The Radicalization of Women: A Silent Shift with Global Consequences

For decades, discussions of political extremism have focused overwhelmingly on men. Radical ideologies, violence, and fanaticism have typically been cast as male domains. But recent data and global events point to a silent yet seismic cultural shift: women—especially young women—are becoming the most radically progressive demographic in the Western world.

John Burn-Murdoch of The Financial Times highlights a striking transformation. In the United States, Gallup data indicates women aged 18–30 are now 30 percentage points more liberal than their male counterparts. This significant ideological gap emerged over just six years.

The political implications are profound. In the most recent U.S. presidential election, exit polls showed Donald Trump leading men by approximately 10 points, while Kamala Harris led women by a similar margin—producing a 20-point gender gap that signals more than just partisan preference. It indicates the crystallization of two separate and increasingly incompatible political realities.

This is not just an American phenomenon. In Australia, young women are abandoning mainstream parties in favor of the far-left Greens. In the United Kingdom, a similar shift is underway as progressive parties gain disproportionately from female voters under 35. More concerning, however, is the growing number of documented cases where this ideological shift is manifesting in direct action—sometimes violent, sometimes extremist.

Documented Cases of Female Radicalization

In the United States, Tashfeen Malik became a household name after carrying out the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack alongside her husband. Malik pledged allegiance to ISIS during the mass shooting, which left 14 dead. In another case, Natalie Rupnow, a 15-year-old girl from Wisconsin, carried out a school shooting at a Christian institution in 2024, killing two and injuring six before taking her own life. Authorities discovered that she had been in communication with an armed adult extremist and was potentially planning additional attacks. Her motive showed signs of far-left ideological influence.

In the United Kingdom, Shamima Begum left the country at age 15 to join ISIS in Syria. Her case became a national flashpoint after it was revealed she had married an ISIS fighter and supported the caliphate's objectives. The British government ultimately revoked her citizenship in 2019. Meanwhile, Safaa Boular became the youngest woman in the U.K. to be convicted for plotting a terrorist attack, intending to carry out an ISIS-inspired assault in London. She was part of an all-female terror cell that included her mother and sister.

Australia, too, is not immune. Zehra Duman, an Australian woman who joined ISIS in Syria, became infamous for her role in recruiting other women through provocative social media posts and messaging. Her Australian citizenship was revoked in 2019. More recently, Matilda McDermott, a 19-year-old woman, was charged in 2024 for attempting to set fire to the office of MP Josh Burns in Melbourne—a politically motivated attack linked to far-left ideology.

Why Is This Happening?

The roots of this ideological radicalization appear to be cultural, psychological, and digital. Since 2010, adolescent girls have faced a tidal wave of mental health crises—particularly anxiety and depression. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and others have linked the onset of this crisis to the explosion of smartphone and social media use. While exact figures vary, teens now spend several hours per day on their devices, much of it immersed in algorithm-driven content that promotes outrage, grievance, and identity-based radicalism.

In this digital ecosystem, victimhood is currency, and outrage is virtue. The result is not only personal instability, but political polarization—an ideological echo chamber where extreme views are not just normalized but celebrated. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) have become incubators for radical thought, especially among girls who are developmentally primed for peer influence and emotional intensity.

Unlike previous waves of radicalization that leaned into overt violence or nationalism, this new wave cloaks itself in the language of justice and empathy. But underneath is a growing intolerance for dissent, a militant redefinition of norms, and a willingness to destroy in the name of progress. From campus speech codes to cancel culture to terrorism—what once passed as activism is rapidly morphing into extremism.

And yet, this shift is largely dismissed. Society still sees women as inherently peaceful, nurturing, and rational—incapable of the kind of radicalization we so readily recognize in men. This blind spot is dangerous. It not only underestimates the power of ideology, but it also prevents serious inquiry into the cultural forces shaping the next generation of women.

We are living through a historic transformation in gender politics—one that is global, data-backed, and increasingly volatile. The radicalization of women is not a fringe issue. It is the frontline of the West’s ideological future.

The question now is not whether this is happening.

The question is: what happens next?