Survey: 80% of Gen Z worry about sexist rhetoric on social media

Concerns about sexist rhetoric on social media is high, particularly among Gen Z (80%) and Millennials (76%), a survey finds. Meanwhile, over a third believe that content moderation should be strengthened on TikTok (38%), Facebook (36%) and Instagram (35%).

The annual HeForShe Report, conducted by the United Nations Global Solidarity Movement for Gender Equality, and global marketing agency, Team Lewis, aims to shed light on current issues affecting women and amplify their importance. The report surveyed a total of 5,003 respondents aged 18 and above across 10 countries, including the US, UK, UAE, Australia, China, France, Germany, Netherlands, Singapore and Spain. Data was collected through an online survey consisting of 55 questions and fielded from 5 to 14 February 2025.

According to the survey, 72% of women and 69% of men are concerned about rhetoric related to sexism on social media. Close to two in five would like them to listen and learn from those who have experienced sexism. Additionally, people want to see men actively call out sexist comments (38%) and be allies to women in speaking out against sexism online (37%).

Respondents from China (49% )are most likely to observe sexist rhetoric online, followed by respondents from Singapore (47%) and the UAE (48%). Meanwhile, 30% of surveyed respondents believe that men are treated better in online spaces, with sentiment rising to 40% among Gen Zs, who are most likely to encounter sexist language online (62%).

When women come across such content, common reactions include blocking or muting the user (39%), followed by reporting the behaviour(38%). The statistic is up from 35% and 31% respectively in 2023. 37% of men said they will report, block, or mute the user. Concerningly, more than one-third claim they ignore the behaviour (35%).

In addition to sexist rhetoric online, gender inequality in AI is also another big concern. Only 28% of respondents were aware of the existence of gender bias in AI, and 17% have experienced gender bias while using AI tools.

Currently, only a third of respondents believe companies and Al developers can create systems without gender bias (32%), with Gen Z having the most confidence (43%), followed by Millennials (37%). 59% of Gen Z and 54% of Millennials are also concerned about the potential societal impacts of gender bias in Al. Many believe that gender bias could contribute to workplace inequality (37%); reinforce stereotypes (35%); and erode trust in Al (34%).

66% of respondents think that governments should increase regulations of AI systems to ensure they are free from gender bias. After being made aware, over half say they are concerned about the potential implications (51%). Only two-fifths of people view the overrepresentation of men in leadership roles within Al as problematic (40%). A quarter think that Al often portrays women in misogynistic ways (24%). 29% think that Al creates more accurate visual representations of men than women.

In a broader sense, there is growing recognition of gender equality as an important issue. In comparison to 2024 (15%), the percentage of participants who rate gender equality as the most important societal issue in 2025 (24%) has steadily increased.

Nearly 40% of the respondents also believe organisations should better invest in women by implementing an equal pay policy and offering flexible work arrangements (31%), said the report. The onus remains on pay when it comes to the expectations of government investment in women. Over a quarter think that national governments should introduce equal pay legislation (26%) and affordable childcare (23%) to ease the strain on women.

While at workplaces, over 75% believe companies still need to implement policies for women in the workplace. One third of women (32%) have reconsidered their employment due to their company’s in-office policy. Of those, 45% say the reason for reconsidering is inflexibility at work. Additionally, only 17% of women received a pay rise in the last year, compared to 24% of men. In leadership, women continue to be underrepresented. The percentage of women in senior management roles declined to 53% this year versus 56% in 2023 and 2024.

women would like to see men advocate for equal pay policies (44%) friendly policies (34%), said the report. 28% of women want men to advocate equal pay legislation, while 21% of women wish men to take over more childcare responsibilities and contribute more to household chores (21%).

On the other hand, surveyed male respondents claim they feel comfortable with these actions, with advocating for equal pay coming first (41%), followed by calling out discrimination (37%), as well as sharing household or childcare responsibilities (35%).

Vesna Jaric, head of HeForShe, UN Women, said: “Despite progress, the pushback on women's rights requires a joint effort to push forward for gender equality. Rights, equality and empowerment remain vital to global prosperity. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. Gender equality is everyone's responsibility. 2025 is the year for men and boys to stand alongside women and girls in making change happen.”

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