Each year, the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN International), which Leger is a founding member of, conducts a survey which explores perspectives about Gender Equality, Violence, Sexual Harassment, and Perception of Equal Pay called the WIN World Survey (WWS).
For the 2019 WWS, 29,274 people from 39 different countries were surveyed from October to December 2019. Leger was responsible for conducting the survey in Canada.
This year’s survey reveals there is still work to be done when it comes to gender equality.
Some of the findings of this year’s study include:
Gender Equality
The survey asked respondents to indicate the extent to which they feel gender equality has been achieved in their country in several spheres. Overall, a higher percentage of people feel that gender equality has been achieved at home and at work, compared to 2018 (based on NET values: net=(% achieved)–(% not achieved)).
Compared to all respondents, a greater proportion of Canadians feel that gender equality has been achieved at home, in social settings, and at work. However, when it comes to the media and politics, the proportion of Canadians who feel gender equality has been achieved is similar to the overall total.
Violence and Sexual Harassment
The proportion of female respondents who report they have experienced physical or psychological violence or sexual harassment in the past year is similar to 2018 levels.
Perception of Equal Pay
Half of respondents believe that “men earn more than women for the same job, however, almost 40% think that both earn the same for the same activities.”
As noted by WIN President, Vilma Scarpino,
“People believe gender equality has been reached more at home than, for example, in politics, where scores remain quite low. On a positive note, figures from this year show an improvement compared to our previous survey: men and women’s opinions are less distant from each other compared to 2018.
The survey also reveals alarmingly high levels of women having experienced sexual harassment and violence in the last year, without improvements compared to the previous year. Although the levels of harassment and violence differs (sic) a lot by country, young females are still the ones who report more harassment and violence.
Despite the social progresses (sic) that the world has made through international movements for women’s right (sic), our global survey with data from people across 39 countries shows that the world still has a long way to go in order to achieve gender equality and safety for all women around the world.”
