23 November 2000 - The Women's Social
Attitudes survey shows that women are increasingly confident and determined to make
the most of their opportunities - inside or outside work.
This research covers changes in women's views between 1983 and 1998. Topics range across
social, economic, political and moral issues, including Government and politics, money,
paid work and the family. The report compares different groups of women as well as those of
women and men in general.
The main findings include:
* Women are now financially better off and live more comfortably on their earnings
than they did in 1984. 83% of women in 1998 felt they were coping or living comfortably
in comparison with 72% in 1984. 59% of 1998 respondents felt that having a job was the
best way for a woman to be an independent person.
* Women have a more positive attitude than men about accepting opportunities for
advancement. Specifically, they are more positive about the provision of skills by schools
- and value post-16 education and university.
* Women are not satisfied that their current jobs give them the opportunities they want.
In 1997, 74% of women said they wanted advancement at work but just 19% felt that they had
this opportunity in their present job. This difference was found across all social and educational levels and across
ages.
* Women are finding work more stressful. In 1997 one third of women found work stressful
'often' or 'always' compared with a quarter in 1989.
* Women are more favourable to working mothers than they were. In 1998, 73% of women
agreed that if children are well looked after, it is good for a woman to work, in comparison
with 61% in 1987.
* Women no longer tend to view men as breadwinners. A mere 16% of women in 1998 endorsed
the view that "a man's job is to earn the money, a woman's job is to look after home and
family", compared with a quarter of women in 1989.
Minister for Women, Margaret Jay, commented:
"This report provides valuable information on the views and preferences of women in
different circumstances at different stages in their lives. Specific information on women's
views is essential to better policy making and Women's Social Attitudes provides just
the sort of sound data that policy makers need."
Women's Social Attitudes was produced for the Women's Unit by the National Centre
for Social Research. It is a gender analysis of the British Social Attitudes survey between
1983 and 1998, an annual survey of 3,500 men and women. It is available via the Women's Unit
website at:
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