New study claims Gen Z men believe women should ‘obey’ them in romantic relationships

Relationships may be unique, but researchers have suggested that young men may have a hive mind when it comes to what they expect of their girlfriends.

Members of Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, are well known for: changing what ‘first base’ really means, apparently having less sex than their elders, and preferring nicotine pouches over electronic cigarettes.

Another thing Gen Z men apparently have in common is the belief that their wives, girlfriends, and significant others should follow their directives, according to a new study.

On Thursday (March 5), experts from the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s Business School in London and Ipsos, a market research company in the UK, published worrying survey results ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8.

A new relationships survey suggests up to one third of Gen Z men believe their partner should 'obey' them (Getty Stock Image)

The paper documented the apparent ‘societal views’ of 23,000 men and women from 29 different countries, including the UK and India.

Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, Zoomers, and Gen Zers all took part in the study - and some of the results are pretty ‘damaging’, according to an expert.

Gen Z men likely to have ‘traditional’ relationship views

Almost one-third (31 percent) of men born between the late 90s and early 2010s apparently said that wives should always obey their husbands, as per the IWD 2026 survey.

Meanwhile, 33 percent claimed husbands should always have the final word on important decisions.

However, women apparently weren’t as keen on the ideas, with only 18 percent of Gen Z agreeing that they should pander to their significant others’ wills.

Six percent of Baby Boomers - born between 1946 and 1964 - also echoed the idea of ‘obeying’ their spouse.

Other eyebrow-raising findings included: 24 percent of Gen Z men believing that women shouldn’t appear ‘too independent or self-sufficient’; the idea that ‘real women’ should never initiate sex (21 percent), and that men are expected to ‘do much to support equality’ (59 percent).

Some young men believe they have too much equality responsibility, as per the research (Getty Stock Image)

41 percent of male Gen Zers also apparently think that women with successful careers are more attractive to men.

The survey concluded that, in general, younger people are more likely to have ‘traditional views on decision-making within a marriage’ than their older counterparts.

What experts say about ‘troubling’ survey results

Professor Heejung Chung, Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s Business School, said that it was ‘deeply concerning to see traditional gender norms persisting today’.

“Our data reveals a striking gap between people's personal views, which are far more progressive, and what they imagine society demands of them,” she continued.

“This gap is particularly pronounced among Gen Z men, who not only appear to feel intense pressure to conform to rigid masculine ideals, but in some cases seem to also expect women to retreat to more traditional ways of being.”

Julia Gillard, Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at the institution, added that it was ‘troubling to see that attitudes towards gender equality [were] not more positive, particularly among young men’.

Experts have called the results 'troubling' ahead of IWD (Getty Stock Image)

“Not only are many Gen Z men putting limiting expectations on women, they are also trapping themselves within restrictive gender norms.”

Gillard added that she wants experts to continue dispelling the idea of a ‘zero-sum game in which women are the only beneficiaries of a gender-equal world’.

“We need to ensure everyone is taken on the gender equality journey, with a clear understanding of why it benefits all of society. This report provides sorely needed knowledge on global gender equality trends.”