Clinton: Misogyny "certainly" played a role in 2016 election loss to Trump

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Southbank Centre in London on Sunday evening. Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images

2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said Sunday that misogyny was "certainly" a factor in her election loss to President Trump and that social media is fueling attacks on high-profile women, Reuters reports.

"There is a reaction to a lot of the success of women and the roles of women right now, and I think social media has lit that up, in a very destructive and toxic way. People may have thought a lot of things in the past, but now it is amplified and it is viral."

Clinton's comments, per Reuters

---

Context: The former secretary of state made the comments during a talk at London's Southbank Centre while addressing the issue of several female members of the United Kingdom's parliament announcing they wouldn't stand for re-election at the nation's Dec. 12 election because of online abuse, including rape and death threats, Reuters notes.

The big picture: During her discussion with leading British historian Mary Beard, alongside her daughter, Chelsea Clinton to promote their "Book Of Gutsy Women," she also said " a lot of grown up male leaders" are "scared" of 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, per ITV News.

Go deeper: Ginsburg: Sexism "played a prominent part" in Clinton's loss