The Institute for Research on Male Supremacism (IRMS) is pleased to release our first-ever impact report, covering IRMS programming and transformative change from fall 2019 through summer 2025.

Male supremacism is neither an isolated nor fringe phenomenon—it is a foundational ideology that fuels authoritarianism, far-right movements, and everyday violence and discrimination around the globe. Its influence is undeniable: from mass shootings inspired by misogynist incel forums, to authoritarian leaders using gendered rhetoric to consolidate power, to the persistence of intimate partner violence across societies.

Yet the significance of male supremacist ideology has been overlooked, left out of core scholarly definitions of the right-wing and authoritarianism. This undermines the potential for effective policy and cultural responses to injustice and violence.

The Institute for Research on Male Supremacism (IRMS) was founded to change that. Imagined by a small group of researchers, IRMS has grown into a global hub where more than 70 researchers from diverse disciplines and regions collaborate, support one another, and build frameworks that connect rigorous scholarship with activism.