By Talker Staff
NEWS COPY W/ VIDEO + INFOGRAPHIC
Romantic relationships, traveling and earning money — none of these are as important to women right now as learning about their own bodies.
That’s according to a new survey of 2,000 American women, evenly split by generation, which asked respondents about various topics to see which have become more important to them over the past five years.
Learning about their body and women’s health topics (59%), as well as being comfortable and confident in their bodies (58%), were the top two areas of importance.
Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Intimina, the survey found that when split by generation, these two areas were high across the board — showing the value women of all ages put on their confidence and women’s health.
Despite how important women believe it is to be comfortable and confident in their bodies, only 14% said they feel “extremely confident.”
While 55% of women surveyed said they feel “very” (18%) or “somewhat” (36%) confident.
The survey looked not only at women’s confidence, but also at the effort — or lack thereof — it’s taken for women to embrace their womanhood.
Results revealed that younger generations have needed to put more effort into embracing their womanhood; 25% of Gen Z women surveyed and 21% of millennials said they’ve had to make a very conscious and strong effort.
This is compared to 18% of Gen Xers who’ve made a concerted effort and just 9% of baby boomers.
"Today's women prioritize something truly transformative: understanding and embracing their own bodies,” said Dunja Kokotovic, Intimina brand manager. “The survey results are clear: confidence and comfort in womanhood are valued more than traditional milestones like travel or financial success. Yet, the journey to that confidence can be challenging, especially for younger generations who've had to overcome societal pressures and embrace their womanhood fully consciously. This shift, seen across all ages, highlights a cultural change where self-awareness and empowerment are key, showing that true success starts with self-love and health."
On the other hand, when asked if they’re proud to be a woman, 89% of respondents said yes — and this was quite similar across all generations surveyed.
Respondents of different ages were also in agreement that women have more disadvantages to overcome than men (61% overall).
This includes body image pressures (58%), as well as disadvantages in the workplace (58%) and perceptions about women’s personalities and gender roles (43%).
Respondents also highlighted sports (39%) and public safety (39%) as two other areas where women are more disadvantaged than men.
And 55% of women surveyed believe the disadvantages women have to overcome have either stayed the same (30%) or become worse (25%) over the past five years.
Unfortunately, this isn’t expected to change anytime soon: 40% of women surveyed believe the results of the presidential election, with President-elect Donald Trump set to take office in January, will negatively impact how women feel about their bodies and how others feel about women’s bodies.
"Empowering women starts with creating a positive and understanding culture around their bodies and experiences,” said Kokotovic. “This means normalizing open conversations about women's health, breaking down stigmas and championing self-confidence at every turn. By offering education, support and respect, we can remove the barriers that hold women back. It's not just a woman's issue — it's a collective responsibility. When we celebrate and advocate for women's empowerment, we lay the groundwork for a more inclusive and equitable future for all."
WHAT’S BECOME MORE IMPORTANT TO WOMEN IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS?
- Learning about my body and women’s health topics — 59%
- Being comfortable/confident in my body — 58%
- Making a lot of money — 48%
- Having a stable romantic relationship — 40%
- Going on adventures — 40%
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American women (split evenly by generation); the survey was commissioned by Intimina and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Nov. 14–21, 2024.
We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
- Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
- Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.
Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.
Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.
Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
- Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
- Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
- Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
- Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.
