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How are gender inequality and violence against women related? Findings from a population‐level community attitudes survey
Author(s) -
Webster Kim,
Ward Andrew,
Diemer Kristin,
Flood Michael,
Honey Nikki,
Morgan Jenny,
Politoff Violeta,
Powell Anastasia,
Stubbs Julie
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/ajs4.158
Subject(s) - hostility , scale (ratio) , population , gender inequality , survey data collection , social psychology , psychology , inequality , variance (accounting) , demography , sociology , geography , economics , mathematical analysis , statistics , cartography , mathematics , accounting
Low support for gender equality (GE) predicts attitudes supporting violence against women (VAW). However, little is known about the influence of attitudes toward different manifestations of GE. This study extends knowledge by assessing the relative strength of attitudes to GE across seven theoretically derived dimensions, and their association with attitudes toward VAW. 17,542 Australians participated in the 2017 National Community Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women Survey. Population means were calculated for the following scales formed from survey questions: the Community Attitudes Supportive of Violence Against Women Scale (CASVAWS), the Gender Equality Attitudes Scale (GEAS) and measures within the GEAS representing the theoretical dimensions. There was variation in support for GE between the measures. The lower the support for GE, the higher the support for VAW. Although all GEAS measures included in regression modelling contributed to variance in the CASVAWS, two accounted for more than half. The study suggests benefits in using a multidimensional model of GE to mitigate cultural support for VAW, with emphasis on the private sphere and countering hostility toward women and rigid gender roles and identities.