Singapore gender study: Gen Z most divided on gender roles

However, when asked if there were situations in which spousal violence was acceptable, 30 per cent of millennial and Gen Z men agreed or were neutral, compared with 20 per cent of baby boomer and older males.

Among women, attitudes were more consistent across age groups. Less than 20 per cent of all female respondents generally agreed or were neutral on whether spousal violence was acceptable.

Chia explained that the perception younger men have towards spousal violence could be due to the greater access they have to sexual content.

“Younger Singaporeans grew up with more access to sexual content than those in previous generations, especially content with depictions of coercion and violence,” Chia said.

“Based on a SHE study in 2024 on online spaces for men and women, young men were also more likely than young women to encounter adult nudity and sexual content incidentally through algorithms and the way social media platforms are designed for men, not because the boys are purposely seeking it out.

“A generation encountering this kind of content at scale is likely to have its sense of what’s acceptable shaped by it.”

YOUNGER MEN AND WOMEN MORE DIVIDED ON TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES

The study also found a widening gap between younger women and men in their views on traditional gender roles – younger women were more likely to reject traditional societal expectations of both women and men.

Men, however, were relatively consistent in their views across the different generations.

Among Gen Z respondents, 54 per cent of women disagreed that a woman’s main role in society is to be a wife, compared with 29 per cent of men.

Among baby boomers and older respondents, the gap was narrower: 39 per cent of women disagreed with the statement, compared with 27 per cent of men.

A similar trend was seen in views on men’s roles. In the study, 50 per cent of Gen Z women disagreed that a man’s main role in society is to be a husband, compared with 26 per cent of Gen Z men.

Meanwhile, among baby boomers and older respondents, 35 per cent of women disagreed with the statement, compared with 24 per cent of men.

Chia said the widening gap in attitudes among younger Singaporeans could make it harder for young men and women to find common ground when discussing gender issues, as they find it difficult to agree with one another.

“It is high time we rethink and grow the consensus between women and men for future generations,” she added.

GENDER STEREOTYPES HARM BOTH MEN AND WOMEN

The study also found that traditional gender stereotypes disadvantage both women and men. This is despite more men in Singapore taking on caregiving responsibilities traditionally associated with women, and more women becoming their families’ primary breadwinners.

The impact was evident in the workplace. Out of all the respondents who took parental leave, half reported negative experiences at work.

Men were more likely to report employment setbacks, such as not being hired for a job, while women were more likely to report career development setbacks, including fewer opportunities for advancement.

“The results point towards how, while women are penalised when they don’t conform to expectations that they be caring and nurturing, men face the same problem but in the opposite way,” Chia said.

“For men, taking parental leave or requesting flexi-work arrangements runs counter to the ‘men are breadwinners’ stereotype, since it means stepping away from work and into caregiving.

“This leads to real stigma, including not being hired because he has plans to take paternity leave, or because he asked for flexi-work arrangements.”

Chia added: “It is a loss for us, as a society, that such stigma persists, more so that caregiving and providing are seen as being in tension. A man who spends more time caregiving is also providing for his family, through his presence and attention.

“There’s also a risk that real frustration gets redirected into a narrative that blames gender equity, blames women, for problems neither caused,” Chia said.

She added that gender stereotypes prevent both men and women in Singapore from thriving in the workplace and at home.

“Tackling stereotypes towards women and men can help everyone pursue opportunities to their fullest potential,” she said. “It’s on us, as a society, to keep doing the work of rethinking what caring and providing actually mean, for women and men alike.”