By MARI FUJISAKI/ Staff Writer
November 17, 2022 at 16:06 JST
Men are more likely to harbor unconscious gender bias in assuming they are better suited to leadership positions, while women are more likely to have experienced such things or been told this was the way the world worked.
The finding is based on an online survey released Nov. 8 by the Gender Equality Bureau of the Cabinet Office on 10,906 individuals in their 20s to 60s.
Respondents were asked about 41 topics, with four possible answers for each, including “women are better off gaining financial stability by getting married.”
The average percentage of respondents who answered “think so” or “somewhat think so” for all topics was 23.6 percent for men compared with 17.7 percent for women.
The statement with the highest percentage of bias perception was “men should work to support the family.” The percentages of both men and women who agreed were 48.7 percent and 44.9 percent, respectively.
A small number of young men agreed with the statements “men who get married and have a family can say they stand on their own two feet” and “men should pay for dates and meals.”
Conversely, young men were more agreeable about sharing roles in the workplace, such as “women should support men at work” and “men should not take maternity or childcare leave.”
On the other hand, 26.5 percent of women experienced having been told or feeling such gender bias about their role. The figure compared with 20.7 percent of men.
The statement with the highest percentage of bias perception against women was that “women should handle household chores and childcare,” at 40.8 percent. Against men, it was “men should pay for dates and meals,” at 29.4 percent.
“(Men) generally may not be aware that they are caught up in traditional values,” said a bureau official who analyzed the findings. The official concluded that men are less likely to be aware they harbor such unconscious bias.
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