India stays conservative on gender roles, says Pew Research survey

While views appear to have become somewhat progressive, the scales remain tilted in favour of men

Indians believe women make better political leaders and share an egalitarian vision of women’s place in society, but an overwhelming majority agrees that when there are few jobs available, men should have more rights to a job than women. These are the findings of the latest Pew Research Centre survey of nearly 30,000 adults throughout India interviewed on gender roles in families and societies. The survey was conducted between late 2019 and early 2020 (mostly before the Covid-19 pandemic).

Overall, there appears to be a more progressive view of the role of women in society. Indians value having both sons and