Eurobarometer: Gender Stereotypes in Slovakia Persist

Brussels, December 22 (TASR-correspondent) - The European Commission (EC) has published the results of a Eurobarometer survey on gender roles, revealing that EU citizens generally believe that gender equality benefits everyone, although some gender stereotypes persist, TASR has reported. The latest survey has seen a positive shift, with up to 90 percent of the respondents agreeing that it is equally important for women and men to be financially independent, and 75 percent agreeing that gender equality also benefits men. Slovakia ranked 12th among the 27 EU-member states on this question, with 78 percent of the respondents indicating that both genders benefit from gender equality. The survey revealed that 49 percent of the respondents think that men are naturally less competent than women at performing household chores and tasks. Meanwhile, only 52 percent of the respondents agree that a woman has the same chance of promotion as a man, and 40 percent concur that men often earn more than women because their work is more demanding, while 34 percent think that women should prioritise family responsibilities over a career. According to the survey, 23 percent of the respondents agree that women are not ambitious enough to reach senior positions, and 19 percent believe that men who take parental leave show a lack of ambition in their careers. Eurobarometer confirmed that some stereotypical views about women's and men's abilities to engage in politics have increased since 2017, with 47 percent of the respondents agreeing that men are more ambitious than women in politics. European Commissioner for Equality and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, warned that gender stereotypes affect everyone, but it is especially unfair when these prejudices affect people's professional and personal lives. lin/df/am