Over 60 percent of people in Japan feel that its society favors men, with many also skeptical that gender equality will be achieved in the near future, a recent survey by a Tokyo-based research institute showed.

The online study conducted last month ahead of International Women's Day by Dentsu Institute, an organization of advertising giant Dentsu Group Inc., found that 64.6 percent of respondents feel men get preferential treatment in Japanese society, and 64.3 percent believe men are favored when it comes to "customs and traditions."

This was followed by "the workplace" at 59.6 percent, "law and systems" at 46.8 percent and "portrayal in media" at 38.7 percent.

While 78.4 percent of the total 3,000 men and women polled said they felt Japan should make more concerted efforts in advancing gender equality, many also felt its realization was far on the horizon.

When asked to estimate how many years it would take for Japan to elect its first female prime minister, the average among responses was 27.9 years. The average time estimates for women to make up half of the parliament members and 30 percent of managerial positions in firms were 33.5 years and 24.7 years, respectively.

"Societal attitudes regarding gender equality have started to change, but there needs to be a shift to action," said a Dentsu Institute official involved in the survey.

The online survey, conducted on Feb. 5, collected responses from 1,483 men and 1,517 women across Japan aged 18 to 79.

==Kyodo

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