Gthere Gender stereotypes are bad for everyone, including menyet our country struggles to free itself from it in daily practice. This is the portrait that emerges from a research conducted by Ipsos-Doxa for NTT Data e Valore D, investigation that explored how women and men imagine each other and how much they recognize themselves in those imaginaries. The starting point alone is surprising: 92% of those interviewed believe that gender behaviors are at least partly the result of culture and not biology. In other words, almost everyone implicitly admits that things could be different. Yet, despite this widespread awareness, stereotypes endure.
The couple: where gender stereotypes resist the most
Let’s start from the most intimate context: the romantic relationship. The research, entitled “Building alliances: towards overcoming gender stereotypes”, defines it as the space in which building equality is most urgentbut also the one in which stereotypes show their most stubborn hold. The collective imagination, in fact, continues to see men as the protective figures, the ones who have to take the first step, support the family financiallyand at the same time open up emotionally. A combination that creates real tension with traditional models of masculinity. Women, for their part, claim autonomy within the couple much more than men recognize it: 66% of women feel they should have their own freedom in the relationship, compared to 53% of men who perceive this as a legitimate expectation. The only two truly shared pillars are loyalty And making important decisions Together. For everything else, expectations are still being fully renegotiated.
The house: the burden on women’s shoulders
Moving into family life, the picture doesn’t improve much. The division of domestic labor remains highly unbalanced, and what is striking is not only the practical reality, but also the imagination: in people’s heads, it is still the woman who takes care of the daily care of the childrenpreparing meals, shopping, cleaning. The man keeps the house in a technical senserepairs, bureaucracy, and makes major financial decisions. More occasional, less repetitive tasks.
From couples to work, from home to emotions: gender stereotypes cross every corner of life. But something is changing. (Getty Images)
The sense of guilt weighs on women’s shoulders
A particularly revealing figure is that 55% of women believe that a woman should be able to take time away from home for herself without feeling guilty. But only 41% of men think the same. A difference of fourteen points that says something that numbers alone cannot fully explain: it says how much the sense of guilt is still a burden that weighs disproportionately on women’s shouldersand how little this is perceived by the other. The only area in which research records a true equal alliance in the family, is the management of the daily budget: it is desired and practiced by approximately 80% of both genders.
The work: real progress, but the ceiling remains
Moving on to the professional world, something is moving here too. Gender imaginaries are converging, at least in part: analytical and strategic skills are now considered equally suitable for men and women. The ability to take on responsibility is also perceived as a common trait today. But the gap persists and even in a subtle way. 77% of women consider themselves fully suited to leadership roles, but men only recognize this in 65% of cases. Not a small gap. The womenUnfortunately, they still have to fight to be seen as complete professionals. The one skill that everyone agrees women are naturally gifted at? Care and education work. 71% of those interviewed think so, confirming the die-hard stereotype.
Emotions: the most asymmetrical territory
It is, however, in emotionality that the disparity reaches its maximum point. If women can cryask for help, show fear, men, on the other hand, remain confined to a much more restricted repertoire: enthusiasm, joy and anger. Two opposite emotions, as if masculinity had no room for anything else in between. The most emblematic data is the one about crying: 44% of women are considered free to do so, compared to only 27% of men. And even among younger generations, this openness remains limited. In short, male crying is the most resistant taboo that research has revealed. Yet there is something important: men express the desire to change. They want to be able to show vulnerability without being judged. This is not a minor detail.
Gender stereotypes: young people and a different map
A common thread, however, runs through the entire research: the younger generationsin particular the so-called Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, they are redrawing the map. They don’t abolish stereotypes, but they lighten them. They don’t eliminate roles, but make them more permeable. Young women no longer want to be everythingas well as young men who now prefer to excel in specific areas, including those traditionally considered feminineemotional care, cooking, mediation in conflicts.
Alliance, not slogans
In the end, what the search returns is a map of possibilities. 60% of Italians believe that collaborating to overcome stereotypes will bring concrete benefits to society. Only 8% think that the alliance between men and women is now impossible. And there is an important point not to lose sight of: the priorities identified by people to build this alliance. They are concentrated in the private sphere rather than in the public sphere of work or politics. As if to say: the change starts close by. And perhaps that’s where it makes the most sense to start.
