Speaking With Young People About the Manosphere and the Femosphere

This toolkit offers both background information on the manosphere and the femosphere, as well as practical guidance for working with young people on these online environments and the ideas that circulate within them. The toolkit was developed by MoveMen, an initiative of RoSa vzw and Keertij (Belgium), with the support of the Flemish Government and is currently only available in Dutch. RoSa vzw and Keertij are currently exploring possibilities for translation.

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Speaking with young people about the manosphere and the femosphere is a toolkit that explains what the manosphere and femosphere are, how young people stumble upon these spaces, and how they are encouraged to stay there. 

It dives into the vision that the manosphere and femosphere share about gender and sexuality, and the impact that those ideas have on the attitudes young people hold towards themselves, others and society as a whole. 

The toolkit touches upon: 

1. Stereotypical beliefs that naturalise and even glorify traditional gender norms and gender inequality
2. Heteronormativity, fear, aversion and even hatred towards LGBTQI+ people
3. Transactional views on relationships
4. Slut shaming and a double sexual morale that harms women and men, and
5. Antifeminism, which forms the ideological basis of the manosphere but is a little more complex in the femosphere.

The tool is mostly meant as practical guidance to discuss these topics with young people. The goal is to open up constructive but critical conversations about the appeal of these online spaces and their impact on young people’s well-being and worldview. 

The toolkit’s approach is based on curiosity and empathy: listening to young people without judgement, while encouraging them to reflect critically on the polarised and oftentimes harmful ideas about masculinity and femininity they encounter online. In the toolkit, we offer ten practical tips for dialogue and four activities to start mutually respectful dialogues.

Award Recognition

In February 2026, the Speaking with young people about the manosphere and the femosphere toolkit won a media award. Mediawijsheid, the organisation that awarded MoveMen for the toolkit, stated: ​“According to the jury, this initiative is a smaller project that deserves greater recognition and visibility.” More information (in Dutch) here.

In April 2026, RoSa vzw and Keertij are organising two trainings, in Brussels and in Antwerp, for professionals from diverse fields who work directly with young people. Training sessions will entail going through the contents of the toolkit, trying out two activities, and making time to exchange experiences and insights. More information (in Dutch) here.