Press-release by Tetyana Piaskovska

For a couple of years KIIS has been helping men to choose presents for women for March 8^th. Moreover we are asking men about their plans and find out that they are using our advices.

According to the results of the poll, top 6 presents women want to receive are flowers, care and attention, jewelry, romantic journey, money, toilet water or perfume, and cosmetics.

In a period of February 5-16, 2016 Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) has conducted its own public opinion poll in Ukraine. Data were collected from 2020 respondents living in 110 settlements in all regions of Ukraine (except the AR of Crimea) through personal interviews. Sample is stochastic and representative for the population of Ukraine aged 18 and above.

In Luhansk region survey was conducted only on the territories controlled by Ukraine, in Donetsk region survey was conducted both on territories that are and that are temporarily not controlled by Ukraine.

The statistical sample error (with probability of 0.95 and design–effect of 1.5) does not exceed: 3.3% for indicators close to 50%, 2.8% – for indicators close to 25%, 2.0% – for indicators close to 10%, 1.4% – for indicators close to 5%, 0.7% - for indicators close to 1 or 99%.

Men were asked: “What present do you really want to gift to your beloved woman for March 8^th?”

Women were asked: “What present do you really want to receive from your beloved man for March 8^th?”

Survey showed that:

• 23% of women want to receive flowers, 30% of men are going to present it;

• 10% of women do not expect any gifts from men except care and attention, and only 6% of men has marked this option;

• 9% of women want to receive jewelry, the same amount of men plan to present it (9%);

• 7% of women want to be presented with a romantic journey, 6% of men are going to gift it;

• This year it is the first time when women put money in the top list: 6% of women want to receive it as a present, 5% of men plan to gift it;

• 6% of women want to receive toilet water, perfume or cosmetics, and 8% of men are going to give it as a gift;

• 9% of women said they did not have a man they are expecting gifts from, and 5% of men said they did not have anyone to give presents to. It is pleasant these percentages did not grow up comparing to 2014.

As one can see, men`s plans, in general, match women`s desires, there are significant mismatches in a few positions: men give flowers more often than women would like them to (30% of men, 23% of women), care and attention are on the second place in the hierarchy of presents – 10% of women say they consider it to be a present while only 6% of men are caught by these women tricks.

New data in comparison with the answers of previous years:

• The amount of women who want to receive flowers as a present decreased by 5 percentage points comparing to 2014 (it was 28% then), the amount of men who plan to present flowers decreased by 8 percentage points (was 38% in 2014).

• The amount of men who consider care and attention to be a gift and plan to present it also decreased (from 8% to 6%).

• This year women are more likely to wish for jewelry (9% versus 6% in 2014) and money (6% versus 3% in 2014), otherwise situation with women desires has not changed.

• Men are more and more likely to present perfumes and toilet water (8%), same percentage was in 2010.

• The amount of men who do not plan to give presents got slightly bigger (from 2% to 4%).

Expert commentary: Victoria Zakhozha, KIIS Deputy Head

«International Women`s Day is losing it`s weight for the Ukrainians just like other holidays that were popular in the Soviet Union. Besides the growing generation of people who did not even live in that state, current economic and military situations in Ukraine, apparently, influenced the attitude to holidays especially to the ones not related to religion (Easter or Christmas) or patriotic feelings (Independence Day).

Responses to this situation are different for men and for women. The proportion of men who do not plan to give presents to women for the holiday of spring has grown (from 3.8% to 6.1% comparing to 2014). At the same time women do not want to refuse from the holiday and keep on waiting for presents for March 8^th. Moreover, their expectations are getting mercantile. They are not satisfied only with flowers, care and attention anymore, and the amount of those of them who want to receive jewelry or just money as a gift has grown.

Eventually, even though the situation in the country is not romantically inspiring, female soul wish for a holiday!»

Table

Presents that women want to receive and men plan to gift

QUESTION FOR MEN: What present do you really want to gift to your beloved woman for March 8^th?

QUESTION FOR WOMEN: What present do you really want to receive from your beloved man for March 8^th?

For commentary, please, contact Tetyana Piaskovska, tpiaskovskaya@kiis.com.ua, +38(067) 5001523