Editing Misogyny (section)

== English and Welsh law ==
In recent years, there has been increasing discussion in England and Wales of misogyny being added to the list of aggravating factors that are commonly referred to by the media as "[[hate crime]]s". Aggravating factors in criminal sentencing currently include hostility to a victim due to characteristics such as sexuality, race or disability.<ref name="Sentencing Council">{{cite web |url=https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/explanatory-material/item/aggravating-and-mitigating-factors/ |title=Aggravating and mitigating factors |publisher=Sentencing Council |access-date=2 November 2018 |archive-date=14 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814170501/https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/explanatory-material/item/aggravating-and-mitigating-factors/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016, Nottinghamshire Police began a pilot project to record misogynistic behaviour as either hate crime or hate incidents, depending on whether the action was a criminal offence.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Libby |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/09/uk-police-chiefs-urged-to-adopt-harassment-of-women-as-hate |title=UK police chiefs urged to adopt harassment of women as hate crime |work=The Guardian |date=9 July 2018 |access-date=2 November 2018 |archive-date=13 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513031600/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/09/uk-police-chiefs-urged-to-adopt-harassment-of-women-as-hate |url-status=live}}</ref> Over two years (April 2016-March 2018) there were 174 reports made, of which 73 were classified as crimes and 101 as incidents.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-44740362 |title=Misogyny hate crime in Nottinghamshire gives 'shocking' results |work=BBC News |date=9 July 2018 |access-date=2 November 2018 |archive-date=27 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927085840/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-44740362 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2018, it was announced that the [[Law Commission (England and Wales)|Law Commission]] would conduct a review into whether misogynistic conduct, as well as hostility due to [[ageism]], [[misandry]] or towards groups such as [[goth subculture|goths]], should be treated as a hate crime.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45423789 |title=Misogyny could become hate crime as legal review is announced |work=BBC News |date=6 September 2018 |access-date=2 November 2018 |archive-date=9 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009090032/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45423789 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Grierson |first=Jamie |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/16/review-of-uk-hate-law-to-consider-misogyny-and-ageism |title=Review of UK hate crime law to consider misogyny and ageism |work=The Guardian |date=16 October 2018 |access-date=2 November 2018 |archive-date=13 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513031555/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/16/review-of-uk-hate-law-to-consider-misogyny-and-ageism |url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2018, two senior police officers, [[Sara Thornton (police officer)|Sara Thornton]], chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, and [[Cressida Dick]], Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, stated that police forces should focus on more serious crimes such as burglary and violent offences, and not on recording incidents which are not crimes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tobin |first=Olivia |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/met-police-chief-cressida-dick-backs-top-cop-sara-thornton-on-tackling-burglars-and-violence-not-a3978526.html |title=Met chief Cressida Dick backs senior police officer Sara Thornton on tackling burglars and violence ahead of hate crimes |work=Evening Standard |date=2 November 2018 |access-date=2 November 2018 |archive-date=19 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119093445/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/met-police-chief-cressida-dick-backs-top-cop-sara-thornton-on-tackling-burglars-and-violence-not-a3978526.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Thornton said that "treating misogyny as a hate crime is a concern for some well-organised campaigning organisations", but that police forces "do not have the resources to do everything".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46053069 |title=Focus on violent crime not misogyny, says police chief |work=BBC News |date=1 November 2018 |access-date=2 November 2018 |archive-date=2 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102205217/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46053069 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2020 the [[Law Commission (England and Wales)|Law Commission]] proposed that sex or gender be added to the list of protected characteristics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/reforms-to-hate-crime-laws-to-make-them-fairer-and-to-protect-women-for-the-first-time/ |title=Reforms to hate crime laws to make them fairer, and to protect women for the first time |website=www.lawcom.gov.uk |date=23 September 2020 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=6 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006160528/https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/reforms-to-hate-crime-laws-to-make-them-fairer-and-to-protect-women-for-the-first-time/ |url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of the Law Commission's proposals seven police forces in England and Wales classed misogyny as a hate crime, but that definition had not been adopted across the board. The commission plans to make its official recommendations to the government in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last=Scott |first=Jennifer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54254541 |title=Misogyny: Women 'should be protected' under hate crime laws |work=BBC News |date=23 September 2020 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923052131/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54254541 |url-status=live}}</ref>

A Home Office spokesperson in October 2021 stated that police forces had been requested to record any crime the victim understood was driven by hostility to their sex.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/08/tory-peers-to-defy-boris-johnson-with-push-to-make-misogyny-a-hate-crime |title=Tory peers to defy Boris Johnson with push to make misogyny a hate crime |website=The Guardian |date=8 October 2021 |access-date=12 October 2021 |archive-date=13 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513031601/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/08/tory-peers-to-defy-boris-johnson-with-push-to-make-misogyny-a-hate-crime |url-status=live}}</ref>