While just 35% of Britons identify as a feminist, 83% believe men and women should be equal in every way
New YouGov data shows that whether you identify as a feminist is influenced by how the question is asked. The results suggest that there is something of an image problem with the term “feminist”, with people reluctant to use the word to describe themselves, even though a large majority of the British public say that they believe in equality for women.
As part of our test, respondents saw one of three questions: a question directly asking whether or not they are a feminist (‘word-only’ group); a question asking whether men and women should have equal rights and status in society (‘definition-only’ group); or a definition saying that feminism was believing that men and women should have equal rights and status in society, followed by the question asking whether or not they are a feminist (‘word + definition’ group).
Of those who are asked the direct question of ‘Are you a feminist?’, the tendency is to say no, with only 35% saying they are, compared to 45% who refuse the label. This route garners more unsure attitudes compared to the other groups, with 20% saying they “don’t know” when asked so straightforwardly.
However, when the term ‘feminist’ is included alongside the definition, the figure willing to apply the label to themselves almost doubles to 65%. On this variation of the question, only 21% refuse to call themselves a feminist, with 14% unsure.
In contrast, the ‘definition-only’ question is the most likely to prompt a positive response, with 83% of this group saying that men and women should have equal rights, societal status and be treated equally, versus 11% who don’t. The fact that the ‘definition-only’ group are more likely to agree with the statement than the ‘word + definition’ question suggests that there is a certain toxicity to the term ‘feminist’ that is putting some people off using it, even when it is paired with a description they would back.
This trend has remained consistent over the past few years with little change to British attitudes (2023, 2018).
How does age and gender impact views?
Around two in five men aged 18-29 (37%) say they are a feminist when asked the direct question (i.e. the word-only group); this level of self-identification decreases the older one gets, with only 22% of men aged 60 and above sharing this view.
In contrast, between 80-88% of men aged 50 and above are more likely to think men and women should have equal rights (the definition-only group) compared to 75% males aged 18-29.
This pattern is also evident amongst women of a similar age, with 88% those aged 50 and above saying everyone should be treated equally (the definition-only group) versus 83% of 18-29 year old women.
Do you identify as a feminist? What do you think 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
