All Women Belong in the Kitchen, and Other Dangerous Tropes: Online Misogyny as a National Security Threat

Abstract:Online misogyny is an under-studied form of information warfare. Often dismissed as "boys will be boys," online misogyny has been allowed to percolate and create communities that have far-reaching impacts. The impacts of online misogyny are not confined to the internet. In this article, the authors show how the ubiquitous nature of online misogyny poses a national security threat. We explore three diverse case studies: the United States military, the incel movement, and ISIS to demonstrate the far-reaching nature of the security threat. Though the nature of the security threats is different, the intervening cause—unchecked online misogyny—is the same.