Hundreds of men marched through Bern on Saturday to denounce misogyny and violence against women, urging men to take a more active role in opposing patriarchal attitudes.
The demonstration outside parliament followed persistent concerns that misogyny remains too prevalent online among teenage boys and young men, according to Al Jazeera. Organisers said that men need to build a stronger counter-narrative against right-wing influencer networks.
The Times of India said that the march also came in the wake of heightened prominence for right-wing manosphere influencers, some of whom felt empowered by the 2024 election victory of US President Donald Trump to spread online threats and misogynistic abuse. Swiss academics and advocacy groups have attempted to assess the scale of that movement in the country.
A June report by mencare—an umbrella organization for Swiss men’s and fathers’ associations—and the University of Zurich revealed that 50 percent of male participants aged 18 to 24 worried that traditional masculinity is increasingly sidelined in society. The study also found that half of those surveyed held a restrictive, dominance-based view of masculinity, according to both Al Jazeera and The Times of India.
Authors of the research advocated for a comprehensive, nationwide conversation regarding aggressive masculine norms, suggesting that these dialogues should commence within educational institutions.
Earlier this month, Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans participated in a conference designed to bring attention to the risks of aggressive online harassment targeting women. In a November 2 address covered by Al Jazeera, Jans highlighted statistics indicating that men were responsible for 80 percent of violent offenses and constituted 99 percent of all convicted rapists.
“It is not all men. But we must also admit: It is almost always men,” Jans said on November 2, adding that violence by men begins with a disparaging remark rather than the first blow.
The demonstration sought to encourage young men influenced by the manosphere to reconsider their views and challenge violence against women and queer people.
“We men are part of the problem — the problem being violence against women and queer people,” said Christoph Gosteli, a 42-year-old social worker and co-organiser of the rally alongside the group Maenner, told Al Jazeera.
“That is why it is important for us to take a stand and say: We no longer want to be part of the problem; we want to be part of the solution,” Gosteli added, as reported by The Times of India.
| Statistic / Finding | Data Point | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Male violent crime share | Four-fifths of violent crimes | Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans |
| Rape perpetrator share | 99 percent | Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans |
