Support for feminism declines among young people, denial of gender violence rises

Support for feminism and gender equality has declined among young people, according to the Youth in Spain 2024 report.

Using 2023 data, the report shows that support for feminism has fallen from 64% in 2019 to 54%, among both young men and women.

Support for gender equality has also dropped, going from 74% to 62%.

While previous studies had already noted this downward trend, this report introduces a key new element: a significant rise in the denial of gender-based violence.

In the 2019 report, nearly 83% of young people said they strongly or fairly strongly believed that gender-based violence was one of the most serious social problems. That number has now dropped 18 points, to 65%.

The overall declines in support are most pronounced among men, though they are also present among women.

In 2019, 80% of young women identified with feminism. By 2023, that figure had dropped to 68%. Support for gender equality among young women also fell: from 84% to 76%.

Among young men, the drop is even steeper. Fewer than half now identify with gender equality, and support for feminism has decreased from 54% in 2019 to just under 41% in 2023.

Likewise, denial of gender-based violence has increased among both men and women.

Among women, the share who deny the existence of this type of violence rose from 5.7% in 2019 to 13.2% in 2023. Among men, it grew from 11.9% to 23.1%.

Perceptions of major gender inequalities have also declined.

The percentage of young women who believe significant or very significant gender inequalities exist fell slightly, from 49% in 2019 to 46.5% in 2023. Among men, the drop was from 46% to 41%.