Charlie Kirk was tragically felled by the bullet of a deranged assassin. In response, grief-filled persons attended memorial events and rallies around the world: Australia, France, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, and elsewhere.

Kirk was more than an activist. He was also a devoted family man – a husband and father of two. Just weeks before the murder, his wife Erika honoured him with a heartwarming tribute: “On days like today when the skies erupt in red, white, and blue and the air hums with the sound of freedom, I find myself especially grateful for the man I call my husband,” she said.

The family is the fundamental, enduring, and irreplaceable foundation of society. The family ensures the continuation of society through procreation, teaches cultural values to children, provides love and psychological stability, meets members’ needs for food and clothing, and confers social standing within the community.

Gender Wars

But in the 1960s, gender activists unleashed a Marxist-inspired campaign to redefine, reconfigure, and eventually destroy the family. Feminists launched a crusade to vilify men and fathers as abusers, deadbeats, and “patriarchal oppressors”.

In response, Charlie Kirk disparaged the anti-family effort in strong language:

• In a 2018 post, Kirk stated: “Feminism has become much more about hating men than empowering women… For a culture to survive we need strong men and women—not strong women and weak men.”
• In a 2025 interview, he argued that feminism misleads women by prioritising careers over family: “Having children is more important than having a good career.”
• After a 2025 debate at Oxford, Kirk posted: “Feminism must be defeated for the West to be saved,” arguing that a “hyper-feminine society” weakens family structures by diminishing male leadership.

My message to young women:

It is unspeakably unattractive to brag about how many men you’ve slept with. Be a Godly woman who is willing to submit to your husband, who is likewise willing to submit to Almight God. Dress modestly. Stop plastering your body all over social media. pic.twitter.com/hcxjeWpP2d

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 17, 2025

Worldwide Crisis

The OECD reports that over the past five decades, marriage rates have dropped around the world. In Mexico, Poland, and the United States, declines in new marriages have reached crisis levels.

Likewise, fertility rates in many countries have fallen below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. Experts warn that governments must consider the emerging threats to economies, food security, and geopolitical security.

Yet feminists remain indifferent, even elated by the unfolding crisis.

So who will lead the drive to restore marriage and fertility?

Studies reveal that men have stronger pro-family values than women. Men have a stronger commitment to the goals of marriage, parental aspirations, are more pro-life, are less likely to engage in child abuse, avoid infidelity, eschew divorce, and more.

“To all the dads out there: You are the backbone of the family unit. Your strength, guidance, and love shape the future. Never underestimate your role in building strong families and a strong nation, ” Kirk affirmed.

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Republished thanks to the Coalition to End Domestic Violence (CEDV). Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance (DAVIA) consists of 201 member organisations from 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. DAVIA seeks to ensure that domestic violence and abuse policies are science-based, family-affirming, and gender-inclusive.