According to a U.S. News survey involving more than 17,000 people from 36 countries, about 70 per cent of queried respondents believe that countries led by women tend to be better managed and another 90 per cent believe that women deserve equal rights. The findings culled from the 2022 Best Countries survey, also highlighted that 32 per cent said they agreed “slightly”. India, by far, had the largest share of respondents agreeing that countries led by women were better managed. Among survey respondents in India, 85 per cent agreed, while no other country had more than 80 per cent agreement. Peggy Clark, the CEO and president of the International Center for Research on Women, said that historical precedent may reflect on the findings, “India has had a female prime minister, Indira Gandhi, in the 1960s and 1980s, which means that the country’s population already has a model of female leadership. The country has also had two female presidents.”
About 93 per cent women and 88 per cent men say that men and women deserve equal rights. While it may be counterintuitive, the older a person is, the more likely they are to agree that women are entitled to the same rights as men, the survey shows. In the youngest age bracket of 18- to 24-year-olds, 85 per cent agreed with the statement, compared with 94 per cent of people over 55.