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Could the Church be the answer to shifting attitudes on gender equality?

Posted by Jenni James on 12 March 2026

The research, conducted by Ipsos in the UK and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, surveyed 23,000 people across 29 countries to build a picture of attitudes towards gender equality across the globe, with participants asked whether or not they agreed to statements like ‘A wife should always obey her husband’; ‘we have gone too far in promoting women’s equality’; ‘a real woman should never initiate sex’; and ‘men are being asked to do too much to promote gender-equality’.  

The results paint a concerning picture: younger men are more likely demographic to agree that things have gone too far to promote gender equality and that men are being asked to do too much to support it. Almost a third believe that a wife should always obey her husband, and 21% believe that a real woman should never initiate sex. 43% of Gen Z men agree that ‘young men should try to be physically tough, even if they’re not naturally big’. Older generations are less likely to agree with these statements, suggesting that attitudes to gender equality are regressing, not progressing. 

Check out a summary of the key findings here.

What’s the issue?

Some might argue that this isn’t a problem – splashy headlines are blowing things out of proportion. Many will argue that young men and boys are facing more challenges than ever; using this new research to guilt trip them further won’t help anyone. What’s clear is that we seem to be becoming increasingly divided on how best to teach young people about healthy masculinity and femininity. 

It’s crucial that we focus on having constructive discussions that help make life better for everyone. No one should feel that they are being demonised or that their problems are being ignored. But the truth is, globally and in the UK, we are still facing an epidemic of Violence Against Women and Girls: almost 1 in 3 women across the world have experienced physical and/or sexual violence; in the UK, a woman is killed by a current or former partner every week. Set against this backdrop, the idea that attitudes towards gender equality are moving backwards is a frightening one. 

We also know that men and boys also suffer as a result of these restrictive ideas. The research found that almost a third of Gen Z men agree that ‘it causes problems in a marriage if a man stays at home to raise children while the woman works’ and that ‘Men should figure out problems on their own rather than asking for help’ – the highest percentage of any of the generations surveyed. It seems that we’re moving further away from a world where all people, regardless of gender, can express themselves freely and ask for help when they need it.

Can the Church be the answer?

It would be wrong to claim that the Church has always been on the right side of this discussion. Many of the ‘traditional‘ ideas about gender roles, particularly within marriages, have come from Christian culture and teaching. Still now, scripture is weaponised against women to keep them in situations of abuse and oppression. As a charity working to support Christian survivors of domestic abuse, we see the devastating impact of this every day. 

But we also see that when churches get it right, the impact can be huge. In our increasingly fractured world, churches at their best are diverse communities that stretch across demographic divides, providing a huge opportunity to influence culture for the better. What would it look like if we really committed ourselves to modelling a better way to live alongside each other as men and women? In our youth groups, small groups, preaching – there are so many spaces where we can challenge harmful narratives and offer a more freeing, life giving message. 

Churches shouldn’t be governed by the shifting attitudes of the culture around us. We have a guide for how to live well and treat those around us with kindness, empathy and respect, and in Jesus we see this modelled to its fullest extent. A man who treated the women around him as equals worthy of respect; who wasn’t afraid to show emotion and who didn’t cling to power, but gave it away for the sake of his friends. This is the message that the world needs to hear. 

In a time where it seems that young people in the UK are reversing declines in church attendance, there is no better time than this to take action. Let’s live out the gospel message of freedom, unity and equality, bringing those around us with us as we do so.