‘Not like what men imagine’: University of Hong Kong study finds hurdles women face underestimated

“[Men] tend to find women’s situations fine, but when women reflect upon their own experiences, it’s not like what men had imagined,” Chan said.

In the survey that polled 603 men and 684 women, Chan presented 10 statements on women’s access to social resources, as well as their control over their lives, with references from the World Health Organization and UN Women, an entity that is dedicated to gender equality.

Respondents had to declare whether it would be easy, neutral or difficult for women to handle those situations.

These included access to quality education, professional employment, healthcare, the influence women have in deciding whom to marry and their sense of safety at home and in public spaces.

Respondents were also asked to comment on how easy it was for women to have control over their own lives and personal finances, buy property in their own name and run for elected office.

In the biggest difference in perception between the two sexes, 68.2 per cent of male respondents said they believed the quality of women’s healthcare was excellent, but only 52 per cent of women agreed.

The poll also found a 13.9 per cent difference in the two sexes’ perception of women’s sense of security at home, with more than three-quarters of male respondents saying they believed women felt safe at home, but only 62.4 per cent of female respondents agreeing with the claim.

Chan’s study also found that the more women had bought into gender stereotypes, the poorer their mental health and perception of society had become.

But Chan’s study revealed that female respondents who believed they were equal to men experienced a better quality of life.

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Homemaker and pastry chef Connie Ho, 41, said she was hesitant to establish her business while being a full-time mother as she found it difficult to detach herself from child-rearing responsibilities.

But her leap of faith has struck a fulfilling balance between caring for herself and her children.

“I want my kids to see this side of me, that their mother also has to face different challenges and embrace them,” Ho said.

Sisi Liu Pui-shan, director of the Hong Kong Federation of Women’s Centres, said the key to bridging the perception gap lay in enhancing communication between the sexes, suggesting interactive drama sessions to help improve understanding of the topic.

“[This] will let them think about how they would behave as a man or how they would behave as a woman, how people would react to you if you are of different genders,” Liu said.

“That can allow people to have first-hand experience on what different sexes would face in different situations.”