Dear Harvard Men, Stop Hating Women.

This Women’s History Month, I am tired of misogyny. Specifically, that of Harvard men.

Misogyny is defined as “a hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against women.” It can manifest in various forms, ranging from slight discrepancies in the treatment of men and women in social settings, to actions as extreme as gender-based violence.

Harvard community members — especially male-identifying affiliates — must do more to correct behavior that normalizes misogyny at our school. They should do so, not in the name of seeming politically correct, but rather because of a moral obligation to our community.

Misogyny at Harvard has always been a cultural problem, especially considering the University’s longstanding history as a men’s college. In the 1990s, it was the strict, alienating practices of male final clubs towards female peers. In 2oo5, a former Harvard president suggested that women were underrepresented in the sciences, at least in part, due differences in “intrinsic aptitude.”

In the 2020s, misogyny has taken the form of the University’s lackluster response to harassment allegations from women levied against a powerful male professor, and arguably, the public crucifixion of former President Claudine Gay.

This endemic culture is also reflected in the data. The Crimson’s 2022 Faculty of Arts and Sciences survey indicated that 32.4 percent of women knew someone in their department who had experienced sexual harassment at Harvard — in contrast to 22.6 percent of men. This discrepancy suggests a certain obliviousness of Harvard men to the mechanisms by which such behavior manifests itself.

Microaggressions in day-to-day life tend to fall below the radar. Among groups of male students, it isn’t rare to hear jokes like “I hate women” or language coded with disdain for their female counterparts, paraded with an ironic flair.

Beyond harmful rhetoric, these jokes can quickly turn serious. I think of times where I was rarely recognized as an individual of any power or influence within male-dominated conversations. If I was acknowledged, it was to either demean my contributions, or — in one particularly memorable case — to ask me an off-topic question about a modeling agency.

Sure, it is one thing to make ironic jokes or remarks. However, such quips lose their humor when contrasted with real actions.

From these examples, it is evident that there is a culture at Harvard that implicitly demeans the value of women as intellectually and socially equal to men. Most female friends and acquaintances of mine at Harvard can recount navigating at least one misogynist incident during their time here.

It is up to Harvard men to do the extra work of becoming attuned to real biases they may perpetuate against women. Harvard students go on to be world leaders in every sector imaginable. We have an obligation to address bigotry now rather than later.

What does doing better look like? Start with simple reflection. Ask yourself basic questions: How frequently do I willingly collaborate with women in academic settings? How many women am I genuinely friends with? Observe the behaviors of other men: Do you notice slight differences in how your male friends and mentors treat women versus men?

Ask Harvard women about their experiences with gender bias — and don’t become pettily defensive if they call you out.

Finally, when women tell you about the misogyny they’ve experienced at the hand of a male peer or mentor, give them the benefit of the doubt. Women, and other marginalized groups broadly, usually have nothing to gain and everything to lose by pointing the finger, especially at someone they know.

So to all Harvard, but especially all male affiliates, regardless of other identities you may express — hold your peers accountable for gender bias in all of its forms.

Jasmine N. Wynn 27, an Associate Editorial editor, is a History concentrator in Winthrop House.