Half of Generation Z men ‘think feminism has gone too far and makes it harder for men to succeed’

Almost one in five boys and young men aged between 16 and 24 ‘hold negative views about feminists’, Hope Not Hate report highlights

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Half of boys and men aged between 16 and 24 believe that feminism “has gone too far” and makes it more difficult for men to succeed, a new report has found.

The Hope Not Hate Charitable Trust, an organisation that aims to “build communities and celebrate shared identities” in the UK, recently conducted a study investigating the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on young people.

The Trust assessed more than 2,000 participants aged between 16 and 24, who fall into the ”Generation Z” demographic, the generation after millennials (Generation Y).

The report covered a wide array of topics, including the pressure members of Generation Z feel with regards to their future, not feeling adequately represented in politics and their attitudes towards women.

Of the 2,076 participants, 49 per cent stated that their belief that it is a more dangerous time to be a woman than a man in Britain today.

This included 39 per cent of the young men and a majority (59 per cent) of the young women.

The report found that more young people agree than disagree with the statement that “feminism has gone too far and makes it harder for men to succeed”, with 36 per cent stating their agreement and 35 per cent expressing their opposition.

Among the male respondents, 50 per cent agreed with the statement, while 21 per cent disagreed.

Furthermore, 18 per cent of the young men were found to hold negative views about feminists, while 14 per cent were discovered to view anti-abortion activists in a positive light.

In addition to the report’s findings on Generation Z’s views on feminism, women and reproductive rights, it also discovered that more than half of young people feel that they Covid-19 outbreak has limited their future prospects, while 41 per cent feel a general sense of pessimism about their futures.

Moreover, only 17 per cent of the female respondents said they feel represented in the political sphere, in comparison to 32 per cent of the male participants.

Cat Smith MP, Labour’s shadow minister for young people, said the report “reveals the daunting reality” that young people are currently facing.

“The devastating fallout of Covid-19 had not only caused widespread anxiety about financial insecurity and future job prospects, but damaged young people’s wellbeing and their ability to feel valued in society. Young people need to be at the heart of any post-Covid recovery plan,” Ms Smith said.

Rosie Carter, author of the report and senior policy officer at Hope Not Hate, emphasised that the government “must prioritise this ‘Coronavirus Generation’”.

“Though they are as inherently optimistic as any group of young people, they do not look ahead and see a world full of opportunity – quite the opposite, they see real risks of financial hardship, alienation and political side-lining,” Ms Carter said.

“The government must prioritise a ‘New Deal’ for the young or risk their hopes curdling into alienation and disaffection.”