Despite the rise of influential movements such as #MeToo, gender inequality has remained stagnant over the past decade, according to a news study released by the United Nations on Monday.

Among both men and women, "biased gender social norms are prevalent worldwide: almost 90% of people have at least one bias" among the seven biases analyzed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said. 

The UNDP tracked issues through its Gender Social Norms Index, which takes into account political, economic, education and physical integrity metrics, using data from the World Values Survey, an international project studying how values and beliefs are changing worldwide.

The findings cast doubt on the ability to meet the UN's 2030 gender parity goal.

What did the report reveal?

The survey is based on data collected from 2010-2014 and 2017-2022. It looks at countries and territories comprising some 85% of the global population.

It found that almost nine out of 10 men and women hold fundamental biases against women. The number of those who hold at least one bias has barely decreased over the decade, dropping from 86.9% to 84.6%.

Heriberto Tapia, research and strategic advisor at UNDP and co-author of the report described the degree of improvement as "disappointing."

Beliefs about jobs based on gender

Views that men perform better at certain jobs also remain quite prevalent.

Some 69% of the world's population is still convinced men make better political leaders than women, with only 27% believing that women having the same rights as men is essential for democracy.

Meanwhile, 46% think men have a higher claim to a job than women, and 43% believe men make better business leaders.

Some 28% believe university education is more important for men.

While education is seen as key for improving women's economic status, the latest data showed the gender pay gap continues to persist even when education rates are high.

In the 57 countries where adult women are more educated than men, the average income gap remained high at 39%, the report found.

In a more direct threat to women's safety, the survey revealed that a quarter of those surveyed still believe that a man beating his wife is justifiable.

Why are the results of the survey concerning?

The report cautioned that biases create obstacles for women, even to the point of destroying their rights in many places worldwide.

"Without tackling biased gender social norms, we will not achieve gender equality or the Sustainable Development Goals," the report stated.

The lack of progress in gender equality is happening at the same time as a general decrease in human development, which the UN has also reported, especially due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pedro Conceicao, director of the UNDP's Human Development Report Office, warned in a statement that: "Social norms that impair women's rights are also detrimental to society more broadly, dampening the expansion of human development."

"We need to change the gender biases, the social norms, but the ultimate goal is to change the power relations between women and men, between people," Aroa Santiago, gender specialist in inclusive economies at UNDP, told the Reuters news agency.

rmt/lo (AFP, Reuters)