The Ipsos agency has released a new global study showing that one-third of men under 30 think women should always obey their husbands. Nearly 60% also believe that men are discriminated against today.
In a study focusing on views about gender equality, 23,000 people from various generations across different countries participated. It clearly shows that Gen Z is the most conservative when it comes to equality—even more than baby boomers.
31% of men agree that a wife should always obey her husband. Gen Z women agreed with this only 18% of the time, but that's still the most among all generations. Baby boomers agreed half as often, across both genders.
Exactly one-third of men under 30 also agree that the husband should have the final say on big decisions, a quarter think a woman shouldn’t be too independent, and a fifth believe a “real woman” should never initiate sex.
Gen Z Says Men Are the Ones Being Discriminated Against Today
57% of Gen Z men surveyed agree that society has gone so far in promoting gender equality that it now discriminates against men.
Gen Z also shows conservative views on gender roles—like the idea of what a “real” man and a “real” woman should be like. They believe the most out of all generations that men should try to look tough (43%), and that men who, for example, take care of their kids are less manly than those who don’t (21%).
The Most Divided Generation
Previous studies show that Gen Z is the most polarized generation regarding gender equality, with opinions among young men and women differing more and more. This is shown, for example, in last year’s Ipsos survey. A total of 59% of respondents in it reported feeling tension between men and women.
“There’s an interesting duality with Gen Z,” says Kelly Beaver, CEO of Ipsos in the UK and Ireland. “They are the group most likely to agree that women with successful careers are more attractive, but at the same time most likely to agree that a woman should always obey her husband and never look too independent or self-sufficient.”
