On Tuesday, June 28^th, Nielsen shared findings from our “Women of Tomorrow” study, one of the most comprehensive examinations into what women watch and buy across continents. The study highlighted how women’s control over spending decisions coupled with their gains across the working world and politics, point to women of tomorrow being in a position to exert more influence than ever.

Some key findings of the study, which encompassed developed and emerging markets, include:

-          Empowered, yet stressed:  Nearly 80 percent of women in developed economies indicated they believe the role of women will change and of those, 90 percent believe it will change for the better.  While female respondents say they are pressured for time and feel stressed and overworked, women in emerging countries indicated they feel the pressure even more so than women in developed countries.

-          Women on opportunities:  Across countries surveyed, women believe they have more opportunities than their mothers.  Women in emerging markets believe their daughters will have even more opportunities than they did relative to their mothers.  However, in developed countries, women surveyed believe their daughters will have the same opportunities, not more.

-          Make it Social, and Relevant:  Nielsen reports that women talk 28 percent more and text 14 percent more than men every month; they are also heavier users of social features on phones and visit more Internet community sites than men. And, more than half of women in both developed (average 56%) and emerging (average 71%) countries say the computer, mobile phones and smart phones have changed their lives for the better.

The survey was fielded using an online methodology in developed countries and a mixed field approach of online, central location and door-to-door interviewing in emerging countries, February - April 2011. Emerging markets included in the study were Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey. Developed markets included Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.