A global survey of 23,000 people has found that young men and boys hold more traditional views about gender roles than older generations. Almost a third (33%) of Gen Z males believe a wife should obey her husband, compared with just 13% of baby boomer men, according to the 29-country study by Ipsos and King’s College London.
The research, which included Great Britain, the US, Brazil, Australia and India, also found that 24% of Gen Z males think women should not appear too independent, double the 12% of baby boomers. On sexual norms, 21% of young men said a 'real woman' should never initiate sex, versus 7% of older men.
More than half (59%) of Gen Z males agreed that men are expected to do too much to support equality, compared with 45% of baby boomers. Yet young men were also the most likely to find successful career women attractive, with 41% agreeing.
Professor Heejung Chung, director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, said there were 'encouraging signs' but noted a shift towards traditionalism. In 2019, 42% globally said women’s rights had gone far enough; now it is 52%. In Britain, that rose by 12 points.
The survey also showed Gen Z men have more traditional expectations of themselves: 30% said men should not say 'I love you' to friends, and 21% believed male caregivers are less masculine. Julia Gillard, former Australian prime minister, called the results 'troubling' and warned against a 'zero-sum game' where women are seen as the only beneficiaries of equality.
