New data from the soon to be released Ipsos MORI Global Trends Survey, shows that one third (34%) of online adults across 20 countries agree that the role of women in society is to be good mothers and wives, while six in ten (60%) disagree. However, Russia bucks the global trend with three in four (73%) saying that women’s role is to be a good mother and a wife, as do majorities in India at 56% and China at 54%. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sweden is at the other end of the spectrum with only 9% of people agreeing women should play this role, along with several other Western countries such as Spain (11%), France (16%), Italy (22%), Belgium, Canada (both 23%), and Britain (24%).
Across the globe there are significant discrepancies in how the sexes view the role of women in society, with men more likely to take a traditional view. And this is not just true of the countries at the top of the table, such as Russia (67% of women agree, compared with 79% of men), India (52% of women, 61% of men) and China (45% of women, 64% of men). Even in countries that are less likely to view a woman’s role in society as being a good wife and mother, there is still a difference in the views of men and women, such as in Sweden (4% of women agree, compared with 13% of men) Canada (19% of women, 28% of men), Australia (25% of women, 34% of men) and Germany (27% of women, 36% of men).
Russian’s perceptions of women in society are reinforced by the fact that only 38% agree that things would work better if more women held positions with responsibilities in government and companies. They share the bottom of the table with Argentina (also 38%) and South Korea (39%).
Meanwhile, half of Britons (54%) agree that things would improve if women held more positions of power, in line with the global average of 53%. India (69%), Turkey (68%), Italy (66%) and Brazil (64%) are the most likely to feel that more women in power would be beneficial to the way things work in their country.
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