The Gender Gap in Attitudes toward the Gulf War: A Cross-National Perspective

Using data from a survey in a number of world cities before the outbreak of hostilities in the Persian Gulf, we explore the sources and magnitude of the gender gap in support for military action. In most cities there are only modest gender differences in the interpretation of events, in affect toward the major actors, and in support for the goals of the UN actions, but women are less supportive of military action than men in nearly all cities. These differences are statistically significant but substantively modest, with men and women differing primarily in the degree of their enthusiasm for the military action. In Lagos and Ankara, however, there are no gender differences.