Gen Z Believes Men Are Being Discriminated Against More Than Boomers

Members of the Generation Z age bracket across the globe believe men are being discriminated against more than those among the Baby Boomer generation, according to a new poll.

A poll by Ipsos conducted on International Women’s Day, March 8, asked respondents across 31 countries a number of questions on women’s rights and gender equality among different age groups.

The poll asked respondents whether they agree or disagree with the statement that “we have gone so far in promoting women’s equality that we are discriminating against men.”

According to the poll, 60 percent of Gen Z men, 57 percent of Millennial men and 43 percent of male Baby Boomers agree with this statement. In comparison, among women that agree with this statement, the poll found 40 percent for Gen Z, 44 percent of Millennials and 30 percent of Baby Boomers.

The survey also found that, 57 percent of Gen Z respondents “think when it comes to giving women equal rights with men, thing have gone far enough in my country.” The poll found that 60 percent of Millennials also agree, while only 43 percent of Baby Boomers also believe that women’s rights have gone too far in their respective countries.

The poll’s findings come amid ongoing conversations across the globe on gender equality. A recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) found that 67 percent of the global paid workforce is made up of women.

“In addition to this paid work, it has been estimated that women perform an estimated 76% of all unpaid care activities. Work that is done primarily by women tends to be paid less and have poor working conditions,” the report said.

Sarah Feldman, a senior data journalist with Ipsos told Newsweek on Thursday that, “Globally, the issue of women’s rights is anything but settled, with big differences by country. These topline numbers hide a wide and growing generational divide and gender gap within that.

“This is a harbinger for social change to come; watch this space for how countries contend with the question of equality across their elections, social policies, and demographic trends,” Feldman said.

The poll also found results on another aspect of gender equality among different age groups, asking how they feel about a man who stays home to look after his children.

According to the poll, 31 percent of Gen Z men believe that a man who stays home to look after children instead of having a traditional job, is less of a man. The poll found that 20 percent of Gen Z women also agree with this sentiment.

In the older age group, among those in the Baby Boomer generation, just 10 percent of women and 11 percent of men agree that a man who stays home to look after their children is less of a man.

Brittanica defines members of the Gen Z group as an individual born during the late 1990s, around 1997, and the early 2000s, around 2012.

The poll said that over the past year, there has been “some attitudinal shifts across a 24-country average,” such as an increase in the number of respondents who think things have gone too far in their country in regard to giving women equal rights to men “(41% in 2019 vs. 54% in 2023/2024).”