The phrase "male relative" refers to a person who is related to someone else, such as a brother, father, uncle, grandfather or cousin, and who identifies as male. Full definition
This does not however explain the near absence of male relatives. (blog.politics.ox.ac.uk)
I really had hoped we had gotten rid of that back with slavery and having women owned by their husband or nearest male relative. (crunchydomesticgoddess.com)
Trying to be respectful of our elderly male relatives, I would nurse my daughter in a back room. (pregnancymagazine.com)