Young Women Are Becoming RADICALISED | Claire Lehmann

The radicalization of young women within militant activist groups stems from a combination of evolutionary psychological traits and social group dynamics. Claire Lehmann, a writer trained in psychology, posits that women possess a heightened care instinct that prioritizes compassion for vulnerable victims. Political movements frequently hijack this biological predisposition, using rhetoric and propaganda—such as that surrounding the conflict in Gaza—to exploit the female moral emphasis on care. Furthermore, female social structures prioritize consensus and peace-keeping over public disagreement. This desire for social harmony leads individuals to either adopt radical views or remain silent when confronted with extremist peers, such as Greta Thunberg. The intersection of this care-based moral reasoning and the pressure for group conformity explains why hard-left radicalism has increasingly dominated female friendship groups and female-led institutions.