Most American men think sexism is over

In a study that won't surprise very many American women, Pew Research Center found that over half of the men in the U.S. believe that sexism no longer exists.

The poll, released Tuesday, found that 56 percent of men think that "obstacles that made it harder for women to get ahead are largely gone." By contrast, 63 percent of women believe that "significant obstacles still make it harder for women to get ahead than men."

Republican men over the age of 65 were more likely than any other age group in their demographic to believe in sexism, but only 28 percent of Republican men in that demographic believe sexism holds women back. Democrats, on the other hand, were more likely to believe in the prevalence of sexism, with 78 percent of liberal women aged 50 to 60, and 81 percent of liberal women older than 65 believing sexism still holds back women.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

The poll was conducted between June 7 and July 5, reaching 4,602 adults. A little over half of the respondents, at 53 percent, said sexism exists.