The 7 characteristics of people who hate women

Misogyny is a problem that has affected societies since time immemorial. This aversion towards the feminine manifests itself in obvious and direct attitudes, and in subtle and everyday ways that often go unnoticed.

It is associated with a series of prejudices towards women, in addition to discriminatory behaviors, irrational beliefs and many negative stereotypes. Get to know hereuí the 15 fundamental characteristicsentales of a misogynistic person.

What are misogynistic people like?

The term “misogyny” is formed from the Greek root miseowhich means “to hate”, and gyne, which means “woman.” Thus, the word misogyny refers to the hatred, rejection, aversion and contempt of a subject towards women and, in general, towards everything related to the feminine.

The hatred that emerges through misogyny can be more or less hidden, and it is directed not only towards women, but also towards girls. But what is a misogynist person like? What are their characteristics? Let’s see the most relevant ones:

1. Objectification of the woman’s body

One of the characteristics of misogynistic people is that They perceive women as objects or things destined to give pleasure and to breed. This thought It detracts from the person and undermines their dignity, since she is viewed as someone who must fulfill certain functions. To reify is also to reduce your identity to aesthetic or functional properties.

2. Encourage others to objectify

Another trait of these individuals is that they tend to encourage others to also objectify women. Thus, being a misogynist also implies a way of inclusion and legitimation in a certain social group almost always made up of men. As a result, the misogynistic person makes derogatory or offensive comments to women and may encourage others to do so. According to a BBC article, in the United States hate groups have been formed towards social currents, such as feminism, in these conglomerates a discourse of male superiority and inferiority towards women is reiterated.

3. Violence and sexist attitudes

In more extreme cases, the misogynistic person uses sexist violence. It can do so through more hostile attitudes, or also through comments, behaviors or even based on physical or verbal aggression. This violence is directed at women systematically, solely for the mere fact of being women.

4. Marginalization of women

Misogynists tend to marginalize and isolate women. Those they give less value to their comments or contributions. They are subjects who avoid interacting with women beyond the professional field or certain tasks. Even today, there is a movement that demands a lifestyle away from women and traditional marriage, called: Men Go Their Own Way.

5. Rejection of female leadership

Another characteristic of misogynistic people is the rejection of female leadership. Thus, the misogynist takes a dim view of anyone who seeks to give visibility to feminism or women beyond their traditional roles. A traditional vision of things is defendedwhere important decisions “must” be made by men.

6. Relate low culture to women

This people They tend to consider that women consume lesser forms of culture, or that they are less cultured. On a misogynistic level, the concept of the feminine is associated with behaviors such as reading “bad novels”, consuming trash programs, listening to bad songs. In short, it is a critical and prejudiced look at what women consume on a cultural level.

7. Selective Puritanism

One of the characteristics of misogynistic people is that They tend to selectively use a puritan-like morality in everything related to sexuality. They apply this selective morality only when judging the behavior of ladies..

Furthermore, they are people who denigrate women who dress or act in a certain way, classifying them as promiscuous, very sexual, etc. On the other hand, with men they do not make these types of sexist comments.

8. Verbal or physical hostility

The misogynistic individual makes aggressive and derogatory comments against the woman. For example, he makes mocking jokes, negative comments about their bodies, and statements about the woman’s inability to perform some action. They may also resort to physical intimidation and harassment. According to ECLAC, in 2021 alone, 4,473 women were victims of femicides in Latin America and the Caribbean.

9. Indifference towards women’s problems

Another characteristic of misogynistic people is that they minimize the problems that affect women, by arguing that these are exaggerated, with the aim of giving them an importance that they do not have. Likewise, they ridicule issues such as sexual harassment, the wage gap, reproductive rights, etc.

10. They reject gender equality

misogynistic men they perceive gender equality as a threat to their position of power. They may believe that these ideas carry a discourse of oppression for their privileges as men. They may also think it means giving women more rights than men.

