Posted on July 3, 2025

Once, masculinity was honoured. Not as dominance — but as discipline, virtue, and resolve.
The man who rose early, bore weight without complaint, protected without reward, and lived with quiet resolve — that figure commanded respect and admiration. Today, however, that ideal is not only questioned but, in some quarters, openly dismantled.

To ask whether masculinity is under attack is to walk a narrow path. Some see any defence of manhood as dangerous nostalgia — a longing for patriarchy cloaked in principle. Others believe masculinity is being systematically weakened through policy, media, and ideology.

This article seeks no enemies. It seeks clarity.

The Cultural Shift

We are undeniably in a period of redefinition. Terms like "toxic masculinity" dominate public discourse — used by some to highlight genuinely harmful behaviours, while others worry it casts too wide a net. When every expression of strength, stoicism, or resilience risks rebuke, many men retreat into silence or performative displays.

Feminist theory, in its many shades, has offered vital critiques of power and gender. Yet, in some of its more radical forms, manhood is framed as the problem. The danger here is not critique but caricature. When masculinity is reduced to a meme of harm, we lose the space to distinguish vice from virtue.

Legal and Institutional Tensions

Certain areas of modern policy raise legitimate concerns. For example, UK family courts are perceived by many as favouring mothers in custody disputes. According to figures from the Ministry of Justice and other independent studies, around 70% of custody rulings favour mothers — raising questions about gender bias in the legal system.

Men’s mental health issues, suicide rates, and educational attainment tend to receive comparatively less funding and political focus than equivalent issues affecting women. The Office for National Statistics reports that three-quarters of UK suicides are male. Similarly, government data shows that boys consistently underperform compared to girls at GCSE level.

Are these disparities oversights or indicators of broader societal patterns? Some argue they stem from well-meaning but lopsided advocacy; others see them as part of a subtle subversion of male roles within society. The truth likely lies somewhere in between — but raising these questions often invites swift condemnation.

“A society that forgets how to honour its men will soon forget how to raise them.”

Power, Fear, and the Politicisation of Masculinity

There is a growing sense of unease among many young men — that masculinity is unwelcome or, worse, suspect. In schools, universities, and workplaces, many report confusion about their roles, values, and voices.

In the vacuum left behind, some figures — whether charismatic influencers or misguided leaders — step in to fill the void. Their influence is often rooted not in reason but in misconception, silence, and exploitation. When society abandons the project of shaping good men, problematic figures flourish.

To be clear: the threat is not feminism per se. The real danger lies in ideological extremism — on both sides — that refuses to distinguish between reform and erasure.

The Question of Intent

Is this a deliberate war on masculinity? It depends. Some policies may be ideologically driven; some cultural products may cynically pander to trends rather than reflect truth. However, many of these shifts arise not from conspiracy but from confusion — a society attempting to recalibrate, sometimes overcorrecting in the process.

It’s tempting to look for grand designs, but often, the dismantling of masculinity is less a plotted attack and more a consequence of society forgetting what it once offered.

The Path Forward

We cannot recover masculinity by shouting, nor can we preserve it by resisting all change. The real task is to retrieve its best elements — courage, honour, responsibility, restraint — and carry them forward.

To defend masculinity is not to exclude others. It is to insist that strength and sensitivity are not enemies. That stoicism and compassion are not opposites. That a man may lead without oppressing, serve without surrendering, and protect without apology.

This is not a war cry. It is a call to rebuild.