Misogyny

So what is misogyny? It's a word you hear so often nowadays, but most people don't know what it means. In short, it's the hatred or contempt of women. There are many different types of misogyny, including: online, casual, overt, covert & internalised. Some of these could be considered obvious; some are much more subtle and are less known.

Types of Misogyny

Covert

This is a very subtle form of misogyny and is usually harder to spot. It's made up of "harmless jokes", unconscious biases, and microaggressions.

An example is when a woman is speaking and is frequently ignored and interrupted.

Overt

This is the open & direct expression of hatred or prejudice against women. Examples include derogatory comments about women and denying women opportunities based on their gender. This is the easiest form of misogyny to spot.

Internalised

This is the when women & girls believe that the sexist lies, stereotypes and myths about them are true. A few examples include judging women's sexual behaviour differently from men's sexual behaviour, being disgusted at women's body hair or believing that women are too emotional to be good leaders.

Casual

This is very similar to covert misogyny; the seemingly harmless comments like "you should smile more" or "what was she wearing?" or ignoring & interrupting women when they're speaking. It is important to note that while this form of misogyny is very similar to covert misogyny, it is different.

Online

This is when one or more of the other forms of misogyny are seen in digital spaces, such as TikTok, Twitch and Instagram. It can look like cyberbullying, harassment, trolling, doxing, revenge porn and more. This also includes the "manosphere", which includes people like Andrew Tate.

When faced with casual misogyny in conversation, don't laugh it off and "be polite" about it. Instead, challenge them on this behaviour and question why they think it's okay.