Misandry

Misandry (/mɪsˈændri/) is the hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against men or boys.

The term misandry originated in the late 19th century as an epithet for first-wave feminists, drawing an equivalence between hatred of men and misogyny, the hatred of women. The term re-emerged during the 1980s in men's rights literature and academic literature on structural sexism. In the internet age, use of the term has become common within the manosphere to counter feminist accusations of misogyny. Users of men's rights discussion forums on websites such as 4chan and Reddit have claimed that misandry is widespread, established in preferential treatment of women, and shown by discrimination against men.

Men's rights activists (MRAs) and other masculinist groups have characterized modern laws concerning divorce, domestic violence, conscription, circumcision, and treatment of male rape victims as examples of institutional misandry. However, in virtually all societies, misandry lacks institutional and systemic support comparable to misogyny, the hatred of women.

MRAs have been criticised for promoting a false equivalence between misandry and misogyny, as part of an antifeminist backlash. A 2023 research article, which combined multiple studies conducted by the authors, found that feminists are no more likely to be misandrist than other groups, including non-feminist men and women. The authors coined the term "The Misandry Myth" to describe the popular notion that misandry is commonplace among feminists.