Community attitudes towards gender inequality

Community attitudes and beliefs embrace gender equality and condemn all forms of gendered violence without exception.

Increase in community attitudes that reject gender inequality.

The mean score on the Attitudes towards Gender Inequality Scale (AGIS).

An increase in the mean score on the Attitudes towards Gender Inequality Scale (AGIS) would indicate an increase in attitudes that reject gender inequality.

2021

The mean score on the Attitudes towards Gender Inequality Scale (AGIS).

Data element: Mean score—attitudes
Data source: NCAS
Data source type: Survey

NA

Data element: NA
Data source: NA
Data source type: NA

This measure is expressed as a mean score.

Numerator only.

For each reference period, nationally, by: 

• state and territory
• gender 
• age 
• sexuality
• remoteness.

The NCAS sample consists of Australians aged 16 years or over.
The AGIS comprises five psychometrically validated subscales, each measuring a different conceptual aspect of attitudes towards gender inequality and respondents were asked whether they agree or disagree with attitudes that support violence on a 4-point scale: “Strongly agree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Strongly disagree”: 

• The Reinforce Gender Roles Subscale comprises five statements that reinforce traditional, rigid gender roles and expectations: 
• The Undermine Leadership Subscale comprises four statements that undermine women’s leadership in work and public life. 
• The Limit Autonomy Subscale comprises two statements that condone men being in charge in intimate relationships and limiting women’s personal autonomy.
• The Normalise Sexism Subscale comprises three statements that downplay or normalise sexism. 
• The Deny Inequality Subscale comprises three statements that deny that gender inequality is experienced by women, suggesting “backlash” or resistance to gender equality. 

Each respondent received a (rescaled Rasch) score on the AGIS based on their responses to the items in the scale. AGIS scores could range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating stronger attitudinal rejection of gender inequality.

The NCAS is unlikely to ever provide disaggregation by disability status alone for this measure. Disability status and age are related, and age and attitudes are related. When entered with age, disability status was not a predictor of attitudes. If the bivariate relationship between disability status and attitudes were to be reported, it would be misleading, given that in 2021, the effect was driven by age.
Where the RSE for numbers and estimates is between 25% and 50%, this will be indicated in the data visualisation and any accompanying data tables. Where the RSE is greater than 50%, the data will not be published.