11. Control and domination

Another characteristic of misogynistic people is the control they exert over women. This is reflected in manipulative behaviors, such as making them feel guilty or insecure so that they submit to the domination that is desired to be exercised over them, through criticism of their physical appearance or behavior, as stated in a publication in Ra Ximhai magazine in the which addresses the cultural circumstances that led modern states to exercise control over the female body. Limiting access to a good source of financial resources is also another form of misogynistic dominance.

12. Disdain towards victims of gender violence

One of the characteristics of misogynistic people is that they direct blame towards the victims of gender violence.. They argue that these acts occur because women do not exercise caution or incite others with their clothing. Furthermore, they assume that complaints about this type of violence are unfounded, which double-victimizes abused women, and makes the aggressor invisible.

13. They favor men

They give greater value and priority to the needs of men. This favoritism can be observed in work decisions, social relationships, and family dynamics, where women are constantly minimized. A clear example of this condition of vulnerability suffered by the female gender is the so-called “glass ceiling”, which manifests the minority presence of women in decision-making environments and important positions, especially in the business world.

14. They do not respect women’s time or effort

Another characteristic of misogynistic people is that They belittle the work, time, dedication and effort of women. They do not recognize the contribution that they make in different areas, such as home, society, work, school.

15. Ignore women

In conversations and debates, Misogynists do not pay attention to women and interrupt them when they speak. What they may say has no value and, therefore, they are silenced and ignored.

Why are some people misogynists?

There are no defined causes that fully explain misogyny. However, there are several factors that influence its appearance.

Breeding: Some people are raised in families that have traditional gender roles, where women occupy a subordinate position. These roles tell the person how to treat women and what to expect from them. Over time, this can lead to misogynistic attitudes.Fear of losing power: In many societies, men occupy a position of power from which they exercise control over women and other groups. In this context, misogyny operates as a defensive strategy of hate.Negative experiences: Traumatic experiences (abuse, mistreatment, rape) experienced with one or more women can lead to hatred becoming generalized towards all women.religious norms: Culture and religion can play an important role in forming a misogynistic person. In some traditions, women occupy submissive and subordinate roles that perpetuate misogyny among the population.

None of these factors justify hatred towards women. Understanding these possible causes should help societies direct preventive efforts to counteract the development of misogynistic attitudes in people.

Social psychology and misogyny

Social psychology has used two models to understand the misogynistic attitude: the three-dimensional and one-dimensional type. Those break down the concept of “attitude”, and can be applied by inheritance to the misogynistic attitude.

Three-dimensional model

Within a three-dimensional approach, The misogynistic perspective can be described as a tendency to react to certain stimuli in specific ways, whether in emotional, cognitive or behavioral terms. From this perspective, the attitude is broken down into three fundamental aspects:

Emotional: It reflects the emotions or sensations aroused by the subject of interest, in this context, women.Cognitive: It refers to how the subject is viewed and understood, including opinions, convictions and assumptions about it, which can be both positive and negative.Behavioral: It indicates an inclination or propensity to behave in a certain way towards the subject, which can manifest itself as discrimination, evidenced by unequal treatment towards women.

One-dimensional model

From the perspective of the one-dimensional model, Attitude is viewed as a general inclination, whether positive or negative, toward someone or something. In relation to misogyny, it is oriented towards women.

This approach is structured on two essential foundations: convictions or beliefs and behavioral purpose, which is the tendency to act in a specific way towards women; in this context, in an unfavorable or discriminatory manner.

How to deal with misogyny

Dealing with this type of people is not easy, but it can be useful to know what to do when dealing with them. We leave you some recommendations to confront misogynistic attitudes.

Make them visible: When encountering these behaviors, do not remain silent. Use clear, assertive language to point out and challenge misogynistic behavior.Report the behavior: If you have a misogynistic coworker, document the negative incidents they have had with you and then approach authority figures or the wellness department to discuss what you have experienced.Prioritize your well-being: Your mental and physical health comes first. Set clear boundaries and communicate them to the misogynist. If you ignore them or the situation gets worse, get away from them or change your environment.Support and foster respectful environments: Help build…