Men's Rights Activism

Abstract

Men's rights activism refers to organizing by individuals and groups that believe men are systematically disadvantaged because of their gender. The earliest men's rights groups formed during the 1970s and the movement is active in several countries today. Research does not support the men's rights movement's claim that men face gender‐based discrimination. Scholars conclude the movement is male supremacist and anti‐feminist in nature, and primarily aims to deny women resources or exclude women from male‐dominated spaces rather than to liberate men. The men's rights movement is linked to other male and white supremacist and alt‐right movements. To date, research on the men's rights movement has analyzed its historical emergence, documented its claims and tested their validity, and examined representations of masculinity in men's rights spaces.