Can we end global poverty without first solving gender inequality?

50% of French people think that solving global poverty will not be possible without gender equality.

This implies that, setting aside the economic aspects most often associated with development in poor countries, most French people also seem to think that poverty is also caused by social issues such as gender inequality.

These results offer an interesting insight into how gender equality is perceived in France. Instead of a ’progressive’ or social justice issue, gender equality seems to be an essential pre-cursor of society with multiple consequences and impact, including poverty and development.

Women are more likely than men to agree with the statement that it is not possible to solve poverty without first solving gender inequality. But the biggest factor which impacts opinions is for those aged over 50, 59% of whom agree, compared to only 41% for those aged 25-49.

Those on the left and in the center seem to coalesce around similar responses, notably compared to those on the right.

This data comes from our survey conducted by the YouGov Institute and piloted by the research team at University College London and the University of Birmingham as part of the project Aid Attitudes Tracker which measures the evolution of opinions and behaviors on issues of international solidarity in four countries.