Britons are most likely to think progress still needs to be made when it comes to women’s health
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Accelerate Action’ which focuses on the need for swift progress in gender equality worldwide and addresses the personal and professional barriers that women and girls face.
New YouGov research uncovers which areas promoted under the ‘Accelerate Action’ theme the public think more work remains, and where they think the balance is about right.
Of the areas we asked about, at least half of Britons think more should be done for gender equality in areas related to leadership training for women (50%), women’s workplace health policies (54%) and women and girls being able to make informed health decisions (54%). Around a third say that the balance is about right in these areas.
Many also think improvements still need to be made to provide the appropriate level of resources and opportunities for women’s economic independence (49%), ensuring adequate representation of women in the workplace (45%) and involving women in agriculture/ food security (45%) and sport (48%).
Women are more likely to say that more should be done across all measures compared to men; this ranges from an 11-point difference for the role of women in sustainable agriculture/ food security to a 25-point difference regarding women’s economic independence.
The only area where the public generally feel more content with the action taken is the promotion of women and girls’ creative and artistic talents, on which 46% say the balance is about right currently, compared to 37% who still think more needs to be done.
Meanwhile opinion is largely divided on women and girls’ access to quality education and training with 44% thinking more should done, and 46% believing the balance is about right.
Older Britons are less likely to think more needs to be done on gender equality
Support for more action across all areas is evident amongst younger people compared to their elders, although gender still plays a significant role in opinion for every generation.
Overall, women aged 18-29 are the most likely to think more should be done in each area we asked about, with an average of 71% saying so across all nine questions. This is significantly higher than for their male peers, with an average of 55% of men in the same age group saying more needs to be done on the gender equality themes studied.
These young men are, for their part, substantially more likely to say more needs to be done on gender equality than their elders, with on average only 25% of men in their fifties and 30% of those aged sixty and above saying greater progress is needed. Among the oldest female age groups, the average figure does not fall much below half (48%).
Do you think enough has been done to address gender inequality? How do you feel about women's rights in general, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.
Photo: Getty
