Almost a third of Gen Z men agree a wife should obey her husband

(Press-News.org) 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. 

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.  

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.  

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." 

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.”  

ENDS 

Notes to editors: 

For media requests, or to request interviews with Professor Heejung Chung or Rt Hon Julia Gillard AC, please contact the King’s College London press team at comms@kcl.ac.uk. Please note: this report is strictly embargoed until Thursday 5 March, 00:01am (UK time). 

About King’s College London: 

King’s College London is amongst the top 35 universities in the world and 5th best in the UK (QS World University Rankings 2026), and one of England’s oldest and most prestigious universities.  With an outstanding reputation for world-class teaching and cutting-edge research, King’s maintained its sixth position for ‘research power’ in the UK (2021 Research Excellence Framework).      

King's has more than 42,000 students (including more than 12,800 postgraduates) from some 190 countries worldwide, and 8,500 staff.    

For nearly 200 years, King’s students and staff have used their knowledge and insight to make a positive impact on people, society and the planet. Focused on delivering positive change at home in London, across the UK and around the world, King’s is building on its history of addressing the world’s most urgent challenges head on to accelerate progress, make discoveries and pioneer innovation. Visit the website to find out more about Vision 2029, which sets out bold ambitions for the future of King’s as we look towards our 200th anniversary.   

World-changing ideas. Life-changing impact: kcl.ac.uk/news

About King’s Business School: 

King's Business School, the ninth and newest faculty at King's College London, opened in 2017.  It is accredited by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA and was rated one of the top 10 business schools for research in the UK based on the Research Excellence Framework 2021. It is ranked in the top ten in the UK for business and management studies by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide and Times Higher Education World University Ranking.  

Based in the heart of London, we are part of an internationally renowned research-intensive university with a track-record of pioneering thinking and the limitless energies of the city’s businesses, policy-makers, entrepreneurs and change-makers to draw on. We put our commitment to drive positive change at the heart of our research and education. 

About Ipsos: 

Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating  
in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people.  

Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques. 

“Game Changers” – our tagline – summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world. 

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120, Mid-60 indices and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD). ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP  

www.ipsos.com 

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