Despite positive strides being made towards equality, traditional gender roles and expectations are present, and even accepted, in dating in India. Bumble, the women-first dating and social networking app, revealed that gendered expectations are still so ingrained in our society that the majority (66%) of people surveyed say traditional gender roles lead us to behave in a way that is less true to who we are and 60% of people surveyed claim it makes dating and relationships more stressful and/or difficult.
When it comes to defining roles in a relationship, we still lock ourselves in traditional gendered notions. As per the study, an overwhelming majority (82%) who were surveyed say that when it comes to romantic relationships, there are different expectations and expected behaviours based on your gender identity. More than 1 in 4 (28%) of people surveyed state it’s important that women are expected to avoid appearing too keen, clingy, attached or desperate. Amidst all these expectations, it’s no surprise that more than 1 in 3 (39%) women have changed their behaviour to make someone feel more powerful or comfortable.
Samarpita Samaddar, India Communications Director, Bumble, shared, “More single Indians are now likely to talk openly about equal pay and women’s rights with their partners as we found from our recent study. We will continue to empower people to engage in conversations about equality in dating and facilitate in building healthy and equitable relationships. Now more than ever is the time to start dating on your own terms and at your own pace, making your first moves.”
While these expectations exist, there is a desire for change. As per the research, 53% of Indians surveyed strongly feel that in an ideal world, it is important to maintain respect and equality in long-term relationships and around 2 in 5 (41%) women state that it is important to address equality early in dating and relationships.
