Author Mona Charen says women are less happy today than they were before the second and third waves of feminism. She points to three ways the feminist movement made mistakes: endorsing the sexual revolution, denigrating family life, and insisting there are no differences between men and women. What were widely seen as steps forward for women came with a trade-off, says Charen — less security and greater vulnerability.

Not only are women less happy, men are falling behind. Because many men have left their families, Charen says, men are trapped in a vicious cycle. "They didn’t grow up with a male role model, they didn’t grow up with the unique things that fathers bring to the picture." This lack of a father figure in men's early lives prevents them from stepping up to be the pillars of their own families and communities, she thinks.

With the proliferation of dating apps and casual sexual encounters, Charen says the world of modern love and relationships causes women to lose dignity and miss out on finding a fulfilling romance. She believes that the dance of flirtation, chase, and courtship has been severely diminished. This loss of such a 'dance' is preventing us from tapping into our natural desire for romance.

Sure, differences between genders are socially constructed, says Charen, but there are also fundamental differences between men and women. These differences, she adds, must be acknowledged and honored. She thinks terms like "toxic masculinity" are ultimately unhelpful and do more harm to gender dynamics than good.

Feminists need to shift their efforts, says Charen, and turn their energy towards re-prioritizing family life and strengthening bonds between the sexes. "The idea that men have always oppressed women, and that feminism had to come along and free us — I just think it’s overly simplistic," she says.