When a man is meeting a woman online, his greatest fear is that she's unattractive/fat.
When a woman meets a man online, her biggest fear is that he'll kill her.
98% of all violent crime in North America are committed by young men.
Today, courts can still bring up a woman's sexual history when dealing with rape issues. I know that men also face certain issues when dealing with rape, why? Because the idea that he was forced into/overpowered by/would refuse sex is a threat to masculinity.
Women are more likely to be approached by men soliciting them for sexual interest. Repeatedly, and most had their first time being approached by a man when they were minors. Then, they are given rules about not inviting this kind of attention. Don't wear this, don't act like this, don't go out at these times, don't make eye contact. However, we have to tread carefully, because we don't want to act like a kitten. He's just being nice--it's a compliment. Nevermind this is a total stranger approaching you, unsolicited.
Nevermind that you've already told him he has a boyfriend. Nevermind that you made this up because past experience tells you that if his ego is threatened, this encounter is going to turn nasty. What threatens his ego? The fact that you have the audacity not to be interested in him.
Not all boys are like that, but I don't hear this being a problem among male friends... and it's really common. Incredibly common. Sure, they're 'creeps', but why so prevalent? Why more men then women? Because of testostorone? Are men inherently more aggressive, forward, and entitled? Is it natural to one minute be all "hey baby" and then next "wow, why are you being such a kitten?" "you know what, you're not even that pretty anyway"
A popular youtube video portrayed women uncomfortable in a gym setting because guys felt inclined to talk to her constantly, despite very obvious social cues--and it wasn't just this one 'gross guy who obviously doesn't represent men as a whole'. The comment section was disgusting. "Maybe some girls needs to stop being such an antisocial kitten?" "What if I just want to be left alone?" "Men will hit on you anywhere, and everywhere :)"
I really don't like discussing this topic with people who have clearly never taken a gender or equity course in their lives, or... been a woman in these situations. There's a strong denial of rape culture.
Men have their issues too. There's something called a hegenomy; a power structure. Power is never in the hands of an individual, but in a system. We idolize the Type A male--the angry, driven, cold, competitive manly man who will come out victorious and will leave everything else ablaze. He is not a nurturer. He is not expressive, but highly instrumental. He is not queer. He does not show weakness. Success is his number one motive.
Nevermind that this is not the healthiest person--and that an adrogynous male, who scores high in expressiveness (a generally 'feminine' trait) AND instrumentalist (generally 'masculine'). They have the happiest marriages, and raise the best children in society. Sure, it takes all types, but because of this ideal both men and women suffer.
Boys are raised by their fathers to 'give em hell' and to be aggressive. If men act feminine they're brought down, because they're 'like women'. Women who act masculine are either 'exalted' for stepping out of traditional subservient roles, or they're deemed unattractive and unworthy for male attention. It's why men are being pushed to get big, to take up space, to have muscle and appear strong where women's concerns are being skinny, taking up less space, not getting in the way.
Most of us were raised in this society. It's sort of the issue of fish not feeling wet because they can't feel/understand that they live in water. They're little, microissues that add up every day. It's in the language we use, in the way we raise our children, in the way we divide toys, in the way we handle our justice system. The privilege is with men, because they're our ideal standard. There are gendered issues and yeah, you're going to see some ways that it could work out in a woman's favour. For instance, paying for a dinner. It used to be unthinkable for a woman to pay for dinner because /she didn't have the income/. Women are less likely to have a higher salary than a man. That doesn't mean that they can't pay for their own meals now, but some people have that mentality. Women can't take a man seriously if he won't pay. Some men will insist to foot the bill.
That's what I have to say about this. As for "why should it matter that it happens toward one sex more", because that's the thing--why? If we were truly living in a gender-equal society, why such horrible abuse happening disproportionately toward women and children, by men? Women are and can be abusive too, but if this was just about "some horrible people are abusive and others are not, let's end it" why do a majority of those horrible people seem to be men? Understanding the problem is a step in fixing it.