Equality, Ego, and Employment: How Women See Online Dating

Ahead of International Women’s Day, a survey of 12,000 women sought to understand the realities of modern dating from their perspective. It found frustration over inequality, but also hope for a more women-friendly internet.

Indian dating app QuackQuack found that 33% of women, aged between 22 to 35 years old, believed a woman’s career growth can be seen as a threat by men. 4 out 11 women agreed this issue has affected romantic relationships.

27% of women aged between 28 and 35, who work for major companies, reported that a woman’s better career position encountered issues with the male ego. 3 out of 8 women said they would prioritise their own happiness over a relationship that suffered from ego issues.

4 in 12 women from India’s biggest cities identified an unfair perception of hard working women. While busy schedules and long hours are seen as desirable qualities in men, when women do the same thing they come across as cold and too career-focused, respondents said.

But there is hope on the horizon. 39% of women between 22 and 30 shared their view that online dating is becoming more women-friendly, saying that platforms are challenging traditional gender dynamics.

33% of women above 30 from bigger cities said that they were now stepping out of their comfort zone when it came to dating. They shared that women who make the first move are no longer instantly labelled as desperate, for example.

“Understanding women’s concerns and making our app women-friendly has been among our top agendas. We have seen an 11% spike in our female users, and from the approximate 2.60 million chats exchanged per month, we have seen a positive increase in the first messages sent by women hinting that we are doing something right in making them comfortable enough to make the first move”, said Ravi Mittal, CEO and Founder of QuackQuack.

The survey was conducted as part of the theme for Women’s Day 2023: ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’.