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Indians among most progressive on gender equality, Ipsos survey finds
MUMBAI — Indians rank among the world’s most progressive citizens in their views on gender equality, with 78 per cent believing in the importance of achieving gender parity, according to a new global survey released ahead of International Women’s Day 2025.
The 30-country study by Ipsos reveals strong alignment between Indian men (77 per cent) and women (80 per cent) on gender equality issues, contrasting sharply with more polarised views in South Korea (52 per cent) and the Netherlands (54 per cent).
Nearly half of Indians surveyed (48 per cent) perceive domestic responsibilities such as housekeeping and cooking as shared obligations rather than gender-specific tasks. Only 28 per cent attributed these responsibilities solely to women, while 18 per cent associated them with men.
Ipsos India chief executive officer Amit Adarkar noted the significance of these findings in light of the World Economic Forum’s projection that full gender parity remains over a century away.
“According to the WEF, at the current rate of progress, it would take until 2158—roughly five generations from now—to reach full gender parity,” said Adarkar. “It is heartening to see that both men and women in India are aligned in their views on equal treatment and opportunity for women.”
The survey, conducted in alignment with the International Women’s Day 2025 theme of #AccelerateAction, identified several key findings about Indian attitudes:
* 69 per cent believe women holding positions of responsibility in business and government is crucial for accelerating gender equality
* 66 per cent perceive increased pressure on men to support gender equality
* 64 per cent feel that in promoting gender equality, men are sometimes discriminated against
* 60 per cent consider men who stay home to care for children as “less of a man”—a view that has become more pronounced since 2019, when only 39 per cent held this opinion
Regarding gender stereotypes, the survey revealed increasingly progressive attitudes in several areas. For unpaid family care, including childcare and looking after elderly relatives, 53 per cent of Indians attributed responsibility to both genders. Similar balanced views were expressed on gender-based violence (48 per cent), physical assault (48 per cent), parental leave (48 per cent), and healthcare access (52 per cent).
Adarkar attributed these progressive shifts to changing family structures and government initiatives.
“Urban Indians would be by far more progressive in their views on gender equality versus those residing in rural India. With urban pressures of work and home responsibilities, parents are showering their love on their child minus gender bias. Even rural India is witnessing progressive shifts with projects like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Lakhpati Didis,” he said.
The Ipsos survey interviewed 24,269 people across 30 countries between 20th December 2024 and 3rd January 2025. The India sample comprised approximately 2,200 individuals, with 1,800 interviewed face-to-face and 400 online.
MAM
Netflix Q1 2026 earnings ad growth and content spending in focus
Streaming giant set to report results on Thursday after walking away from Warner Bros Discovery takeover.
MUMBAI: Netflix is about to hit play on its latest quarterly numbers and investors are hoping the plot thickens in all the right ways. The streaming leader reports its first-quarter 2026 earnings on Thursday, marking its first set of results since it walked away from a proposed takeover of Warner Bros Discovery. That failed bid would have handed Netflix prized franchises such as Game of Thrones and Friends on a silver platter, sparing the costly effort of building its own library. Instead, the company now faces tougher competition from a potential $110 billion Warner Bros-Paramount Skydance combination, should that deal close.
Analysts polled by LSEG expect Netflix to post a 15.5 per cent rise in revenue to $12.18 billion, with advertising contributing $634 million. The company raised US prices in March, a move some believe could prompt an upward revision to its full-year revenue forecast and nudge more subscribers towards the faster-growing ad-supported tier.
Netflix shares have climbed 13 per cent so far this year and are up roughly 26 per cent since the company stepped back from the $72 billion Warner Bros deal. With the merger drama behind it, the spotlight now shifts to how aggressively Netflix can expand its advertising business and live programming.
“We’re kind of entering another phase for the ad business, where they are becoming one of the largest scaled global advertising platforms,” said Gabelli Funds portfolio manager John Belton, which holds Netflix shares.
During the quarter, Netflix beefed up its live slate with a BTS concert streamed from Seoul that drew 18.4 million viewers worldwide and the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which became the most-streamed baseball game globally. Investors are watching for signals that the company will lean further into sports and other live events to fuel ad revenue growth.
The results come at a pivotal moment. Having dodged what could have been a debt-heavy acquisition, Netflix has the freedom and the cash to double down on its core strengths: original content spending and building a robust, scaled advertising platform. Whether the numbers deliver a binge-worthy performance or leave viewers wanting more, one thing is clear: the streaming wars are far from over, and Netflix is determined to keep its crown.
Expect plenty of drama when the figures drop after all, in the world of streaming, every quarter is its own cliffhanger.
