Migration as a Gender Equality Issue? A Comparative Study on Gender Attitudes across Europe

The aim of this chapter is to examine the change (and stability) of attitudes towards gender equality in Europe. The contribution is divided into two parts. First, using data from the European Values Study, a longitudinal and comparative perspective is adopted to explore how individuals in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Poland, and Spain have changed their views on gender roles over the last three decades. Questions about working mothers, women in the labour market, and women's position within family and society are repeated over time and between countries. The second part of the chapter will focus on the perspectives of individuals with a migrant background on gender equality. Public discourse often describes the presence of immigrants with traditional ideas about gender roles as an obstacle to empowerment for all women, but what do immigrant actually believe? How do their views evolve over time after their arrival? To answer this question, we will examine the case of Italy, a country where there have been relatively small changes in public opinion regarding gender equality over the years. The analysis is based on nationally representative data from the Survey on the Social Condition and Integration of Foreign Citizens (2011–2012).