Why chivalry remains attractive to some women despite being sexist

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Chivalry, it appears, is far from dead yet

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Women tend to be attracted to male chivalry even though they see it as a threat to their gender equality, according to a new study.

Men who pay for dinner and open doors for women are said to display “benevolent sexism”: the attitude that women should be protected and provided for. These chivalrous acts are superficially positive, but may entrench gender inequality by positioning women as weaker and less competent, says Pelin Gul at Iowa State University.

Gul and her colleagues explored heterosexual women’s attitudes to benevolent …