The Manosphere and the Rise of Online Misogyny
This blog is part of YWCA BC's Gender Equality Week series, exploring some of the most pressing challenges facing gender equality today. While significant progress has been made over the past several decades, gender equality cannot be taken for granted. Across Canada and around the world, organized efforts are challenging hard-won gains and shaping public attitudes in new ways.
One of the most visible examples is the rise of the manosphere, a network of online communities that promote anti-feminist and male-supremacist ideas. As these messages increasingly reach young audiences, many experts are raising concerns about their impact on attitudes toward women, gender-diverse people and equality itself.
How did the manosphere begin?
Although the manosphere may seem like a recent phenomenon, it can be traced to men's rights movements that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s as part of a broader backlash
against second-wave feminism. Many of these groups framed feminism as the primary cause of social and economic problems affecting men. Over time, these communities moved online and were joined by fathers' rights groups, pick-up artists and incels (involuntary celibates). Today, the manosphere is amplified by social media personalities, including figures such as Andrew Tate, who market advice and lifestyle content primarily to young men.
This content can look like a self-improvement course, promising success in careers, social status, physical appearance and romantic relationships. Many of these messages rely on manipulation and promote male supremacy and anti-feminist ideas. Reports show that boys as young as eight years old are being exposed to manosphere content, with adolescents and young men representing the primary target audience.
How has the manosphere grown?
The online nature of these communities allows messages to spread rapidly among youth, who often have regular access to smartphones, tablets and social media platforms. The manosphere often exploits young people’s insecurities: concerns about appearance, identity, relationships and belonging.
According to a report by the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO), shared in June 2026, 70% of young people who watch online videos encounter toxic masculinity. These discussions often suggest women are responsible for men's frustrations and can normalize harassment, coercive control and discriminatory behaviour.
The same report found that activity within manosphere communities has more than doubled over the past decade. In some cases, the language used by these communities is openly hateful or violent and has been linked to harassment, misogyny, increased intolerance and—in extreme cases—acts of violence and terrorism.
This hostility is not directed only at women. The manosphere frequently promotes resentment toward a range of marginalized groups.
"Young people start believing that 2SLGBTQIA+ people, women, newcomers and refugee communities are to blame for men's challenges and problems," says Humberto Carolo, Chief Executive Officer of White Ribbon. "They start to think they've been left behind and don't have access to resources, and a rage starts to emerge."
The growth of the manosphere is not just an online phenomenon. Experts have warned that these misogynistic conversations and content can make harassment, coercive control and violence against women seem normal. Even the Canadian government now recognizes technology-facilitated violence, online hate and cyberviolence as important forms of gender-based violence, particularly affecting women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
How the manosphere targets marginalized communities
The manosphere does not promote misogyny in isolation. Many of these online communities also reinforce racism, homophobia, transphobia and other forms of discrimination. Research has found connections between manosphere spaces and alt-right communities, where messages about masculinity can be intertwined with beliefs about race, gender and sexuality.
These messages can be particularly harmful for people who experience discrimination based on more than one aspect of their identity. For example, scholars use the term misogynoir to describe forms of misogyny specifically directed at Black women at the intersection of racism and sexism. Research on the Black manosphere has found that some online spaces blame Black women for challenges facing Black men, while reinforcing misogynoir and patriarchal ideas.
The manosphere also often promotes rigid ideas about gender and sexuality. Trans, non-binary and gender-diverse people may be targeted because they challenge these narrow ideas of what men and women should be. This means the impact of online misogyny can extend beyond women, reinforcing hostility toward people across different communities and identities.
What can we do?
As anti-feminist ideologies gain visibility online, experts warn they can reinforce gender inequality and increase violence and harassment. Experts and advocates have proposed several responses, including better education for parents about the online content young people may encounter, stronger regulation and moderation of online platforms to address misinformation and harmful content and improved digital literacy programs that help young people critically assess the information they consume. Programs like YWCA Relate help young people build healthy relationships, strengthen communication skills and develop the confidence to advocate for themselves and others. These skills can help youth navigate the stereotypes, misinformation and harmful messages they encounter online, including toxic masculinity.
Donate to YWCA BC to help young people build healthy relationships, navigate online spaces and feel safe, supported and empowered—both online and offline.
