India’s young generation is growing up with conversations about equality, independence and changing relationships. But new research suggests that support for women’s rights can coexist with traditional expectations around marriage, masculinity and family responsibilities.
For a generation that has grown up discussing gender equality, financial independence and individual freedom, Gen Z is often considered more progressive than the generations that came before it. Social media has given young people a platform to challenge stereotypes, question traditional relationships and openly discuss issues that were once considered uncomfortable.
Women are increasingly visible in professional spaces, conversations about equal opportunities have become mainstream, and young people are more exposed than ever to discussions around feminism and changing gender identities.
But does greater exposure to progressive ideas necessarily translate into more progressive attitudes?
Recent research suggests that the answer is not quite that straightforward.
The 2026 International Women’s Day report by Ipsos, covering 29 countries including India, reveals an interesting contradiction. While support for women’s equality remains widespread, traditional expectations about men’s and women’s roles continue to influence how people think about relationships, careers and family responsibilities.
More interestingly, some of the report’s findings suggest that younger men are not necessarily moving away from traditional ideas about masculinity and gender roles.
For India, where economic independence, marriage, family expectations and changing career aspirations are increasingly part of the youth conversation, these findings raise an important question: Is Gen Z really more progressive, or is it simply navigating a different version of the same old gender debate?
The feminism paradox: Supporting equality while believing enough has been done
One of the more interesting findings in the Ipsos 2026 report concerns how Indians perceive gender equality.
Approximately 68% of Indian respondents identify themselves as feminists. This is significantly higher than the 39% global average reported in the study.
At first glance, this appears to suggest a society increasingly comfortable with feminist ideas.
However, another finding complicates the picture. Approximately 69% of Indian respondents believe that efforts to give women equal rights have gone far enough in the country. This compares with 50% across the 29-country average.
The two findings are not necessarily contradictory. Someone can support equal rights for women while believing that sufficient progress has already been achieved.
But they raise a more interesting question: What does identifying as a feminist actually mean to Indians today?
Does it mean supporting equal opportunities in education and employment? Does it mean financial independence for women? Does it extend to decisions about marriage, relationships, household responsibilities and personal freedom?
The Ipsos survey does not establish what respondents mean when they identify as feminists. Nor does it establish that these views belong specifically to Gen Z.
That distinction matters. A broad endorsement of equality is not necessarily evidence that traditional expectations have disappeared from everyday life.
The difference between equality in principle and equality at home
Perhaps the clearest illustration of this contradiction comes from the expectations surrounding family responsibilities.
People may increasingly support women pursuing professional careers, but expectations around childcare, household responsibilities and earning money remain considerably more complicated.
The Ipsos report finds that, across its 29-country average, 73% believe childcare should be shared equally between men and women. An identical 73% support equal sharing of household work.
However, when respondents were asked about how society views these responsibilities, childcare and housework continued to be more closely associated with women, while earning money was more strongly associated with men.
This difference between personal beliefs and perceived social expectations is important.
People may personally support equality while believing that their communities, families or partners continue to expect something different.
India’s findings offer further context. The Ipsos report identifies a continuing association between women and domestic responsibilities and between men and the role of primary earners.
An earlier Pew Research Center study, How Indians View Gender Roles in Families and Society, published in 2022, found a similar pattern.
Based on interviews with nearly 30,000 Indian adults conducted between November 2019 and March 2020, the study found that 62% believed both men and women should be responsible for childcare. Yet 34% believed childcare should primarily be handled by women.
Similarly, 54% supported both men and women earning money for the family, while 43% believed this should primarily be the man’s responsibility.
Perhaps most strikingly, 87% of respondents agreed, completely or mostly, with the statement that a wife must always obey her husband.
These findings are not a direct measurement of Gen Z attitudes. The survey covered Indian adults across age groups and was conducted several years earlier. Nevertheless, they demonstrate how support for certain aspects of equality can coexist with traditional expectations within Indian families.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2022
Are young men becoming more traditional?
