A new study by the Young Women's Trust reveals that 36% of young men believe society would be 'better off if men and women returned to more traditional roles'. The survey of 5,000 people aged 18 to 30 also found that 70% of young women are worried women's rights are going backwards, compared with 43% of young men who share the same concern.
In reality, less than a fifth of young women want to return to traditional gender roles, where they are expected to raise children and be homemakers, while men become breadwinners and make key financial decisions.
Context of rising anti-women views
The findings confirm a picture painted by a global study of 23,000 people in March, which found Gen Z men hold more anti-women views than Baby Boomers, with 33% of younger men believing a husband should have the final word on important decisions.
The study comes amid a bleak period for women's issues, with Russell Brand currently on trial for several charges of rape and sexual assault against six women, and the University of Bath investigating claims that members of a rugby club planned to spike female students during freshers' week. In the US, the Cornell 7 gang-rape case continues to unfold, and an alleged child-rapist is running unopposed for police chief in a town in Louisiana.
Why young men hold these views
Kathryn Higgins, a Goldsmiths professor of global digital politics with a keen interest in feminism and gender, believes universal hardship is a big contributor to why men are reverting to outdated views. 'Young people of all genders are really suffering in this country under an economic system that continues to widen the gap between the richest few and the rest, and fails to create real opportunities for young people to live the kinds of lives they always hoped they'd live,' professor Higgins previously told Metro.
She believes this creates an incredibly tough backdrop for having serious conversations about power and privilege with young men, many of whom 'can't find stable and fairly compensated employment, can't afford housing, and are facing the prospect of a life much less comfortable than their parents.' However, the professor adds that while they don't feel advantaged, 'that doesn't mean they're not.'
These feelings are compounded by young women expecting more from the men in their lives. According to professor Higgins, young women are no longer coerced socially and financially into partnerships with men who aren't interested in being their equal. 'They can instead choose to be single, become solo parents if they so desire, or to enter partnerships with other women,' she explained. 'It's unsurprising that young men feel like they have less control in their intimate relationships with women than in previous generations — because they do.'
Widespread sexism and its impact
The research from Young Women's Trust also reveals that nine in 10 young women have been subjected to sexism in the past year, with one in three (31%) saying this has been detrimental to their mental health. An even larger number (75%) say their lives have been negatively impacted by sexism and misogyny, with 43% saying it has made them feel unsafe in public and 41% saying it has knocked their confidence.
Young women believe these attitudes are becoming more commonplace, with 74% agreeing that sexist comments are becoming more acceptable amongst young men. In April, a union survey warned of a 'masculinity crisis' in UK schools, with nearly a quarter of female teachers being targeted by misogynistic abuse from a pupil in the past year. One teacher claimed she was called a 'f**king slag' by a pupil, while another said boys were making rape jokes. In February, teacher Vicki Williams was stabbed in the head with a kitchen knife by her 16-year-old male student, who has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in youth detention.
As a result, more than a third of young women have felt forced to change the way they dress, while 21% avoid sharing their true opinions at work. More than half of HR managers are aware of young women in their organisations who have experienced sexist or discriminatory behaviour in the last 12 months, and 21% said that managers were responsible for the sexual harassment. Despite ministers launching a National Taskforce for Tackling Misogyny to better protect women and girls, just one in five of the women surveyed were confident politicians were taking misogyny seriously.
The taskforce will bring together experts from across the country, along with ministers and local leaders, to discuss the lived experiences of women and girls, ensuring government policy is shaped by those most affected by misogyny.
Desire for unity
Despite this polarisation between sexes, 82% of young women and 81% of young men want more to be done to unify them. Katharine Sacks-Jones, Young Women's Trust chief executive, says: 'With growing threats to the rights and protections that women have fought hard to secure, young women now feel their rights are up for grabs. Now is the time to challenge harmful attitudes, stand up for young women's rights and ensure every young woman has the power and opportunity to fulfil her potential.'
