Sexism persists, including among young people

In its fifth annual report (1), published Monday, January 23, the High Council for Equality (HCE) between women and men depicts a worrying situation where sexism is stagnating despite the awareness caused by the #MeToo movement. Public opinion recognizes and deplores its existence (93% of the population) but does not reject it in practice, mostly among men. A third of them believe that “feminism threatens the place and role of men in society”, and 56% believe that “feminist spokespersons do too much”.

A large majority of women (80%) claim to have been victims of sexist behavior (in particular in the street and in transport), compared to 78% in the 2022 barometer. report having had sex at the insistence of their partner, while only 12% of men admit to having insisted on having sex. This figure rises to 19% among 25-34 year olds. “Masculinist clichés” persist among young men.

To be respected as a man in society, nearly a quarter of 25 to 34 year olds think that you have to be violent, and 20% that you have to “brag about your sexual exploits to your male friends”. Regarding daily life, 40% of men of all ages believe that it is normal for a woman to stop working to take care of her children – compared to 27% of women – and 34% of men report that “the dolls are for girls, trucks for boys.

“#MeToo has played a role among the younger generations, with an awareness and an ability to take a step back from oneself, defends Christine Castelain Meunier, research fellow in sociology at the CNRS. But the other trend that is emerging is a defensive reflex among some men with the idea that feminism is going too far. »

The HCE warns against a “situation which is worsening with the appearance of new phenomena: online violence, increased virulence on social networks, barbarity in very many productions of the pornographic industry, and the affirmation of a masculinist and anti-feminist sphere”.

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