WASHINGTON

Survey: Women will march in Washington, because it's still a man's world

Heidi M Przybyla
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The emotions are complex driving hundreds of thousands of women, many first-time activists arriving on Greyhound buses from as far away as Miami and Baton Rouge, to march on Washington the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Gloria Steinem, left, and other women march in Washington in 1986.

But it starts with this: It’s still better to be a man in America, and sexism remains a problem in society. That’s according to the first major survey on gender since the November election, by the nonpartisan research firm PerryUndem, finding a majority of women feel this way.

There’s broad public consensus among both genders that work remains to be done in securing women’s rights, including equal pay and paid family leave; yet the male Republican voters who elected Trump — and who'll now hold the reins of power in Washington — are the least likely to see sexism, violence against women, unequal care giving responsibilities, racism, access to abortion and birth control as contributors to inequality, the survey found. Trump's Cabinet so far is 90% male and 90% white.

The report, titled “The State of the Union on Gender Equality, Sexism and Women’s Rights,” helps explain why so many Americans have chosen this moment in history to demonstrate. While men will participate in the Saturday march, according to the bus and train platform Wanderu, 81% of travelers to Washington this week are women.

Micaela Johnson, of Leewood, Kan., in town to take part in Saturday's Women's March on Washington, takes a selfie with the Capitol in the background as preparations continued on Jan. 18, 2017, for the inauguration.

The single biggest contributor to this peaking civic participation is the president-elect’s comments and past behavior toward women, including bragging about assault, according to the survey. It ranks negative feelings about his actions as more predictive of getting politically involved than ideology, age, gender, race, education and geography.

“That’s a pretty big finding and pretty much explains how the women’s march organically arose and is happening now,” said Tresa Undem, the lead pollster and agency partner.

The survey of 1,302 adults was conducted Dec. 9-27. Forty-three percent of participants voted for Trump and 46% for Hillary Clinton, and they gave the two about virtually identical favorable and unfavorable ratings.

It is no surprise, then, that the Women’s March has adopted Clinton’s 1995 declaration in Beijing as its battle cry: “Women’s rights are human rights.”

“It’s not just Hillary didn’t win. It’s wow, there’s real potential here for us to lose some things we’ve worked for,” said Jean Harris, an expert in feminist history at the University of Scranton.

“What we are saying is that we cannot and will not be ignored. Our collective voices and collective power mean something,” said Janaye Ingram, logistics director for the march.

Read more:

Women's March on Washington FAQ: What you need to know

Women's march an 'entry point' for a new activist wave

Trump's inauguration will be protested in all 50 states and 32 countries

As a result of Trump’s victory, two-thirds of survey participants say they're doing some things differently, including six in 10 who say they’re either paying more attention to elected officials’ actions, donating to an organization or getting involved in a direct political action in response to the election. Thirty-two percent feel less tolerant of perceived sexism in their own lives.

The good news is there’s broad agreement — 83% — that it’s important that Trump and Congress work to move forward on issues around women’s right and equality.

The challenge this group faces is that the incoming administration, based on demographics — it is mostly white, Republican and male — is the least likely to perceive gender inequality, the survey found.

The problem is connecting action to policy. “If Republican leadership in the new administration and Congress reflect Republican men in the population, they may not see connections between several policy issues and gender equality,” the report said.

Fewer than half of Republican men saw sexism, violence against women, unequal care giving responsibilities, racism, access to abortion and birth control as factors. Only one in four Republican men said lack of women in political office affects women’s rights and equality. Of male Trump voters, 32% said in general men make better political leaders and 38% disagree that the country would be better off with more women in political office.

It is in this context that the survey broached the issue that was just below the surface for much of the 2016 election.

One in three respondents said they think sexism prevented Clinton from winning, while one in four saw or heard friends or family members make sexist comments about her during the campaign.

Further, one-third of men and women who voted for Trump disagree that the country would be better off with more women in political office — numbers that are tightly correlated with feeling unfavorable toward the former secretary of State.

Hillary Clinton makes her concession speech in New York on Nov. 9, 2016.

The survey also has some important cautionary notes for the new administration:

Most — 56% — say politicians view women’s health care as a political issue, compared with just 25% who feel that way about men’s health care.

There’s strong support for ensuring women have access to quality, affordable birth control (85%) and that a woman’s right to abortion is protected (63%). These are both benefits and rights expected to be at risk with a Republican-controlled Congress and White House. Just 31% support nominating a Supreme Court justice based on a belief in restricting a women’s right to abortion.

Further, 71% of respondents, including 50% of Trump voters, reject taking away funds from Planned Parenthood that are used for birth control and well-woman care, including cancer screenings for low-income women. Already the Republican Congress has signaled its intent to do just that.

Stay with USA TODAY for full coverage of the 2017 inauguration.