Gen Z is more divided than any other generation over gender roles and women’s rights in a new ‘battle of the sexes’, a global study has found.
The survey of almost 24,000 people in 30 countries found that Gen Z are more likely to feel there is tension between genders in their country than older generations.
Of all age groups surveyed, Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, is more divided by gender over questions including whether they define themselves as a feminist and if we’ve gone too far in promoting women’s equality.
While it is often assumed that young people are more liberal, in reality the views of Gen Z men and women often vary starkly on these issues, the research by King’s College London (KCL) found.
Some 53 per cent of Gen Z women define themselves as a feminist, compared with 32 per cent of Gen Z men, the poll found. This gap in opinion is the biggest among all generations surveyed.
When it comes to Britons of all ages, 38 per cent define themselves as a feminist, down from 43 per cent in 2024. There has been a bigger decline among British men, down ten points since last year.
Kelly Beaver, chief executive of pollster Ipsos, said the ‘battle of the sexes’ has ’emerged as a salient force within Gen Z’.
‘These divisive sentiments are coupled with less optimism for the future of today’s young men, compared to that of young women,’ she said.
‘We must find ways to bridge this divide and ensure that progress towards gender equality benefits everyone, without leaving anyone behind.’
The research, by Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at KCL, found 57 per cent of Gen Z men say we have gone too far in promoting women’s equality, compared to 36 per cent of Gen Z women.
Four in ten British adults of all ages think efforts to promote women’s equality have gone so far that men are being discriminated against, with 51 per cent of British men feeling this way compared to 33 per cent of women.
And more than a quarter of Gen Z males now say a man who stays at home to look after his children is ‘less of a man’ compared to 19 per cent of Gen Z women, the study found.
In all cases Gen Z men and women – aged 18 to 29 – are the most divided generation compared to millennials, Baby Boomers and Gen X when it comes to gender and women’s rights.
But where Gen Z are relatively united is in their belief that there is tension between men and women in society today.
Six in ten Gen Z across all countries surveyed say there is tension between men and women, with majorities of both Gen Z men (55 per cent ) and women (62 per cent) agreeing that this is the case.
Some 40 per cent of all Britons agree there are tensions between the sexes – on par with Germany and France – compared to 58 per cent of Americans and 76 per cent of South Koreans.
However despite these trends a majority of people in each of the 30 countries surveyed say that gender equality is important.
Overall, two in three people – including 62 per cent of men – say that achieving equality between men and women matters to them personally.
Professor Heejung Chung, director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at KCL, said the gender divide is often unhelpfully framed as a ‘zero-sum game’ pitting women against men.
But she added: ‘Many problems we face are shared, and all genders can and should come together to address the challenges we face as a society, as only by uniting our efforts can we meet them.’