To the Young Women Who Are Changing the World
“Leave Ithaca, Penelope, the sea is yours too”.
Carmen Losa
Young women are the most left-wing social group in Europe and in much of the world. This is a global phenomenon. So today, on the eve of 8 March, it is time to celebrate these young women and their disruptive rebellion—one that is rarely studied but is profoundly shaping the world.
In Germany’s recent elections, 35% of young women aged 18 to 24 supported Die LINKE, compared to just 15% of young men in the same age group. Isn’t this significant? In Spain, age- and gender-based voting patterns show a similar trend: young women are much more likely to support the left. This trend is so evident on a global scale that even The Economist has highlighted it, drawing indisputable conclusions from data across 20 countries:
| The same pattern can be seen in South Korea, Argentina, and Tunisia. Across the world, women under 30 are significantly more left-leaning or progressive. Some analysts suggest that we are witnessing a “tectonic” generational shift with long-term consequences. In Argentina, some sociologists are beginning to argue that gender and age are now stronger predictors of voting behaviour than socio-economic background. |
The daughters of the fourth wave
Another aspect that is often overlooked—but is undeniably clear—is the timeline of this phenomenon:
The gender gap in political attitudes has widened dramatically since 2014, and it has done so on a global scale. This is clearly a result of the fourth wave of feminism, which has spread across the world. This new wave of feminism has become common sense among young women, making any form of violence or abuse against women unacceptable— but it goes even further than that.
This wave emerged a decade ago as a global, mass movement, driven by social media and strong intergenerational solidarity. It is also a more anti-capitalist wave than previous feminist movements— one that challenges the historical role of patriarchy and has already won the battle for equality as an aspiration.
I suspect that for these young women, feminism is already built into their worldview—but they aspire to more. “For young women, equal access to work and education is no longer enough,” states one of the conclusions of the Glocalities survey, which collected responses from 300,000 people between 2014 and 2023. The study reveals a shift in social attitudes, as young women increasingly embrace anti-patriarchal values.
These values go beyond rejecting traditional gender roles. They also challenge the new forms of modern sexism, which often manifest as denial of gender discrimination and hostility towards women’s demands.
This article is for them—for young women, the daughters of the fourth wave. It is a tribute to celebrate them, encourage them, empower them, support them, and follow their lead. And above all, it is a way to thank them—for standing their ground and for wanting to change the world.
Because they already are.
Marga Ferré is President of transform! europe and Co-President of The Foundation for Critical Studies / Fundación de Estudios Críticos FEC (Formerly Foundation for a Citizens’ Europe / Fundación por la Europa de los Ciudadanos), Spain.
transform! europe is a network of 38 European organisations from 22 countries, active in the field of political education and critical scientific analysis, and is the recognised political foundation corresponding to the Party of the European Left (EL).