Gender, both as a political identity and as a site of political contention, has become increasingly salient in shaping young people’s attitudes and preferences. Young people played a critical role in the identitarian and left-wing social movements of the 2010s. However, Generation Z (born from 1996 onward) is increasingly politically fragmented and now exceed those in older age groups (Miloslav et al., 2025). Young women are more socially liberal and prefer left-wing and ecological parties, while young men are more conservative and more likely to vote for right-wing or populist parties (e.g., Abou-Chadi, 2024). This trend has coincided with growing contention around gender equality and feminism. Gender gaps in support for feminism are largest among 18–24-year-olds (Campbell et al., 2024), challenging Generation Z’s former reputation as a cohesively progressive cohort (Parker & Igielnik, 2020). Whereas young women participate enthusiastically in movements like #MeToo (Herrera Hernandez & Oswald, 2022), young men are drawn to online “manosphere” cultures advocating “traditional” masculinity (Maricourt & Burrell, 2022).
Using the 2023 European Social Survey, I investigate gender gaps in right-wing voting among people under 30 compared with older age groups. Data are analysed through multilevel modelling to examine how generational and gender differences in political behaviour are explained by political ideology (operationalised with a new context sensitive method), support for gender equality, hostile sexism, and identification with masculinity and femininity.
The evidence reveals significant gender differences right-wing voting. Women are less likely to vote for a right-wing party, but the gender gap is largest among the under-thirties. Hostile sexism explains a larger share of the youth gender gap in right-wing voting than among older voters, underscoring the growing salience of gender attitudes in structuring ideological alignment. This study demonstrates the link between gender attitudes, ideological cleavages, and voting behaviour among young Europeans. The findings suggest that gender has become a key axis of political realignment, shaping both attitudes and the ways young Europeans engage with politics.
