Led by Dr. Liraz Margalit, the social psychologist and relationship expert of Bumble, the dating app where women make the first move, released its first Israeli report "What Women Want".
The results provide new insights into how Israeli women view relationships, romance, gender roles, money and sex today.
The study was conducted by Topix, using an artificial intelligence consumer research panel to talk to 550 women in Israel about their experiences, focusing on relationships between men and women, and shows that when it comes to dating, Israeli women are redefining what it means to be successful in love.
In the post-pandemic trend, Israeli women have a more conscious and directed approach to dating, ownership of single life and greater clarity about what they want and what they deserve.
Not only are they embracing this approach - the report indicates that they are actively challenging outdated romantic norms in new and surprising ways,
Almost 3 out of 4 (72%) of Israeli women report that they do not feel social pressure to get married and 70% said that they do not feel the need to get married at all to establish a relationship.
Success is no longer defined as a relationship that ends in marriage, and perhaps this is related to the fact that 2 out of 3 (70%) of the single women aged 26 - 40, said that they do not need a man to feel complete, and the percentage is even higher (82%) among women of the generation -Z.
"Women are moving from a mindset that seeks to "find a man" as a requirement to move forward in life, to one in which women value relationships, and partners, for what they actually contribute to their lives. The new approach also includes looking at singleness itself - being single is now seen as an active space versus a passive space of waiting between relationships".
The age-old dilemma of who pays the bill is still alive and well, but... (Photo: ShutterStock, oneinchpunch)
Money and
Relationships Bumble's report confirms that the age-old dilemma of who pays the bill is still alive and well, but that it is a nuanced situation, at least for Israeli women. When it comes to who pays for the first date, it now seems less of a way of courting and more of a way to understand the intent. (If he insists on paying, he's in the business, etc.)
Most Israeli women (60%) do not think that a man should pay for the first date, but the interaction that took place before the split (of the bill) is important, and they use it as a way to determine intentions: how quickly he proposed ? How much did he insist? Studies show that, in general, the more interested a woman is in a man, the more important it is whether or not he pays for the first date, because they see it as a sign of serious intentions. Of those who don't believe the man should pay, more than half
( 54%) insist on paying for themselves as a way to show in advance that they are not looking for a breadwinner, but a balanced relationship from the beginning.
The date, may his memory be blessed.
As if we hadn't figured it out since the corona virus, the survey finally covers the candlelit dinner date: for 73% of young Israeli women, love is today expressed through smaller gestures compared to the public declarations and stunts of the Hollywood romance of the past.
In general, romance in Israel is becoming more pragmatic.
The days of a dozen roses and public statements are probably over, because for younger generations of women, love is expressed in small actions and attention, as opposed to extroverted gestures.
When describing romance, almost 3 out of 4 (73%) Israeli women talked about small gestures - almost 1 out of 3 (32%) stated that they are less likely to be impressed by first dates.
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This pragmatism is also reflected in the way Israeli women think about deal-breakers.
Sparks fly and the missing heartbeats are still present, but not immediately, and not with the level of importance they once had.
Less than 1 in 4 (23%) Israeli women regard the lack of chemistry and the lack of butterflies in Bektan as enough breakers, and challenge the concept of 'love at first sight'.
The days of a dozen roses and public statements are probably over.
Small gestures are more important (Photo: ShutterStock)
Sex
The attitude towards sex is also changing, with almost a third (31%) of women stating that they have recently explored their sexuality more.
The physical criteria according to which they look for and judge partners changed when Israeli women eliminated the classical parameters of 'tall, dark and handsome'.
It is interesting to note that generation Z women (women aged 18-25) are much more open and focus on values - height or compatibility with the lifestyle do not play a significant role in their choice.
It turns out that 3 out of 4 women (75%) have adopted the viral dating trend of Gen Z and no longer see a short man, for example, as a problem that cannot be overcome.
This is reflected even more among the women who use the application - almost half (46%) of Israelis say they are more open to a date beyond their usual "type".
This is a trend that Bumble calls 'open casting' and the Israeli adoption of this approach is one of the highest in the world, compared to people from other countries.
Let's talk about sex, baby
When it comes to gendered dating expectations, sex remains one of the most challenging spaces for both men and women, but there are encouraging changes in how we talk about, think about, and have sex.
Post-pandemic, 42% of Israelis on Bumble would describe their approach to sex, intimacy and dating as "open and inquisitive."**
Israeli women state that sex is not taboo as a topic of conversation, and 40% believe it is important to discuss sexual desires and needs early on when dating.
In Snoff, for most Israeli women, pleasurable sex is no longer limited to relationships, and this reflects the global trend.
More than half (55%) of the Israeli women questioned enjoy sex outside of a relationship, and this figure is also higher both among the younger generations (18-25), and among women over 50, but for different reasons.
(55%) of Israeli women enjoy sex outside of a relationship (Photo: ShutterStock)
Values and Politics
Common values and equality are now at the forefront of women's minds when looking for potential partners.
For most Israeli women, the main deal breakers are lack of respect and appreciation (57%) or lack of maturity and childish behavior (48%).
In addition, 40% of women stated that a lifestyle that is too different can be critical in choosing a relationship.
The Romantic Gap
Despite the positive change in the way Israeli women think about success and filter future partners, some challenges remain - when it comes to dating, and especially at the beginning of relationships, Israelis still fall into old gender roles and expectations.
There is a "romance gap" - a difference in expectations between men and women when it comes to courtship, dating and relationships.
Almost half (49%) of women feel the need to play "hard to get" at the beginning of a relationship, and there is an increase to 56% among women aged 40-51.
Despite the ways in which younger generations are challenging traditional dating pressures, these data indicate that Israeli women still worry about external judgment.
Almost a third (62%) of women remain anxious about the first step, fearing they will be perceived as too blunt, and when it comes to sharing their desires out loud, 1 in 4 (25%) are worried about being perceived as opinionated or too 'direct' in the early stages of dating.
"While most women will say they hate playing games, and even more so when men play games, they still feel they have to. This means women often feel like they can't be clear about what they want. However, there is encouraging news from younger generations of women Israeli women who feel confident enough to be direct about both what they want in a relationship and what they need from their sex life."
Sheee
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