Returning to the Dark Ages?

31% of Gen Z men agree that a wife should always obey her husband and one third (33%) say a husband should have the final word on important decisions, according to a new global study of 23,000 people.

Gen Z men (born between 1997 and 2012) were twice as likely as Baby Boomer men (born between 1946 and 1964) to have traditional views on decision-making within a marriage, with just 13% and 17% of Baby Boomer men agreeing with those statements respectively.

By contrast, far fewer Gen Z women agreed that a wife should always obey her husband (18%) and an even smaller share of Baby Boomer women (6%) held that view.

The 29-country survey which included Great Britain, the USA, Brazil, Australia and India, finds that young men today are more likely than those in older generations to hold traditional views about gender roles.

Conducted by Ipsos in the UK and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s Business School, King’s College London, to mark International Women’s Day 2026, the survey reveals stark differences between different generations of men when it comes to gender roles:

Almost a quarter (24%) of Gen Z men agree that a woman should not appear too independent or self-sufficient, compared with 12% of Baby Boomer men. Among women, agreement was notably lower at 15% for Gen Z and 9% for Baby Boomers.
Attitudes toward sexual norms also differ sharply across generations: 21% of Gen Z men think a “real woman” should never initiate sex, compared with only 7% of Baby Boomer men. Just 12% of Gen Z women agreed; however, Baby Boomer women and men were aligned at 7% for this question.
59% of Gen Z men say that men are expected to do too much to support equality, compared to 45% of Baby Boomer men – again, this was higher than the proportion of women who share this view (41% and 30% respectively).

Despite being the most likely to believe that a woman should not appear too independent or self-sufficient, Gen Z men were also the group most likely to believe that women who have a successful career are more attractive to men, with 41% agreeing with this statement compared to 27% of Baby Boomers of both genders.

TRADITIONAL EXPECTATIONS

The results suggest that Gen Z men also have more traditional expectations of their own behaviour and choices than both older generations of men and their female counterparts in Gen Z.

For example:

30% of Gen Z men who responded to the survey believe men should not say ‘I love you’ to their friends, compared to 20% of Baby Boomer men and 21% of Gen Z women.
43% of Gen Z men agree that ‘young men should try to be physically tough, even if they’re not naturally big’ compared to 32% of all respondents and 28% of Gen Z women.
21% of Gen Z men believe that men who take part in caregiving for children are less masculine than those who do not, compared with just 8% of Baby Boomer men and 14% of Gen Z women.

Beyond generational differences, the 29-country averages show that there is also a gap between what people personally think about gender roles within the home, and what they think society expects.

People generally expressed more equal views with only one in six respondents saying that women should take on most childcare (17%) or household chores beyond childcare (16%), and under a quarter (24%) believing that men should shoulder most of responsibility for earning money.

STILL TRADITIONAL, AFTER ALL?

However, many respondents believed views towards traditional gender roles are still widely held in their country:

Over a third (35%) said they think more people in their country believe women are expected to take primary responsibility for childcare and other household work.
Four in 10 (40%) said they believe the majority of people in their country think men are expected to be the main earners.
Globally, 31% said they think people in their country believe men should have the final word on important decisions in the home, compared to just 21% who personally agree with that view.

While respondents in Great Britain were less likely than average to personally hold traditional views on household responsibilities, they still felt that society had traditional expectations.

For example, in Great Britain only 14% personally felt that women should take on most responsibility for childcare, but 43% said that women were expected to be mostly or entirely responsible. 15% in Great Britain personally felt that men had responsibility for earning money, but 38% said that they felt society expected men to be responsible.

RE-NEGOTIATION OF ROLES

Kelly Beaver MBE, Chief Executive of Ipsos in the UK and Ireland, said: “This year’s survey shows us that we are witnessing perhaps a great re-negotiation of how both men and women inhabit gender roles in today’s society. 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.

“This duality in perspectives opens a vital dialogue on how gender norms are being reshaped, highlighting the complex interplay between modernity and tradition and urging us to delve deeper into the cultural, social, and economic factors that influence these beliefs. Our aim should be to foster inclusive conversations that promote awareness and acceptance of diverse gender roles, paving the way for a more balanced and equitable society and a freer and more equal future for all.”

Professor Heejung Chung, Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, King’s Business School, said: “It is deeply concerning to see traditional gender norms persisting today, and more troubling still that many people appear to be pressured by social expectations that do not actually reflect what most of us believe.

“Our data reveals a striking gap between people’s personal views, which are far more progressive, and what they imagine society demands of them. This gap is particularly pronounced among Gen Z men, who not only appear to feel intense pressure to conform to rigid masculine ideals, but in some cases seem to also expect women to retreat to more traditional ways of being.

“Our report aims to cut through these misperceptions and show people what we as a society truly believe: that gender norms are genuinely shifting, and more and more people want a more equal, flexible approaches to gender roles. Such shifts are not only better suited to the complex demands of modern life, but are linked to greater happiness, healthier relationships, and improved well-being for men, women, and families alike.”

RESTRICTIVE GENDER NORMS

The Hon Julia Gillard AC, Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, King’s Business School, said: “It is troubling to see that attitudes towards gender equality are not more positive, particularly among young men. Not only are many Gen Z men putting limiting expectations on women, they are also trapping themselves within restrictive gender norms.

“We must continue to do more to dispel the idea of a zero-sum game in which women are the only beneficiaries of a gender-equal world. We need to ensure everyone is taken on the gender equality journey, with a clear understanding of why it benefits all of society. This report provides sorely needed knowledge on global gender equality trends.

“As a society we need to resist the pressure to go backwards and accelerate the pace of change. Good research is critical to reasoned debate and forward progress.”

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