UN study finds 9 out of 10 people are biased against women

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A United Nations report says nine out of 10 people are biased against women.

The study found that half of people globally still believe men make better political leaders, more than 40% believe men make better business executives, and 25% believe it is justified for a man to beat his wife.

The report said these biases manifest in different ways, such as an underrepresentation of women in leadership, especially in politics. 

The research said the share of women as heads of state or heads of government has remained around 10% since 1995. 

The League of Women Voters of Nebraska said even though the state has seen improvements, research shows that people still expect much more from women than they do from men.

“Voters have a perception that it’s basically masculine qualities that define a good leader,” spokeswoman Dianne Bystrom said.

The UN study also said a global backlash against women’s rights has worsened the issue. 

“Rights are being taken away by elected officials and courts, and so there’s definitely a lot of work to be done,” said Scout Richters with the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska. “It’s just not a problem globally; we’re not insulated from that problem. It’s definitely a problem here in Nebraska, too.”