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Who says end of year, often says balance sheet. And in this area, women do not necessarily feel well off, as revealed by a barometer which looked at their morale as the holidays approach. Nearly nine out of ten French women (86%) even consider that daily life is difficult as a woman, including a quarter who believe that it often is.
How are women doing at the end of 2023? A survey carried out by OpinionWay for Elle Active & L’Oréal Paris looked into the question, revealing that the morale of French women is around 6.3 on a scale of 0 to 10. Note that, in detail, more than four women interviewed on ten (41%) reported average morale, between 6 and 7, compared to 29% who reported good morale, between 8 and 10, and 28% who reported low morale, between 0 and 5. The highest averages were observed among those whose income equaled or exceeded 3,500 euros per month and more (6.9), retirees (6.7) and those aged 65 and over (6.6). If we look at the age group, those aged 35-49 reported lower morale than the others (6).
On the difficulty of being a woman
One figure specifically emerges from this barometer: nearly nine out of ten French women (86%) believe that life is difficult as a woman. Among them, 43% consider that life is sometimes complicated given their status as women, while almost a quarter (24%) believe that it is often complicated. It appears that certain societal norms, and certain injunctions, are particularly burdensome for those primarily concerned. As such, more than two thirds of respondents (68%) say they do not find themselves in the values advocated by society, and more than eight out of ten (82%) consider that the injunctions made to women, that they concern motherhood, beauty standards, or social position still weigh heavily on their shoulders today.
If we zoom in on beauty standards, we see that they have a significant impact on women’s self-esteem. Barely more than one in two French women (53%) say they like their physical appearance, and more than four in ten (42%) say they suffer from the standards imposed on them. The most affected are women under 35 (54%), as well as those who have children at home (48%). However, the respondents do not seem to envy the male condition, not en masse at least. More than a third of them (35%) say that their life would have been simpler if they had been a man, but only 19% consider that they would have been happier as a man.
Family life VS work
The picture drawn by this barometer is not as obscure as one might believe, because women also mention – and fortunately – several sources of fulfillment. Among which are family life, for 64% of French women surveyed, social life (45%), and pets (31%). Let us note, however, that love life only comes in sixth position, mentioned by ‘only’ 24% of the panel in the same way as cultural activities. As for sex life, it only ranks far behind, with 9% of the vote, behind professional life (12%) and sporting activities (16%).
But these sources of fulfillment are not the only ones to boost women’s morale. When asked what actions have a positive impact on their state of mind, French women say seeing their friends (79%), listening to music (77%), and spending time with family (76%). ). Conversely, being alone (21%), smoking (17%) and working (12%) seems to harm their daily morale. Note also that 10% of the women surveyed cite being on social networks as a harmful element for their morale.
This survey was carried out online by OpinionWay for Elle Active & L’Oréal Paris, on October 11 and 12, 2023, among a sample of 1,019 women representative of the French population aged 18 and over.
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