Rising inequality, not feminism, drives young men's anti-women attitudes
Source: Guardian Staff. "The Guardian view on gen Z: young men hold startling views about women – inequality may be to blame | Young people | The Guardian." March 10, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
Young men are developing troubling attitudes about women because they're struggling economically and feel like they're losing status. When good jobs and affordable housing disappear, some men blame women's progress instead of the real problem: growing inequality between rich and poor.
Conclusion
Rising economic inequality is the primary cause of concerning attitudes toward women among young men, not women's advancement itself
Premises
- A significant portion of Gen Z men hold troubling views about women's roles, with 31% believing women should always obey husbands and 33% believing men should have final say in important decisions
- Economic inequality has dramatically worsened for young people, with homes costing 7.7 times average wages compared to 3.5 times in 1997, rising unemployment, and degrees no longer guaranteeing good prospects
- When economic prospects shrink and status feels scarce, progress appears zero-sum, leading some men to view women's advancement as their loss
- Social media and the 'manosphere' exploit male economic anxiety by scapegoating women's rights rather than addressing real economic causes
- Nearly half of UK men believe gender equality has 'gone far enough,' with Western countries showing the biggest increases in this sentiment since 2019
- Cultural attitudes toward women worsen during periods of economic stress and competition for scarce resources
Assumptions
- Economic security and opportunity reduce gender-based resentment
- Men's attitudes toward women are primarily reactive to their economic circumstances rather than inherent beliefs
- Social media significantly influences young men's worldviews about gender roles
- Status competition is a fundamental driver of male behavior
- Cultural change requires both economic improvement and individual accountability