Misogyny To Be Treated As Extremism By UK Government

In Britain, the Home Office has said Extreme misogyny will be treated as a form of extremism under new government plans

Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, has ordered a review of the UK’s counter-extremism strategy in order to determine how best to tackle threats posed by harmful ideologies.

The analysis will look at hatred of women as one of the ideological trends that the government says is gaining traction.

Ms Cooper said there has been a rise in extremism “both online and on our streets” that “frays the very fabric of our communities and our democracy”.

The review will look at the rise of Islamist and far-right extremism in the UK, as well as wider ideological trends, including extreme misogyny or beliefs which fit into broader categories, such as violence. It will also look at the causes and conduct of the radicalisation of young people.

Ms Cooper said the strategy will “map and monitor extremist trends” to work out how to disrupt and divert people away from them.

It will also “identify any gaps in existing policy which need to be addressed to crack down on those pushing harmful and hateful beliefs and violence”, she said.

The work will inform a new counter-extremism strategy, which was promised in Labour’s manifesto and which the Home Office says will “respond to growing and changing patterns” of extremism across the UK.

The review is expected to be completed by October. It is one of a number of policy reviews Labour has announced since coming to power in July, including the Strategic Defence Review, spending review and a review of the National Curriculum.

Critics might argue that some reviews are a proxy for actual action, but Labour has pointed out that there has been no new Counter Extremism