The phrase ‘toxic masculinity’ is toxic itself, a journalist has claimed.

Farmer and journalist Hannah Quinn Mulligan has recently written about this topic in the Farming Independent.

Coming from an area like farming that she feels is “quite male dominated”, she feels men are feeling “under threat” by the term.

On Lunchtime Live, Ms Mulligan said she feels the phrase ‘toxic masculinity’ is “dividing the genders more and more”.

“Initially, when the phrase toxic masculinity was being used, it was to call out bad behaviour,” she said.

“But the repetition of the phrase just seemed to divide the genders more and more and more and it actually seems to make young men in particular kind of cleave to this really old-fashioned idea of what it means to be a man - these strong, silent types.

“I just don't think that's good for society and I don't think labelling what feels like nearly all traits of masculinity, of maybe being strong or even maybe being a provider at times, into a toxic brand is doing anyone any favours.”

A shrine in Brighton, erected to remember the murdered woman, Sarah Everard. Image: Alamy

Ms Mulligan said that traits like being aggressive and violent are oftentimes mislabelled as being masculine.

“There's nothing wrong with being masculine but there are things wrong with thinking that men can only be strong, aggressive and violent and I don't think those things are necessarily masculine,” she said.

“I think masculine can mean other things - it could mean caring, kind, thoughtful…

“We work with men in the workplace every day… a lot of those men are caring, kind and thoughtful and yet sometimes people don't equate those with being masculine and they should, because why would we want to work with anyone who was anything else.”

Unhappy woman suffering from domestic violence. Image: Alamy

Ms Mulligan said she thinks social media has not helped the situation.

“When we look at the likes of Andrew Tate and what he's telling young men and young boys - they seem to be kind of hanging on to this idea of being masculine [means],” she said.

“You can only be one thing - you can only be strong, you can only be set at a higher level than a woman in terms of terms of your intellect and your strength and physical strength, and also, I guess, even your financial strength.

“I don't think those things are masculine, I think men are much more than what Andrew Tate would have them be.

“That's what young men need to be told, that you are more than this and you don't need to be scared of it as well and you don't need to be scared of the idea that a woman is going to think less of you because you are thoughtful and kind.”

Andrew Tate leaves the Court of Appeal, in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre, File)

Ms Mulligan thinks the problem is young men fear that being masculine means you cannot be weak.

“Every human being is weak at some stage, we all have our challenges and that's what young men need to be told,” she said.

“They need to be told, ‘Yes, you are strong, you are clever, you are brilliant at earning money, all things women can be as well, and you don't need to be afraid of being vulnerable at times, because we're all vulnerable at times’.

“But that message isn't as powerful as Andrew Tate's message.”

Ms Mulligan said the more that young men supress their emotions, the more likely it leads to things like depression.

Andrew Tate arrives at the Bucharest Tribunal, in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, April 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)