Sheryl Sandberg says the manosphere is hurting women at work

According to data from Sheryl Sandberg's feminist organization, Lean In, six out of ten employees have witnessed sexist views at work influenced by manosphere and tradwife content. Sandberg, a prominent figure in the feminist movement, has long criticized the romanticized vision of the tradwife, arguing that it suggests women should dedicate themselves full-time to being a partner, mother, or wife. In reality, most women cannot afford to be solely responsible for childcare and household duties.

Sandberg expresses concern that the glorification of the tradwife trend could instill guilt in working mothers who wish to pursue their careers, a guilt that many have fought to overcome in the past. This development is part of a broader issue, as the manosphere, a collection of male podcasters and influencers, has propagated harmful ideas about gender roles and leadership.

New research indicates that nearly half of the men surveyed by Lean In believe men should be the primary earners for their families, while a third think women are unsuited for demanding jobs. Additionally, 42% of men believe men are better suited for leadership roles.

Despite the fact that many men may not agree with the content they encounter, they are three times more likely to share sexist views once exposed to it, and even non-receptive men are twice as likely to agree with the promoted ideas. The manosphere's influence is evident in the workplace, with terms like "alphas" and "betas" now being used to categorize men, and phrases like "alpha leadership" and "body count" becoming more common on professional platforms like LinkedIn.

High-profile figures, such as Mark Zuckerberg, have also promoted the idea of "masculine energy" in the corporate world, which contradicts efforts to create a more inclusive work environment through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Lean In urges senior leaders, particularly men, to confront sexism and demonstrate fairness in hiring, promotion, and performance reviews. However, the authors of the story emphasize that individual leaders may struggle to promote these behaviors when corporate America has long undermined the initiatives meant to tackle these issues. The solution, they argue, lies in working women keeping a record of the sexist remarks they encounter, as this could help hold perpetrators accountable.