From Compliance to Stewardship: How University Executives Must Meet the Challenge of the ‘New Misogyny’ on Campus

Abstract

Universities internationally are entering a new phase in their response to gender-based violence, shaped by shifting regulatory expectations and the growing influence of digitally-mediated misogyny among students. This commentary suggests the rise of the ‘manosphere’ (loosely connected online networks promoting misogynistic ideas) has reconfigured the conditions under which gendered harm emerges on campus, creating a mismatch between institutional responsibilities and existing responses. Drawing on Australian policy developments and school-based research, we argue that current approaches—which are largely compliance-oriented—are insufficient to address the diffuse and relational dynamics of this ‘new misogyny.’ We contend that universities must move beyond compliance toward enhanced stewardship capacity, requiring executive-level leadership to develop expertise in gender, masculinity, and digital culture, and to embed this across institutional strategy and practice.