A recent survey has revealed a shocking generational divide in attitudes toward gender roles among men, with younger men holding more traditional views than older generations. The survey, conducted by Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, highlights that Gen Z men (born between 1997 and 2012) are significantly more likely than Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) to support traditional ideas about marriage and decision-making authority.
According to the survey, 31% of Gen Z men believe a wife should always obey her husband, while about 33% think the husband should have the final say in important decisions within a marriage. What surprised researchers most was the generational contrast.
Only 13% of Baby Boomer men agreed that wives should obey their husbands, meaning younger men were twice as likely to hold these traditional views.
The results challenge the assumption that attitudes toward gender equality naturally become more progressive with younger generations.
Gender roles in 2026
Nearly 24% of Gen Z men believe women should avoid appearing overly independent or self-sufficient, a view held by only 12% of baby boomer men.
Differences in attitudes toward sexual behaviour are also evident across generations. About 21% of Gen Z men think a “real woman” should never initiate sex, while just 7% of baby boomers share that belief.
At the same time, 59% of Gen Z men feel that men are now expected to do too much to support gender equality, compared with 45% of baby boomer men.
Among women, 41% of Gen Z respondents expressed this concern, while the figure stood at 30% for women from the baby boomer generation.
Prof Heejung Chung, the director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and the leader of the research, said “there were some encouraging signs that support for gender equality remained strong, such as in the agreement there should be more women in government”
Are we moving backwards?
The survey findings also indicated that many Gen Z men hold more traditional views about their own behaviour and roles. For instance, 30% of Gen Z men felt that men should not say “I love you” to their friends, compared with 20% of baby boomer men and 21% of Gen Z women.
Similarly, 21% of Gen-Z men believed that men who take an active role in childcare are less masculine, a view shared by only 8% of baby boomer men and 14% of Gen Z women. The researchers say these views reflect rigid ideas about masculinity that can restrict emotional expression.
The study also found that both men and women believe women have greater freedom in areas such as dating and relationships (22%), household responsibilities (24%), and choices in clothing (34%). In contrast, men were perceived to have more freedom when it comes to hobbies (18%) and career choices (39%).
In Britain, only 14% of people personally felt that women should take on most responsibility for childcare, but 43% said women were expected to be mostly or entirely responsible.
The data revealed a gap between what people personally thought about gender roles and the difference that existed in the, thought society expected.
