Concerns about harassment have ‘morphed into institutional misandry’, MP says

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The consequences of all this, and let’s be extremely careful with language that we use, is that the situation which is already bad in relation to the mental health issues of boys and young men is going to get even worse.” Sir Christopher tabled a series of amendments to the Bill, aimed to ensure the legislation “applies to men and women equally”, but did not press them to a vote. During the debate on the Bill, he said: “For the first time in our history, deliberately harassing, following, shouting degrading words at, making obscene gestures at women and girls in public places, and yes, on occasion men and boys in public places, because of their sex, with the deliberate intention to cause them alarm or distress, will be a specific offence, and a serious one at that. “By passing this legislation we are sending a powerful message to our young men that they do deserve better than that caricature of boys will be boys.” Labour shadow women and equalities secretary Anneliese Dodds said “we haven’t seen enough progress” on addressing issues of women’s safety, but added: “This Bill will be positive for everyone.” Home Office minister Chris Philp confirmed the Government’s backing for the Bill, and said he wanted to see guidance issued to police on the new offence “as soon as possible”. “The defendant for this offence could be a man or a woman, and indeed the victim could be a man or a woman, because as we’ve said, this legislation makes no distinction between men or women.” The Government backed the Bill and has previously said it wants to make the law “clearer” to the public and police, to encourage women to report their experiences, and to emphasise the severity of the crime.