Across 29 Countries, Nearly a Third of Gen Z Men Say Wives Should Obey Their Husbands
A new survey has found that a significant share of young men hold traditional and even regressive views about gender roles and women — in some cases at higher rates than older generations.
Across 29 countries, almost a third of Gen Z men say a wife should “obey” her husband, according to new research by Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London.
One in three Gen Z men also say a husband should have the final word on important household decisions.
The findings highlight a generational divide. Gen Z men (born 1997- 2012) were roughly twice as likely as Baby Boomer (born 1946-1964) men to agree that wives should obey their husbands. Only 13 percent of Baby Boomer men endorsed that view.
On sexual norms, 21 percent of Gen Z men said a “real woman” should never initiate sex, compared with 7 percent of Baby Boomer men.
The survey also found that Gen Z men were more likely to hold restrictive ideas about masculinity. Thirty percent said men should avoid telling male friends “I love you,” while 43 percent believed young men should try to appear physically tough, even if they are not. Another 21 percent said men who take part in raising children are less masculine.
Only 14 percent of people in Britain said women should take on most childcare responsibilities — yet 43 percent said women are expected to carry most or all of it.
Gen Z men were also the most likely to say women should avoid appearing “too independent or self-sufficient,” yet they were the group most likely to say a woman with a successful career is more attractive.
Researchers say the findings reflect a deeper tension — and in some cases a regression — in attitudes toward gender roles. Some experts point to the influence of social media and online figures such as Andrew Tate, who has said that women belong in the home, bear responsibility for sexual assault, and are the property of men. The reach of those ideas extends to even younger audiences. Polling shows that one in six boys aged 6–15 view Tate positively, and one in eight say they agree specifically with his views on women.
Others point to algorithms that repeatedly steer younger male users toward misogynistic content. A study from Dublin City University’s Anti-Bullying Center found that accounts posing as teenage boys were directed toward misogynistic content within an average of 23 minutes, even without actively seeking it out.
“We cannot ignore the role recommendation algorithms have played in the resurgence of restrictive and regressive attitudes toward gender,” Chanel Contos, founder of Teach Us Consent, told More to Her Story. “These systems are designed to maximize engagement, and for many boys and young men, the content that most effectively captures their attention has proven to be misogynistic.”
According to Daniel Guinness, managing director of the U.K.-based nonprofit Beyond Equality, which works with young men to challenge harmful attitudes toward women, both online and offline cultures shape these views. One problem, he said, is that boys have few spaces where they can learn healthier ideas about masculinity.
“Many young men and boys are struggling without spaces where they can find connection and safety—places where they don’t feel they have to constantly prove themselves and where they can explore their identities and hobbies without being judged,” Mr. Guinness told More to Her Story. “There are very few environments that allow boys to move beyond narrow ideas of what it means to be a man, or actually give them the guidance they need to develop healthy relationships with women and girls — essentially how to be respectful and equitable.”
It’s important to note that in many parts of the world the cultural expectation reflected in this survey is also written into law, with family codes in at least 19 countries requiring wives to obey their husbands.