Almost a third of Generation Z men believe a wife should obey her husband, according to a global survey of 23,000 people that found young men hold more traditional views on gender roles than older generations. The research, conducted by Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, covered 29 countries including Great Britain, the US, Brazil, Australia and India.
Among Gen Z males (born 1997-2012), 33% said a husband should have the final word on important decisions, double the rate of baby boomer men (born 1946-1964). Only 13% of boomer men agreed that a wife should always obey her husband, compared with 33% of Gen Z men. Among women, 18% of Gen Z and 6% of baby boomers agreed.
The survey also found that 24% of Gen Z men think women should not appear too independent or self-sufficient, versus 12% of boomer men. Additionally, 21% of Gen Z men believe a 'real woman' should never initiate sex, compared with 7% of boomer men. More than half (59%) of Gen Z men said men are expected to do too much to support equality, up from 45% of boomer men.
Despite these traditional views, Gen Z men were the most likely to find successful career women attractive (41%). Professor Heejung Chung, director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, noted that while support for gender equality remains strong in some areas, overall views are becoming more traditional. In 2019, 42% globally said women's rights had gone far enough; now it is 52%.
Chung attributed the shift to economic factors and a 'vacuum filled with rhetoric pitching young men against gender equality'. Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, chair of the institute, called the results troubling, saying young men are 'trapping themselves within restrictive gender norms'.
