Margaret E Ward: Falling birth rates show women want kindness, not 'strong men'

Margaret E Ward says that safety, respect and genuine partnership matter far more to women than dominance or status

Cillian Murphy: A swoon-worthy man and ideal partner.

Not long ago, men like Cillian Murphy, Richie Sadlier and Donncha O'Callaghan were considered the ideal partner. Swoon-worthy men like them are kind, honest and look out for other people. Good manners, maturity and respect for a partner are part of their very attractive brand, whether they intended it or not. They are gentlemen.

In the age of the so-called strong man — Conor McGregor, Andrew Tate, Donald Trump — a different message has taken hold: the way to win a partner is to looksmax, pump iron, or simply wear her down. The most desperate men now pay online influencers for scripts on how to trick women, and sometimes men, into bed, deploying manipulation tactics like negging and the threat of doxxing to keep women in their place.