Animosity towards women is still at a 'disturbingly high' level and slowing the progress of equality, according to a worrying new survey.

The Fawcett Society survey asked more than 8,000 adults whether a woman was responsible and to blame if she went on a drunken night out wearing a short skirt and became the victim of sexual assault.

Nearly two out of five men said the woman was either "totally" or "partly to blame" in eye-opening findings, revealed by Sky News.

Surprisingly, according to the report called Sounds Familiar, 55 per cent of women aged over 65 also said a woman is totally or partly to blame, compared with 48 per cent of men of the same age, showing that there is still a generational discrepancy between attitudes.

Sam Smethers, the Fawcett Society chief executive, told the news agency: "I can think of no other crime where we are so ready to blame the victim, but here women are being held responsible for the behaviour of their attacker.

"It is quite extraordinary and reveals just how deep-seated our readiness to blame women runs within our culture."

Although nearly 20 per cent of men aged between 25 to 34 said that female equality would put them at a disadvantage, young men are actually more likely to call themselves feminists today than they ever have been.

"Far from being an entirely negative picture, we also see that the majority of young men are allies for women and for feminism," Ms Smethers added.

"Young men are also as likely as young women to be looking for flexibility and thinking about how they combine work and family life.

"They can see that addressing these inequalities will help them too.

"We have to make common cause with them and isolate those who would hold us all back."

A spokesperson for the government's Equalities Office released the statement: "No woman should have to tolerate discrimination or negative behaviour of any sort because of her gender.

"It is a Government priority to protect women and girls from violence.

"We have come a long way already, effectively bringing perpetrators to justice, but will continue to work until the problem is eliminated completely."

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Naomi Gordon

Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.