As a boomer, I’m shocked by gen Z’s attitude towards women – something has gone very wrong | Joan Smith

New research suggests older people have more progressive views on women’s rights than younger generations. This direction of travel is deeply concerning

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t is usually assumed that young people are more liberal than older generations. Not according to startling new research carried out in 29 countries, including the UK, that suggests that almost a third of gen Z men believe that a wife should always obey her husband. A similar number say a husband should have the final say on important decisions.

Although those stats are for a 29-country average, it seems to reflect worries about a masculinity crisis among young men in the UK. What century are we living in? It could be a snapshot from the 1970s, but the figures are from a survey published this week by Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London. But even five decades ago, men in the UK who expressed such views could expect to be laughed at. They were swimming against the tide, as legislation was passed outlawing sex discrimination and creating a (theoretical) right to equal pay.

So it’s hard not to be shocked by the discovery that so many men born between 1997 and 2012 share views that appear to belong to an out-of-touch cleric; the days when women were expected to “love, honour and obey” should be long gone by now.