Women Under Attack

Women’s relationship with the outside world is a stressful one.

Our landmark white paper, Women at 30, revealed that 90% think society expects women to live up to impossible standards and there is a real sense that they are striving for the impossible while not being allowed to complain. As a result, 60% feel they have always done everything expected of them and 84% regularly put others’ needs before their own.

“You remember the America Ferrera kind of monologue in the Barbie film? It was just so perfectly worded. And it made me really angry that that is the experience of women. People were saying: Well, that's interesting. That’s a surprise. I was like, no, it's not a surprise at all. I can't believe that's news to anybody because that literally is what it's like.” – UK woman age 30

And whilst feeling burdened by society’s impossible standards, she feels she’s on her own with 79% feeling that the outside world will not solve her problems. It’s therefore unsurprising that less than a third of them feel that life is going to plan.

“There’s just general pressure on women to do everything. I’m pregnant. There's an expectation for me to have a career, but my husband's job only allows him to two weeks paternity leave, so there's actually no room for him to take the reins. So I will carry on working [and take the reins]. So what else needs to change to actually make that achievable for any normal human being? We’re moving soon to the Netherlands where families are seen [more positively] as a unit and I wonder whether I'm going to feel the pressure slightly relieved because of that.” – UK woman age 30

All of this contributes to what The Guardian dubs the “gender rage gap”, with women around the world feeling higher levels of anger than men. From a “pussy grabbing” former President (and fears he’ll be back in the White House) and overturned abortion rights in the US, to confirmed institutional sexism and misogyny in the British police, a rise in Incel culture and its poster boys like Andrew Tate and Laurence Fox, young women are feeling under attack and there is a real sense that equality for women has stalled, if not gone in reverse:

Biggest challenges for women as a gender

1.     Childcare costs and responsibilities (64%)

2.     Violence against women 53%

3.     Sexual and reproductive rights 46%

So what does this mean for brands? She feels under fire so wants to know that brands have her back and are on her side. She’s not looking for performative action but will support and seek out brands who are her ally in a meaningful way. Be useful to her life and help her generation in the challenges and inequalities they continue to face. And this goes beyond just your products and marketing campaigns – make sure your employer brand and practices don’t perpetuate her issues.

To build out your brand allyship strategy please get in touch. And never miss an insight by signing up to our newsletter to get our latest findings delivered straight to your inbox.\