The widening ideology gap: A new kind of gender divide

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

The widening ideology gap: A new kind of gender divide

Men and women have always disagreed on gender equality and diversity. But there is now a broader ideological chasm—which has staggeringly widened with Gen Z folks (18 to 29-year-olds). The data from the new NBC News survey is astonishing:

52% of Gen Z women are Democrats—compared to just 35% of Gen Z men—a 17-point gap. That gap is 7 points or less for folks over the age of 30.
24% of Gen Z women approve of Donald Trump’s job performance—compared to 45% of Gen Z men. That’s a staggering 21 points.
43% of Gen Z men view Elon Musk favourably—in line with the national average of 41%—compared to 20% of Gen Z women.
37% of Gen Z men—and 40% of all adults—think the US is headed down the correct path, but with Gen Z women, that number drops to 20%!!
37% of Gen Z men are “extremely proud” to be American—double that of Gen Z women. OTOH: 22% of young women are “not at all proud” to be American, compared to 13% of young men.
The most important issue to Gen Z men is ‘the economy’ at 31%, whereas for Gen Z women it’s ‘threat to democracy’ at 22%.

What does this tell us? If you compare Gen Z men with older male peers, there isn’t much of a difference. In fact, they are slightly more liberal. Example: 45% of men between 18-29 approve of Trump—compared to 49% of Millennials (30-44) and 56% of Gen X (45-64). So men are not becoming more conservative, per se. The gap is wider among Gen Z because younger women have become way more progressive. Over 40% of women over the age of 30 approve of Trump—compared to 24% of Gen Z women.

A global divide? This isn’t just an American phenomenon. The same trend is evident across Europe:

Germany shows a 30-point gap between increasingly conservative young men and progressive female contemporaries, and in the UK the gap is 25 points. In Poland [in 2023], almost half of men aged 18-21 backed the hard-right Confederation party, compared to just a sixth of young women of the same age.

The gap in Asian countries like South Korea is a whopping 50 points. As you can see in this Financial Times chart, the yawning divide emerged over a space of just six years:

Point to note: In some instances—like Germany—it’s not just about young women. Their male peers have also moved to the right—leaning toward far-right anti-immigration parties such as AfD.

Quote to note: Stanford University researcher Alice Evans says “Gen Z is two generations, not one.”

Why is this happening? Financial Times maps the widening of the divide to the #MeToo movement—describing it as the “key trigger” for “fiercely feminist values” among younger women. The disagreement over sexual harassment has since widened over other issues, as well. Other researchers offer various reasons why young men in Europe are increasingly attracted to the far-right:

“[T]he relevance of economic challenges which might disproportionately affect young people but may be especially pronounced for young men who perceive women's educational and professional advancements as a ‘zero-sum game’.”
“[C]ultural shifts, such as changing gender norms: movements like #MeToo and the rise of progressive gender debates may be empowering for young women, while potentially provoking feelings of uncertainty and insecurity among young men.”
“[S]upply-side factors and social media influence: far-right narratives and ‘manfluencers’ amplify the grievances of young men, mobilising them by exploiting a sense of gender backlash and status decline.”

Meanwhile in India: We remain a great exception to this trend—across generations. Women have been voting in lockstep with men for Modi and the BJP in the past decade—even in 2024. Also this: since 2019, voter turnout among women has outpaced that of men both in national elections—and also recent assembly polls in Delhi and Maharashtra. One reason may be that Indian women’s electoral priorities are different. Political parties—be it Congress or BJP—now fiercely compete to woo women voters, offering generous welfare schemes aimed at them.

Reading list: NBC News has the latest survey on the US ideological gap. Financial Times (splainer gift link) looks more broadly at the West, as well as Asian countries like South Korea. This 2024 Journal of European Public Policy study breaks down voting data from the 2024 European Parliament election. This Carnegie paper looks at how the BJP wins over women. Also see: our two-parter Big Story on the Manosphere.

Savdhaan: An important US visa advisory for Indians

First, the process: Between October 2023 and September 2024, the US embassies in India issued around 1.375 million visas—and nearly 900,000 of these were tourist visas. Here’s how the tourist or student visa process works for Indians. You first submit a DS-160 form with all your personal info and travel history. Once that’s done, you can book your visa appointment.

But, but, but: The volume of visa applications from India is high—and appointment slots are scarce due to staffing issues—creating ever greater backlogs. Wait times in India can exceed 400 days. To ‘game’ the system and help expedite this process, it’s a common practice for visa applicants in India to hire agents.

Next, the visa racket: Since we are a jugaadu nation, these visa agents inevitably try and game the system. They employ teams whose only job is to book visa appointment slots the moment they become available:

The individuals operating around the clock find a slot, which has been cancelled by another applicant, and immediately book it for their client, who has paid large sums of money for the expedited date.

The rest of the janta doesn’t stand a chance of getting that precious ‘expedited date’. The result: Everyone has to hire an agent—who can cost as much as Rs 60,000 ($700)—not including visa costs of $345.

What happened now: The US government has finally wisened up to the fraud. Last month, the embassy in India cancelled 2,000 student visa appointments—allegedly booked by agents using automated bots. The investigation has now widened—and the penalties have become tougher, according to The Print.

When we identify individuals fraudulently attempting to expedite their visa slots, we cancel their appointments, block their accounts, share their information with our allies and may not allow them to apply for future visas.

This means that if your application is blacklisted, you won’t be able to get visas to the UK, Canada, or Australia either—all of which are target countries for Indian students. Also: Investigators are now screening tourist visas, as well. So all applicants beware! Yes, this is a Trump initiative. (The Print)

Will all US iPhones soon be ‘made in India’?

