The State of US Feminism in 2025

What does feminism mean to U.S. women in 2025? The #MeToo movement is waning while toxic masculinity appears ascendant. Will the gains made by previous generations be lost? Our latest nationally representative survey of 739 women aged 18 and older uncovers a complex and often divided landscape. Views on feminism, gender equality, and social progress are shaped by significant generational, cultural, and racial differences. While the term “feminist” remains contentious, its ideals are supported by a vast majority of women.

Feminism: A Brief History of a Divisive Identity

The first wave of feminism started in the mid-1800s with the suffrage movement. However, not all women supported it. Many believed that men and women had distinct but complementary roles: men in the public sphere (politics, business), women in the private sphere (home, family, church). The suffragists, however, were successful in gaining equal property rights, educational access, and most notably, the right to vote in 1920.

The term “feminist”, however, didn’t gain popularity until the second wave of feminism in the mid-60s when a new generation of women fought for reproductive freedom and workplace equality. Popular films and television shows of the era like Norma Rae and Mary Tyler-Moore celebrated strong, independent women, while songs like Aretha Franklin’s Respect and Helen Reddy’s I Am Woman became popular empowerment anthems. Around 30% of women identified as feminists at that time, but even then, the term was polarizing.

By the 1980s, during the Reagan era, feminism started facing a backlash. Movies like Fatal Attraction and sitcoms like Family Ties either demonized women or suggested that they return to more traditional roles. This trend continued into the 90s with conservative commentators like Rush Limbaugh coining the “feminazi” label, which conflated feminism with extremism. Powerful women at the time like Hillary Clinton felt pressure to conform to traditional roles and, in Clinton’s case, change her last name from Rodham to Rodham-Clinton to just her husband’s name, Clinton.

The early 2000s saw the rise of conservative media personalities like Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, and Laura Ingram, who promoted traditional gender roles and mocked feminist ideals. That changed in 2017, when the #MeToo movement and the Women’s March (a reaction to Trump’s first term) reenergized the conversation around reproductive rights, workplace harassment, and gender-based violence.

A New Backlash

In 2025, under Trump’s second presidency, the pendulum appears to be swinging back toward cultural conservatism. Thus far, we have seen the following:

• Increased limits on access to reproductive care
• The dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs
• The removal of gender-related material from federal agency websites
• The rescinding of gender identity protections under Title VII

Feminism Today

Today, American women are nearly evenly divided on the term “feminist”:

• 37% embrace it
• 31% reject it
• 32% are unsure or avoid labels altogether

This topline, however, masks deeper generational and racial divides. Our research found that Asian women lead in self-identifying as feminists, but they also express the most uncertainty. Gen Z women are the least likely to reject the label, whereas Millennials are the least likely to adopt it.

These trends suggest a growing discomfort with ideological labels, even as support for feminist principles remains high.
Low Awareness of International Women’s Day

Despite decades of activism, only 44% of women in the U.S. know that March 8th is International Women’s Day (IWD). This limited awareness may be tied to IWD’s roots in European socialist and labor movements, and unlike Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, IWD isn’t easily monetizable, so major U.S. retailers and media don’t generally promote it.

Some key facts from our study:

• Awareness is lowest among Boomers (28%) and Non-Hispanic Whites (36%)
• However, 70% of Hispanic and Gen Z women are aware of IWD
• Of those who are aware, only about half participate in IWD activities
• Overall, just one in five women report taking part

Feminism’s Core Values

Our research found that most women define feminism as promoting gender equity, eliminating discrimination, and advancing equality. Gen Z women are especially likely to view feminism as fairness across genders. Yet despite broad agreement on its goals, fewer than 1 in 5 women believe society views feminism positively. Nearly half say it’s perceived negatively.

Other findings include the following:

• Only 40% of women rate gender equality in their workplace or school as “high” or “very high”
• Roughly one in three women say they have faced gender-related challenges, with Gen Z reporting the highest rates
• About one in three have experienced gender-based discrimination, especially in public or professional settings
• Encouragingly, one in three women have noticed greater male involvement in gender equality discussions, although older women are less likely to perceive this shift

What’s Blocking Progress?

Women identify the biggest obstacles to gender equality as:

• Cultural and social resistance
• Lack of education and awareness
• Underrepresentation in leadership
• Economic inequality
• Toxic online content targeting young women, especially noted by Gen Z respondents

What Needs to Change?

When asked which areas need the most urgent attention, women pointed to:

• Pay equity and workplace opportunities (63%)
• Gender-based violence (53%)
• Reproductive rights and healthcare access (50%)
• Parental leave and childcare policies (46%)
• Women’s political representation (43%)
• Rights of marginalized racial and ethnic groups (39%)
• Gender-inclusive education (31%)

The report breaks out those findings by ethnic and generational differences. With some issues like pay equity resonating most with Boomers at 78% vs. 49% of Gen Z, and others like stopping gender-based violence resonating with 61% of Latinas but only 39% of Black women. Despite these priorities, optimism about the future of gender equality remains muted. Only 43% of women report feeling optimistic. Optimism is highest among Asian women and Boomers, while Gen Z and Hispanic women are notably more skeptical.

Conclusion

While much work still needs to be done to achieve true gender equality, 43% of women are optimistic about improvement, while only 19% express pessimism. Support for gender equity is strong, but the feminist label remains polarizing. Younger and diverse populations, however, are picking up the mantle and pushing the conversation forward.

At ThinkNow, we believe in amplifying diverse voices to inform brands, policymakers, and advocates on where the conversation on gender equality is headed. Whether or not women embrace the label “feminist,” the values behind it, such as equality, justice, and dignity, remain widely shared. Those ideals matter, regardless of what we choose to call them.