In a recent online poll that surveyed 650 women of different ages, backgrounds and ethnicities across the U.S., the most frequently recurring sentiments were stress, happiness and motivation.
The largest group of stressed women were in the 35 to 54 age range — no big surprise, as this is career and child rearing prime time for most women — with 40 per cent of the group choosing the word to describe their current state of mind. Comparatively, 34 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds identified with “stressed,” while 37 per cent of women over 55 chose “happy.”
Overall, 29 per cent of women polled said they were “happy” and “motivated,” making them the second-most popular sentiments, and indicating that for many, things aren’t all doom and gloom south of the border.
The race breakdown showed that the majority of white women identify with “stressed,” while black women feel “motivated,” and Hispanic women are “happy.”
Of the “stressed” group, 69 per cent reported financial issues as a cause for concern, followed by 49 per cent who pointed to workplace equality. Only 39 per cent of women said their stress was due to concerns about being a good parent.
In a study conducted in June 2016 by the University of Cambridge, researchers found that women in America and Western Europe are nearly twice as stressed as men, and eight in 100 people in North America are affected by anxiety disorders.
The most confounding results of the poll were in response to questions about the feminist movement. A mere 33 per cent said they identified as feminists, while 38 per cent did not and the remaining were unsure.
More than half of the respondents who didn’t label themselves feminists said they didn’t want to be associated with the “stereotypical” traits of a feminist, which they described as “loud, aggressive and complaining.”
However, many of the responses shifted when they were asked about specific issues. When framed in the context of equal opportunity for education, 66 per cent said they were in favour of feminism. Gender equality in the workplace garnered a 64 per cent favourable rating, while equal rights for LGBT individuals and access to reproductive services received 47 and 45 per cent support, respectively.
Many cited confusion around the goals of the feminist movement as a deterrent, and listed finances, safety, health care, workplace issues and parenting as the most important goals.
Of the 21 per cent of respondents who said they voted for Donald Trump, 80 per cent did so because they didn’t want Hillary Clinton in office. They also seem happy with the way the government is currently being run; when asked if they would vote for Trump again, 93 per cent said yes.