Lava

Women of Tomorrow:
A Study of Women Around the World
June 2011

When it comes to spending decisions, women are in control!
Women control the majority of purchasing decisions in a household and their influence is growing. Women across the world are expanding beyond traditional roles to influence decisions in the home, in business and in politics. Marketers have a massive opportunity tobetter connect women with the products they buy and the media technologies they use to make a positive impact both in their lives and in the bottom line. So what traditional and new media influencers are most successful in driving women’s purchase decisions? Do women in developed countries think and act differently than women in emerging countries? What concerns do women have now and what do theyexpect for future generations? Do traditional roles still exist or do men and women share responsibilities equally? Importantly, how can marketers not only reach women more effectively, but how can they create messaging that better speaks to the sentiments and emotions that drive and empower women? To answer these questions, Nielsen surveyed women across generations and from all corners of bothdeveloped and emerging economies. Reaching out to 21 countries representing 60 percent of the world’s population and 78 percent of GDP, this study provides insight into how current and future generations of female consumers shop and use media differently. The findings are both enlightening and surprising. One universal truth prevails: women everywhere believe their roles are changing and they arechanging for the better.

90% of women believe their role is changing for the better.
Better access to education, improved career opportunities and higher pay scales in both developed and emerging economies are paving the way for a rise in women’s economic power. And that sentiment is clearly evident in Nielsen’s research, as nearly 80 percent of women surveyed in developed countries believe the roleof women is changing, and of those, 90 percent believe it is changing for the better. In emerging countries, the future is even brighter. Education and access to technology are fueling tomorrow’s optimism as women around the world know that one vital way to a better life is through education. In developed economies, women’s access to higher education is considered an established standard, while inemerging economies, attending college is often a luxury for women and the aspiration is much higher. The value of that privilege is evidenced in the study, as 56 percent of women in emerging countries say they plan to allocate additional income for their children’s education versus just 16 percent of women in developed countries. Women in Nigeria, India and Malaysia placed the most importance insaving for their children’s education —a choice that ranked in the top three out of 25 different options for how they plan to allocate their additional salary in the next five years.

Education for children is a top priority for women in emerging countries
In which ways do you expect to allocate any additional money you have earned or expect to earn over the next five years?

85 56%

76 6354 53 48 48 47 45

37

16%

Key Findings:
• 90% of women believe their role is changing for the better. Eighty percent of women in developed economies believe the role of women is changing and of those, 90 percent believe it will change for the better in all matters from gender equality to politics to opportunities in the workplace. • A vast horizon of opportunities, but a plateau of hopein developed economies. The aspirations for future generations of women in emerging countries are bright, but women in developed countries believe that the same opportunities —not more —will be available to their daughters. • Increasingly empowered, increasingly stressed. Women everywhere are pressured for time, have little time to relax and feel stressed/overworked, but women in emerging...