Just as women across the country are uniting in the name of gender equality, a troubling new study threatens to undermine our progress. UK-based women’s rights charity Fawcett Society surveyed more than 8,000 adults, and posed the question, “If a woman goes out late at night wearing a short skirt, gets drunk and is then the victim of a sexual assault, is she totally or partly to blame?” Proving that we continue to live in a misogynistic society, nearly two out of five men—and an even more shocking 34% of women—agree that the woman should be held responsible if she was raped while drunk and daringly dressed. Wait—seriously?!
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the study also revealed that nearly a fifth of the men interviewed don’t want women to be considered their equals, and believe men would be worse off should women be granted the same treatment. “These stories sound far too familiar to many women,” Fawcett Society chief executive Sam Smethers said. “But it’s young women and men who hold the key to changing it. I think there are positive signs of a significant shift in attitudes and expectations among generations, which will drive things forward.” Ladies, looks like we have a long way to go.
