I agree with Greta Thunberg, we need more angry young women - Yorkshire Post Letters

“I think the world needs a lot more young angry women,” said Greta Thunberg upon her arrival in Paris after being detained by Israeli forces aboard the Madleen, a yacht carrying symbolic aid to Gaza in an effort to break the blockade. She was responding to more puerile taunts from Donald Trump, which hardly deserve repeating.

But, I think she’s right.

If we look at the state of the world and the crises we face, many are caused - directly or indirectly - by men, often old white men. Trump, Netanyahu, Milei, Putin, Orbán; CEOs of oil and gas companies; arms manufacturers; media moguls like Rupert Murdoch and the Barclay brothers; billionaires like Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg. These men are emblematic of the patriarchy: a social system where male dominance, and frequently toxic male traits, are not only normalised but celebrated, often at the expense of women and marginalised genders.

I turn 50 this year, and I often find myself reflecting on my own privilege. I sometimes check the mirror, asking whether I’m slipping into the arrogant, entitled mindset so commonly associated with the old white male elite.

Raised in the UK, I’ve never truly known hunger, war, or systemic oppression. Like many boys, I was taught to be confident, to pursue success, to believe in myself - so much so that questioning one’s own moral, intellectual, or ethical stance often falls by the wayside. In business, I’ve encountered countless CEOs displaying sociopathic or psychopathic tendencies. Even worse, women frequently feel forced to adopt these toxic traits just to survive or succeed in such environments.

For centuries, countries like the UK and the US have exploited others through colonialism and now neo-colonialism, free-market capitalism, war, slavery, and the military-industrial complex. These practices have fueled the climate and biodiversity crises we now face - existential threats created and perpetuated by patriarchal systems.

Isn’t it time to cast off this yoke? To reset? To build something more just, inclusive, and sustainable? The current system isn’t just destructive to women - it’s also killing men. Just look at the rising suicide rates among young and middle-aged males. This model of masculinity is unhealthy, unethical and inherently unfair.

So yes, I agree with Greta. We need more angry young women. They have every right to be furious. And maybe, just maybe, their rage can lead us somewhere better.