healthy relationships.
This is completely missing the nuances specifically called out in the U.K.’s statutory guidance, and this vagueness ignores key dilemmas.
Education promotes understanding, and this is essential in order to address the ways in which patriarchy and misogyny harm everyone. It shows up in people’s everyday lives, and it is important that we are properly equipped to handle it. Without this education, youth in the U.S. will fall behind, with mental health issues and violence on the rise.
What kind of future do we want for our young people? One where violence and gender polarization persists? Or one fostered on support, safety and equality? These conversations matter.
