Monday Musings: Dangerous Portends on Women’s Day
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By Amitabh Srivastava, Edited By Adam Rizvi, The India Observer (TIO): Even as Biren Shah, the Gen Z (1997–2012) representative in Nepal, prepares to take over as the new Prime Minister in the troubled country after a one-sided election, the world must ponder: is this the Gen Z we were waiting for?
The question becomes all the more relevant in view of a survey of 23,000 persons from this generation across 29 countries, including the USA, India, the United Kingdom, Australia and Brazil.
According to a report in The Guardian, the survey reveals that nearly one-third (33%) of this generation believes that wives must always obey their husbands. Even more surprising is that 18% of women of this supposedly empowered and enlightened generation also agree.
These survey findings fly in the face of the slogan given by the United Nations on the occasion of International Women’s Day: Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls.
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The survey also seems to smash stereotypes because the same findings contain very laudatory reports about the surviving grown-ups called the Baby Boomers (1946–1964).
The survey, conducted by Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, reveals that only 13% of this conservative generation believe that husbands are always right and that wives cannot be right. Similarly, only 6% of females of this “dinosaur generation” believe that a wife should always obey her husband, as against 18% among Gen Z.
About a quarter (24%) of Gen Z males also thought that women should not appear too independent or self-sufficient, compared to only 12% of Baby Boomer men who shared this thought.
How seriously does one take this report? Are there circles within circles? Are there more divisions?
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An advocate and daughter of a veteran politician commented:
“Those surveyed must all be bachelors. A wife and a mom always get respect.”
She should know, being both.
And what happens when two men start living together, as is the trend among some sections of Gen Z? Or the same with two women of Gen Z?
But I have my doubts too about the older generation being portrayed as saints. They must be laughing through their sleeves after the publication of this report.
From what I have seen through the personal and professional prism of my life of over 76 years, the views of the Baby Boomers—at least in India—as projected in this survey are superficial and not entirely true.
This survey immediately reminded me of a similar one conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India around 15 years ago.
The survey gave six reasons to respondents for beating up their wives and asked them to list their priorities.
Among the reasons listed were refusing to have sex with the husband, not respecting the in-laws, not cooking food, going out of the house without asking the husband, and so on.
The maximum ticks were for “not respecting in-laws.” It appeared as if the survey team had gone to the house when the husband and wife were not home and spoke only to the mother-in-law.
Surprisingly, almost 20% of wives agreed that if a wife did not cook food or refused to have sex with the poor, hard-working husband, she deserved to be beaten up.
One of the millennials whom I spoke to had an interesting take.
He suggested that the Ministry should prepare a list of six reasons why husbands could be beaten up.
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So, till that list comes up, all those wonderful women out there who make our lives so meaningful and comfortable:
Enjoy a very Happy Women’s Day 2026!
Also Read more from this Author: Monday Musings: Women take over Prayas and no one minds
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