New Poll: Women Are Biased Toward Thinking They Aren't Equal

Jessica Jaffe
Sat, 03 Nov 2012 05:01:10 +0000
Diversity and equality, Gender equality

Less than half of men think there's gender discrimination. Almost two-thirds of women think there is.

When we asked people if they'd vote for Oprah Winfrey or Clint Eastwood for president (Yes, we asked that.), two-thirds of Eastwood voters thought women had equal rights.

That's right. Most people who'd vote for a man even after he debated a chair don't think gender discrimination exists.

And only 20% of Obama supporters said women have equal rights. Fully 70% of Romney supporters did.

Now that we've inundated you with people's opinions about gender discrimination, are you wondering what the reality is?

One year out of college, women earn 82% of what their male counterparts earn. That's better than it used to be, but it sure as heck isn't "equal."

Even though women are 51% of the U.S. population, they hold only 16.8% of seats in the House of Representatives and 17% of seats in the Senate. And this year, the Fortune 500 had more female CEOs than ever before! Eighteen. Out of 500.

Want more stats from our swing-state poll? Check 'em out.