Lhe generational war is not what we think. It does not take place between those over 50 labeled “boomers” and those under 25, but within youth itself, between the two sexes. A series of studies and surveys published in the Anglo-Saxon press have examined this puzzling phenomenon.
We could summarize it like this: girls are becoming more and more progressive, while boys of the same age are leaning more and more towards the conservative side. A Gallup poll revealed by the Financial Times, January 26, thus reveals that American women aged 18 to 30 are 30 points more liberal (in the American sense, that is to say left-wing) than their male counterparts. Six years ago, this cultural and political gap did not exist. It is also 30 points in Germany and 25 points in the United Kingdom, it has no equivalent among the oldest and is not specific to Westerners: it is just as significant in South Korea and China. or in Tunisia, underlines the daily, analyzing a series of data on the subject. Everywhere, a potentially dramatic gap is widening between young women and young men.
It is partly the fruit, undoubtedly, of #metoo. This movement has not only freed women’s voices regarding harassment, it has legitimized the feeling of injustice felt by those who no longer hesitate to express it. Added to this is the educational divide. Progressive positions tend to increase with years of study. However, European women aged 25 to 34 now have higher education qualifications than Europeans of the same age: 46% compared to 35%, according to Eurostat.
Despite this progress, gender inequalities remain strong. In 2022, the average salary of French women was 23.5% lower than that of French men. The responsibility for 80% of single-parent families in our country falls on mothers; 20% of women – and 34% when they have children – fall into poverty at the time of divorce, compared to 8% of men, shows a study published by the Women’s Foundation on March 14. Women’s pensions are 28% lower than those of men, and even 40%, if survivor’s pensions are excluded.
Angry young men
This does not prevent the “backlash”, the “backlash” coming from certain men towards the emancipation of women. This is evidenced by the rise of masculinist movements, advocating a virilist conception of the world and the couple. Worse, this gap in values between young people already has palpable consequences in the political arena.
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