An extremist misogynist is someone who advocates for violence and holds a resentment toward women (and those who identify this way). They believe that women are inferior to men and maintain both sexist, transphobic, and homophobic beliefs about how a woman should be. While not all extremists are vocal, extreme misogyny can lead to violence, domestic assault, terrorist action, and more. 

In their podcast, the young people at New City College discuss Elliot Rodger, an extreme misogynist murderer that identified as an "Incel", a term that is short for involuntary celibate. Elliot Rodger is quoted by the Guardian to have said “I will destroy all women because I can never have them”. What is particularly worrying about this message is his belief that he had the right to own another person. He believed that it is his right to have a romantic partner and the rejection he experienced caused him to hold resentment over women as well as those in successful relationships.

According to the BBC, "the 22-year-old posted a 'retribution' video to YouTube and emailed a lengthy autobiographical document to almost two dozen people he knew", showing an evident intent to share his misogynistic beliefs and attain understanding from others. His message has been shared in various online communities illustrating how easy it is for extremist thought to take root online. One individual is quoted by VOX to have said that “ER was a real hero”, demonstrating how Elliot Rodgers is glorified online, encouraging others to adopt similar toxic values. 

The young people move onto quoting the National Education Union, stating that "66% of female students and 37% of male students in mixed-sex sixth forms have experienced or witnessed the use of sexist language in school". To stop this discrimination from developing into extremism, we must do all we can to tackle sexism and misogyny within schools. By teaching the next generation that discrimination and prejudice is not okay, we can create a more tolerant and accepting society. Hear more about what our young people have to say in the podcast below.

This project was produced as a collaboration between New City College Attlee A Level Academy and Headliners (UK).

Thank you to the Tower Hamlets Prevent Team for making these sessions possible.