'I JUST find it infuriating when the privileged lay claim to victimhood. And that is why," my female friend explained, "I think the men's movement is completely insane." Her attitude wasn't surprising; misandry is a deeply entrenched part of contemporary Australian culture. I reached for my beer and bit my tongue. It got worse: "Whether you accept it or not, statistics show that men are responsible for nearly all acts of violence.

It's time that society placed more power in female hands and put an end to it."

Statements such as these are common fare. In our society, men are often thought of as inadequate, emotionally crippled, and potentially violent.

So, how does one begin to argue with such crumpled thinking, when every claim that men might be having a hard time is met with jeers? It is generally assumed that women remain oppressed, while men continue to reap the benefits of patriarchy.

On average, men still have higher incomes than women. They are also grossly over-represented in our political system. Never mind the fact that male suicides in Australia outnumber female suicides by four to one. Never mind the increasing gender bias in our education system. Sexism is still commonly accepted as the discrimination of men against women.