The most intriguing dimension of the Ipsos research concerns masculinity.
Its global findings identify Gen Z men as the generation most likely to agree with traditional expectations concerning both women’s roles and men’s behaviour.
These include beliefs about wives obeying husbands and expectations that men should demonstrate physical toughness.
The findings challenge the assumption that younger generations will automatically become more progressive simply because they have greater exposure to information and alternative perspectives.
However, it is important to distinguish the international findings from Indian attitudes. The report’s identification of Gen Z men as the most traditional group is based on its 29-country analysis. It should not be presented as an India-specific ranking.
There is, nevertheless, other research that makes this conversation particularly relevant to India.
A March 2026 study titled Rethinking Masculinity Norms in India, prepared by researchers Andrea Salazar-Diaz and Stephanie Wu at Harvard Kennedy School, examines how young Indian men understand masculinity and how digital platforms influence their attitudes.
The study includes an online survey of 1,254 Indian men aged 18–30, an analysis of more than 6,000 YouTube video transcripts and 808,000 comments, and interviews with 25 stakeholders.
Its findings suggest that young men face considerable pressure to fulfil the traditional role of financial provider, even as economic conditions make these expectations increasingly difficult to meet.
The study also draws on 2023 World Values Survey data to examine differences in gender attitudes across age and gender groups. Its analysis suggests that younger women are becoming more progressive while young men are moving in a different direction.
The authors caution that the underlying World Values Survey analysis uses 1,692 interviews across eight Indian states and is not necessarily representative of the entire country.
Nevertheless, the research identifies a potentially significant generational divide.
Source: Harvard Kennedy School, Rethinking Masculinity Norms in India, March 2026
The pressure on men to be providers has not disappeared
One of the more important contributions of the Harvard study is that it examines masculinity beyond the conventional discussion about male privilege.
For many young Indian men, being financially successful is still closely associated with their sense of identity and social acceptance.
The expectation to provide for a family, achieve financial stability and demonstrate professional success can become particularly challenging in an environment of uncertain employment and rising aspirations.
The study finds that 62% of its young male respondents agreed or strongly agreed that when jobs are scarce, men have more right to a job than women.
It also found that 68% agreed or strongly agreed that efforts to promote women’s equality had gone so far that men were now being discriminated against.
These are findings from the study’s online sample of 1,254 men aged 18–30, not estimates of all young Indian men.
The research also identifies a gap between what young men privately want and what they believe other men expect of them.
Many respondents expressed a desire to become more involved fathers and to demonstrate greater emotional vulnerability in relationships. Yet they underestimated how many of their peers shared these preferences.
This is an important observation.
Traditional masculinity may persist not only because individuals strongly believe in it, but also because they assume that everyone around them expects them to behave in a particular way.
For Gen Z, the pressure to be financially successful, emotionally strong and socially confident may be changing its form, but it has not necessarily disappeared.
Social media is adding another dimension to the gender debate
The influence of social media makes this conversation even more complicated.
Today’s young people encounter competing narratives about relationships, careers, feminism and masculinity through Instagram, YouTube and other digital platforms.
Some creators promote financial independence, equal partnerships and emotional openness. Others build audiences around more traditional ideas of gender roles, male dominance and relationships.
The Harvard Kennedy School study examines more than 6,000 YouTube videos and over 808,000 comments as part of its analysis of online masculinity narratives.
It identifies an online environment in which economic anxiety, gender competition and traditional ideas of masculinity can reinforce each other.
However, the researchers also find that the influence of polarising creators may be more limited than is sometimes assumed. Their findings suggest that many young men privately hold more flexible views about relationships and emotional expression than the public conversation might indicate.
This is particularly relevant for brands, educators and organisations trying to understand young consumers.
A generation’s digital behaviour should not automatically be mistaken for its underlying beliefs. What young people watch, share or engage with online does not necessarily represent everything they believe about relationships and society.
The more useful question is how these competing narratives influence their decisions over time.
