The financial instability experienced by young men has been linked to the rise of anti-feminist discourse by a new study published by the European Policy Center (ECP). The report suggests that working-class men without university degrees have been particularly affected by declining wealth and employment rates over the past two decades. In fact, Javier Carbonell, a senior analyst of the ECP, notes that young men face difficulties in accessing income, wealth, purchasing power, and housing, with education and other academic opportunities lagging behind younger women.
In Europe, 48% of people aged between 25 and 34 hold degrees, but only 37% of them are men. This gender disparity in education continues to widen in favor of women. Additionally, in the oldest gender classes, young men have fewer opportunities to study than younger women. Carbonell highlights that structural changes, such as the loss of manual jobs and the migration to automated jobs, have significantly impacted young males over the past two decades.
On the European front, women earn on average 12.7% less than their male counterparts. However, there is a recent trend where, for the first time among Europe’s countries like Finland, Malta, Greece, France, and Belgium, women under 25 earn more than men. Despite work remaining a strong indicator of masculinity, the gender gap persists between men and women.
According to data from the European Elections Studies (EES), 17.2% of young men under 25投票给左翼政党，在最新本届欧共会选举中，这一比例在男性同胞中较低，为9.5%。这表明，随着反女性主义言论上升，性别社会 Polarization也在发展。
Carbonell explains that this political divide has created a new divide. He believes that younger women are more likely to support progressive parties, while young men are more inclined to vote for right-wing parties. This trend is especially evident among the younger population. In older generations, gender differences in voter behavior were about the same between men and women, but the impact of暗示:start for young men is far more significant.
To combat anti-feminist discourse, the analyst warns that merely excluding misogyny is not enough. He calls for policymakers to also address economic resources for all, such as housing policies and job markets, to ensure greater certainty for young individuals. To protect women’s rights and improve representation and income security for women, the report suggests efforts should focus on advocating for policies that support women while also addressing other issues.
