Gender Equal NZ, led by the National Council of Women, conducted the Gender Attitudes Survey with Research NZ in late 2017.
The survey tested attitudes around gender roles – at home, at school, at work and in the community and has given us a snapshot of where we’re at in New Zealand on gender.
The good news is most New Zealanders (79%) recognise gender equality is a fundamental right for all of us. But a pocket of New Zealanders hold outdated views about gender roles.
These old-fashioned views mean that women and gender diverse people continue to lose out in the Four Key Areas of Inequality: Education, Economic Independence, Influence and Decision Making, and Safety and Health. While strong ideas about what boys and men should be like harm New Zealanders of all genders.
View our infographic on gender inequality in Education
View our infographic on gender inequality in Economic Independence
View our infographic on gender inequality in Safety and Health
View our infographic on gender inequality in Influence and Decision Making
The four areas of inequality
Click on the visualisations below to see what the Gender Attitude Survey has revealed about how the four areas of inequality are perpetuated by what we think and how we act.
Education
Safety and Health
Economic Independence
Influence and Decision Making
Good Guys
The Gender Attitudes Survey tested attitudes around gender roles – at home, at school, at work and in the community and gives us a snapshot of where we’re at in New Zealand on gender.
The results show there are some strong ideas about what girls and women can do and be, and even more about what boys and men “should” be like – and what makes a “real man”.
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- 1 in 5 New Zealanders do not believe it’s ok for boys to play with dolls
- 31% of men think that a man who doesn’t fight back when he’s pushed around will lose respect as a man
- 19% of New Zealanders think it is more important for men to be seen in a position of power in NZ society
These strong ideas about being a man put sexual prowess, being strong and making money above empathy, being kind and vulnerability. But these are important skills for Good Guys and people of all genders.
The 3Ps describe these strong ideas for how boys and men should behave.
These strong ideas about how boys and men should behave hurt all of us. They lead to heavy drinking, poor health and dangerous driving. They create barriers for male survivors of sexual violence to get help. They contribute to men using violence towards women and other genders – from sexual harassment to catcalling to partner violence to rape.
Gender Equal NZ wants all New Zealanders to question ideas about “real men” that get in the way of men being Good Guys – with good relationships with their kids, partners, friends and everyone else.
Eight men kill themselves every week in New Zealand.
It’s time to change those old-fashioned attitudes, for all of us.
Gender Attitudes Survey full report