Equality in the workplace: Has the conversation moved beyond opportunity?
Gender equality is also increasingly a workplace issue.
For younger women, professional independence is not simply about getting a job. It is also about having the freedom to choose a career, earn independently and make decisions without being restricted by traditional expectations.
The Ipsos report offers an interesting perspective on perceived freedom.
Across the 29-country average, 39% of respondents believe men have more choice when it comes to the types of jobs they can pursue. By contrast, 34% believe women have more choice in how they dress.
This suggests that people perceive different forms of freedom and restrictions for men and women.
India’s broader economic indicators reinforce the importance of this discussion.
The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 ranked India 131st among 148 economies, with an overall gender parity score of 64.4%.
India’s score for economic participation and opportunity stood at 40.7%, while its educational attainment score was considerably higher at 97.1%.
The difference illustrates why access to education alone cannot be treated as evidence that economic equality has been achieved.
For young women entering the workforce, the ability to obtain qualifications is only one part of the equation. Employment opportunities, income, career progression and the ability to remain professionally active all matter.
For young men, meanwhile, the traditional expectation of being the primary financial provider can continue to influence how they perceive employment, relationships and economic competition.
Source: World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report 2025
The generation is changing, but not necessarily in one direction
There is a temptation to describe Gen Z as either the most progressive generation or a generation experiencing a conservative backlash.
Neither explanation adequately captures what the research suggests.
Young women may increasingly expect financial independence, professional opportunities and greater freedom in personal relationships. At the same time, young men may be negotiating traditional expectations around financial success, emotional strength and family responsibilities.
Some young people may support equal opportunities in the workplace while retaining traditional expectations within marriage. Others may believe in shared household responsibilities but still feel that men should earn more.
These positions are not always consistent, and that inconsistency is precisely what makes the current generation worth studying.
It is also important not to confuse survey responses with actual behaviour. Agreeing with a statement about gender roles does not tell us how someone behaves in a relationship, how household responsibilities are divided or whether they support a partner’s career decisions in practice.
The research offers a snapshot of attitudes, not a definitive account of how every young Indian lives.
What this means for brands trying to understand Gen Z
For marketers and businesses, these findings have implications beyond gender equality campaigns.
Brands frequently approach Gen Z as a generation with a common set of progressive values. But the reality is more nuanced.
A young consumer’s attitudes towards financial independence, marriage, professional success and relationships may be shaped by family expectations, economic circumstances, geography and social influences.
Brands operating in categories such as financial services, education, employment, fashion, personal care and dating need to understand these differences.
For example, a financial services brand communicating independence to young women may be addressing a very different aspiration from a brand communicating financial responsibility to young men.
Similarly, brands speaking about relationships and family life cannot assume that all young consumers share the same expectations about gender roles.
The opportunity is not to reinforce stereotypes or divide young men and women into opposing consumer groups. It is to understand the social and economic realities influencing their choices.
For organisations investing in youth research, this is also a reminder that generational labels can conceal important differences within the same age group.
The real question is not whether Gen Z is progressive
The Ipsos research, when viewed alongside the findings from Pew Research Center, Harvard Kennedy School and the World Economic Forum, presents a more complicated picture of gender equality in India.
Support for women’s rights is widespread. Yet traditional expectations around family responsibilities, financial provision and masculinity continue to influence social attitudes.
The younger generation is not necessarily abandoning these expectations. In some areas, it is questioning them; in others, it is adapting to them.
Perhaps the most important shift is that the conversation about gender equality can no longer be limited to women’s aspirations or men’s resistance to change.
It must also examine the expectations placed on young men, the freedoms young women are seeking, the economic realities both face and the social environments shaping their choices.
Gen Z may be more exposed to progressive ideas than previous generations, but exposure does not automatically translate into behavioural change.
The real test of progress will not be how comfortably young people use the language of equality. It will be whether that equality finds its way into their workplaces, relationships, financial decisions and everyday lives.
And that is a much more complicated story than simply calling Gen Z progressive.