Apple is getting ready to make a big manufacturing pivot—toward India. The company plans to make most of its US iPhones at Indian factories by the end of 2026. The sweeping move was triggered by the sky-high Trump tariffs on Chinese-made goods. Though manufacturing in India is up to 10% more expensive than China—it is still cheaper than dealing with Trump’s wild trade war:

Trump initially announced “reciprocal” tariffs of more than 100% on imports from China, but then offered a temporary reprieve for smartphones. The devices are still subject to a separate 20% rate that applies to all imports from China.

At least the tariff on Indian goods is a steady 26%.

Data point to note: Apple sells over 60 million iPhones per year in the US—with roughly 80% of them made in China. A shift to India will be a very big deal:

In 2023-24, India exported smartphones worth around $15 billion, and iPhones contributed to around two-thirds of this figure. Earlier this year, India became the world’s second biggest smartphone manufacturer.

The big hitch: While final iPhone assembly may shift to India, most components are still heavily sourced from China. Financial Times was the first to break this story, but it is paywalled. Reuters has a free overview of the development. Indian Express provides a history lesson on Apple assembly line decisions.

IPL child star scores 35-ball century!

Vaibhav Suryavanshi—the youngest-ever IPL player—smashed the second-fastest hundred in IPL history—off just 35 balls, with 7 fours and 11 sixes. A whopping 94 of his 101 runs came from hitting boundaries. His innings sealed the Rajasthan Royals’ eight-wicket victory over the Gujarat Titans—ending their five-match losing streak in the process. Catch a clip of his ball-whacking skills below:

And here’s the moment he reached his hundred—with his eleventh six!

Honestly, kids these days. (Indian Express)

Since we’re on the topic: Did you see Shubman Gill’s insane photoshoot for Hollywood Reporter? No? Yer welcome! No, we don’t know why THR is profiling pretty-faced cricketers—as opposed to Indian movies at Cannes.

what caught our eye

business & tech

Nike is being sued by buyers of its NFTs, who say they were duped into buying “unregistered securities” before the company pulled the plug on its virtual sneaker project.
Semafor has a good read on how a network of raucous Signal group chats—featuring tech elites like Joe Lonsdale, Balaji Srinivasan, and Marc Andreessen—helped fuel Silicon Valley’s realignment toward Trump and the US right.
Nvidia’s dominance is facing a challenge, with Huawei gearing up to test AI chips that could rival the tech giant's.
The AI data center race is slowing down as Amazon and Microsoft hit pause, with both giants scaling back their plans after spending billions to build the digital backbone of the boom.

sports & entertainment

Shah Rukh Khan is set to make his Met Gala debut in 2025—teaming up with Sabyasachi and becoming the first Indian actor to walk the red carpet.

health & environment

Researchers at King’s College and Imperial College London have built a new hydrogel that could one day help us regrow teeth—bringing lab-grown smiles closer to reality.
South Korean researchers have trained an AI to spot signs of ADHD just by scanning the back of your eye—hitting a 96.9% accuracy rate.

meanwhile, in the world

Early results trickle in as polling stations close across Canada, with the Liberals holding a lead over the Conservatives for now.
Empty shelves and a 'voluntary' recession are looming, warns Apollo's Torsten Slok, with the US-China trade tensions and slowing container ship traffic setting the stage.
An electrician inspecting a Roman villa stumbled upon hidden 17th-century frescoes by Baroque master Carlo Maratta.
The US Army's "Dark Eagle" hypersonic missile blasted off from Cape Canaveral—paving the way for America’s first ground-based hypersonic weapon to hit the field later this year.
Indian families are leaving children alone at US border crossings—armed with nothing but a chit—in a desperate bid for a shot at the American dream.
Vladimir Putin has declared a three-day ceasefire against Ukraine in its war next month to mark 80 years since the Soviet Union’s World War Two victory.
Israel faces charges of breaking international law by blocking aid to Gaza, with dozens of nations presenting their case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague this week.
Yemen's Houthi rebels vow to keep up attacks in the Red and Arabian seas after a US strike on a migrant detention center killed 68 and injured 47.
New Lines Magazine has a good read on Nepal's growing debate over a return to monarchy, as disillusionment with political corruption turns the former king into a beacon of hope.
Neom’s new acting CEO, Aiman al-Mudaifer, is shaking things up with a “comprehensive review” of key projects in Crown Prince MBS’s $500bn mega venture.

meanwhile, in India

India’s military spending reaches $86.1 billion in 2024, nearly nine times Pakistan’s $10.2 billion, with the country ranking fifth globally, says Stockholm’s SIPRI.
Bollywood stars and tour operators have teamed up with India’s Foreign Ministry to rebuild confidence and lift travel advisories after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.
India locks in a Rs 63,000-crore deal with France for 26 Rafale-M jets, with deliveries set to roll out by 2030.
The Golconda Blue diamond, once set for auction at Christie’s, is staying in the family—just days before its May 14 sale in Geneva.
The Print has a good read on LeftWord Books, which is proving Marxism is far from passé, thriving with its bold booklist and defiance of dissent in Modi’s India.

Five things to see

One: A massive power outage struck Spain and Portugal and parts of France on Monday afternoon. It “knocked out traffic lights, caused chaos on roads and in airports, and prompted both countries to declare a state of emergency.” The cause remains unknown for now. This is how dark it was at Caja Mágica tennis stadium during the Madrid Open: