“It is troubling to see that attitudes towards gender equality are not more positive," said Julia Gillard of King’s College London.
>Particularly among Gen Z, our data shows an interesting duality: they are both the group most likely to agree that women who have a successful career are more attractive to men but are simultaneously most likely to agree that a wife should always obey her husband and that a woman should never appear too self-sufficient or independent.
Incredibly stupid things are happening
Just wanted to share some more of the article with some of the actual stats, because most people probably aren't going to click the link:
A new global study of 23,000 people across 29 countries found that 31 percent of Gen Z men agree that a wife should always obey her husband, while one third, at 33 percent, say a husband should have the final word on important decisions.
In comparison, just 13 percent of Baby Boomer men agreed that a wife should always obey her husband, and 17 percent said a husband should have the final say.
While Gen Z men were the most likely to endorse traditional ideas about authority within marriage, women across all generations were far less likely to agree. Only 18 percent of Gen Z women said a wife should always obey her husband, falling to just 6 percent among Baby Boomer women.
Indeed, the findings align with signs of a broader rightward social drift among younger Gen Zers, particularly men. Data from Yale’s 2025 Youth Poll showed a sharp partisan split within the generation: voters aged 18 to 21, the youngest Gen Z adults at the time, backed Republicans by nearly 12 points on a generic 2026 ballot, while those aged 22 to 29 favored Democrats by around six points.
The survey also found that Gen Z men were more likely than older men to feel that men are being asked to do too much to support gender equality. Nearly six in 10 Gen Z men, at 59 percent, agreed with that view, compared with 45 percent of Baby Boomer men. Women were again less likely to agree, with 41 percent of Gen Z women and 30 percent of Baby Boomer women saying the same.
It's interesting to note that: There is a split within Gen Z, with older Gen Z'ers seemingly being more progressive than younger Gen Z'ers. Also, while not nearly to the same extent, it does seem that Gen Z women are also more likely than Baby Boomers to hold these attitudes (but still much less likely to do so than men). I think these are both points worth noting.
