Seven in ten young women believe hatred or discrimination against women is very widespread, according to an island survey – which also found that more than half were unhappy with their weight and body image.

The Island Global Research study reveals widespread concern about how women are portrayed in the media and online, with younger women expressing the greatest unease.

Among women aged 16 to 29, 71% considered misogyny very widespread, while 79% were very concerned about how attitudes towards women were represented in the media and online.

Almost three-quarters of women in this age group were also very concerned about the portrayal of female body image, and 52% said they were not very happy or not at all happy with their own weight and body image.

The findings come from 2,532 respondents across Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, including more than 700 from each island.

The published figures combine responses from all three islands, although researchers said results were similar by location.

The relatively high levels of concern amongst young females suggests just how strongly the next generation feel there is a need for continued and meaningful change

Lilyanne Guille, project manager and lead researcher

Lilyanne Guille, the project’s manager and lead researcher, said the findings suggested young women felt strongly about the need for change.

“The survey also reinforces the perceived prevalence of two well-established issues historically affecting women – misogyny in society, and issues around representation of the female body image in the media,” she said.

“The findings indicate that people feel there is still progress to be made on both accounts, while the relatively high levels of concern amongst young females suggests just how strongly the next generation feel there is a need for continued and meaningful change.”

One respondent highlighted the difficulty of distinguishing reality from digitally altered appearances.

“Regarding social media and the use of filters and AI, I think it is difficult for young people and children to know if a person really looks the way they portray themselves online, leading to unrealistic expectations,” said Ms Guille.

The survey also found that almost half of women aged 30 to 59 would consider weight-loss medicines in future. Across all respondents, 14% reported having tried them.

Meanwhile, 23% of men held views consistent with the idea that feminism intentionally disadvantages men, and 31% believed the large majority of heterosexual women only wanted to date the most physically attractive fifth of men.

However, fewer than 3% of men met the researchers’ threshold of holding three or more attitudes associated with “toxic masculinity”.

The online survey ran from 17 April to 21 May and was open to residents aged 16 and over.

Results were adjusted to better reflect island populations, although the report acknowledges that people choosing whether to participate could still affect the findings.