[Cherie]

© Provided by The Telegraph
Men under 30 are less accepting of women’s rights than their older counterparts, a new study suggests.

The EU-wide study suggests that while Western democracies have become increasingly gender-equal over the past decades, there is a more recent “backlash against gender equality in the form of rising modern sexism”.

Furthermore, young men are more likely to see women’s progress at their expense and the trend is most prominent in areas with high unemployment and less trust in institutions, according to the findings.

Researchers from the Department of Political Science at Sweden’s Gothenburg University, found that young men see themselves as being in competition with women and are therefore more likely to vote in favour of right-wing, anti-feminist political candidates.

Gefjon Off, a PhD student, who worked on the research, said: “Some people believe that increased gender equality only benefits women and do not see the benefits for society as a whole.

“Some research suggests that this feeling of injustice can even motivate citizens to vote for right-wing radical parties who are against feminism and sexual freedom.”

Impact on political attitudes and voting behaviour
Previous research has shown how a perceived sense of injustice and competition between men and women affects political attitudes and voting behaviour.

The current study, published in the journal Frontiers in Political Science, surveyed 32,469 people across the EU’s 27 countries.