Meet the angry young women

TL;DR

A radical feminism is emerging among young British women, fueled by economic pessimism, violence against women, and Gaza empathy, leading to hostility toward men.
Exclusive polling shows young women 26 points less positive about capitalism than young men and twice as likely not to want children.
This growing gender divide isolates young women politically and socially, deepening their rejection of traditional relationships.

The story at a glance

The article profiles young British women radicalized into left-wing activism, driven by perceived systemic injustices and a lack of male empathy on issues like Gaza and violence against women. Key figures include TikTok influencer Phoebe O’Brien, therapist Megan Cooper, and members of the University of Leeds Feminist Society, with exclusive Merlin Strategy polling highlighting stark gender gaps. It is reported now amid widening political divides ahead of elections, following post-Covid isolation and the Gaza war. Young women have shifted sharply left since 2015 feminist groups, now embracing deeper pessimism.

Key points

Young women aged 18-30 are the UK's most progressive group: 26 points less likely than young men to view capitalism positively, more pessimistic about the future, and feeling the economy does not favour them.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2026/04/meet-the-angry-young-women-why-young-women-dont-want-to-date-me)
One in four women in England and Wales have been raped or sexually assaulted; 3,000 violence-against-women-and-girls offences reported daily.
Influencers like Phoebe O’Brien (80,000 TikTok followers) denounce leaders and billionaires, radicalized by BLM protests and Gaza; she calls herself a revolutionary seeking systemic change.
Women in Leeds Feminist Society refuse to date or befriend men with differing politics, viewing them as lacking empathy and motivated by sex rather than seeing women as human.
Middle-class young women feel most undervalued and bleak about success; they are 21 points less likely than men to out-earn their parents.
Gaza war is a key radicalization trigger; women describe higher empathy for Palestinian deaths than men, who focus more on protest logistics.
Gen Z women are twice as likely as men not to want children and more supportive of feminism, environmentalism, and anti-racism.

Details and context

The article weaves interviews with field reports from events like a women-heavy Burns Night ceilidh, Palestine protests with 100,000 marchers, and a trans-focused performance night at the Feminist Library. Women link their anger to personal pains like chronic illness, endometriosis, and disability benefits failures, seeing these as tied to female experience under patriarchy.

Polling reveals educated women feel most alienated; under-25s especially believe life is "stacked against me." This mirrors the online "manosphere" but flips it leftward into a "femosphere" of misandrist coaches and anti-imperialist content, widening real-life gender gaps.

Unlike 2015 feminist societies debating books by Caitlin Moran, today's groups show apathy turned to outright rejection of men and mainstream parties; they lean Green or Labour but distrust all options.

Key quotes

Phoebe O’Brien: “I want systemic change. I don’t want to exist within these same systems.”[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2026/04/meet-the-angry-young-women-why-young-women-dont-want-to-date-me)
Leeds student: “I don’t think I’d even be friends with [a man with different politics]. They don’t see you as human.”[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2026/04/meet-the-angry-young-women-why-young-women-dont-want-to-date-me)

Why it matters

Young women's radicalism signals a deepening political gender chasm that could reshape UK elections and social norms. It means fewer cross-political relationships, heightened isolation for both sexes, and potential shifts in voting toward fringes like the Greens. Watch polling trends and election turnout among under-30s, though their distrust of parties may keep impact uncertain.