Worldwide Optimism About Future of Gender Equality, Even as Many See Advantages for Men

Twenty-five years after the United Nations’ Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action pledged to take the necessary steps to “remove all obstacles to gender equality and the advancement and empowerment of women,” support for gender equality is strong around the globe. Across 34 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center, a median of 94% think it is important for women in their country to have the same rights as men, with 74% saying this is very important. However, women are less optimistic than men that women in their countries will achieve equality in the future, and they are more likely to say men have better lives than women.

Perceptions of Opportunities and Rights

While publics around the world embrace the idea of gender equality, at least four-in-ten think men generally have more opportunities than women in their country when it comes to getting high-paying jobs (a median of 54% across the 34 countries surveyed) and being leaders in their community (44%). Majorities in most European countries surveyed, as well as in Japan, South Korea, Israel, Australia, Canada and the United States, say men in their country have more opportunities than women when it comes to getting high-paying jobs.

Publics see more equity in access to a good education – a median of 81% believe men and women in their country generally have the same opportunities in this area – and expressing their political views (63% say men and women have the same opportunities). No more than 6% say women have more opportunities than men in any of these realms. When it comes to being leaders in their communities, more than half in Nigeria, South Korea, Japan, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Italy, Tunisia, Greece, France and Slovakia think men in their country have more opportunities than women.

Economic Scarcity and Quality of Life

Despite widespread support for gender equality around the world, a notable share (a median of 40% across the countries surveyed) thinks men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce; 56% disagree with this notion. In some countries, men are more likely than women to say men should have preferential treatment when jobs are scarce, with double-digit gender differences in Kenya, Nigeria, Bulgaria, South Africa, Israel, Slovakia, Italy, Argentina and the Czech Republic.

When asked who has a better life in their country, a 46% median across the 34 countries surveyed say men do, while 15% point to women and 31% volunteer that neither men nor women have a better life. Majorities in France, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Canada, the U.S., Turkey, Australia and the Netherlands think men have a better life than women in their country.

Key Data Summary

• Importance of equal rights for women: 94% median think it is important.
• Same opportunities for education: 81% median agreement.
• Same opportunities to express political views: 63% median agreement.
• More opportunities for men in high-paying jobs: 54% median agreement.
• Perception that men have a better life: 46% median agreement.
• Preference for men when jobs are scarce: 40% median agreement.

Methodology

For this report, we used data from a survey conducted across 34 countries from May 13 to Oct. 2, 2019, totaling 38,426 respondents. The surveys were conducted face-to-face across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, and on the phone in United States and Canada. In the Asia-Pacific region, face-to-face surveys were conducted in India, Indonesia and the Philippines, while phone surveys were administered in Australia, Japan and South Korea. This report explores cross-national perceptions of gender equality, including the opportunities available to men and women and the power they wield in family decisions.