Mind the Gaps: Global Attitudes Toward Gender Equality in 2026
Ipsos' International Women's Day survey finds some men and women not seeing eye to eye on gender equality issues.
The latest Ipsos International Women’s Day Report, spanning 29 countries, reveals a slim majority now think gender equality efforts have gone far enough.
Conducted in collaboration with the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, for International Women’s Day (8 March 2026), survey finds significant gaps remain on several issues, particularly between younger men and women.
Key findings include:
- Those that think gender equality has gone far enough up since 2019. A slim majority (52% on average across all 29 countries) say when it comes to giving women equal rights with men, things have gone far enough in their country. Of the 24 countries in both this year’s and 2019’s survey, 23 have seen an increase in people thinking things have gone too far.
- The majority of men feel they are already doing too much for equality. Fifty-four per cent of men across 29 countries feel they are doing too much, compared to 38% of women. In many countries there are big differences between men and women on this question.
- One in two men think the push for equality discriminates against them. On average, 52% of men agree “we have gone so far in promoting women’s equality that we are discriminating against men”. Only 36% of women feel the same.
- However, solid belief things would be better with more women in charge. Six in ten (60%) agree that things would work better if more women held positions with responsibilities in government and companies. Only 27% disagree. On average 68% of women and 53% feel this way.
- Optimism for the future stronger for young women than young men. Fifty-five per cent think young women in their country today will have a better life than women of their parents’ generation. Only 40% think young men will have a better life than men of their parents’ age.
- Women perceived to have more choice about self-expression, but men hold more choice around jobs. Women are more likely than men to be seen to have more choice when it comes to how to dress (34%), dating (24%) and the roles they can hold in the household (22%). Men are more likely than women to be viewed as having more choice about the jobs they can have (39%).
