Most men think it is possible to balance a career and family life, but not women

More than half of men think that they can rise in their profession and be a good parent, finds YouGov

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More men than women think it is possible to “have it all” when it comes to progressing at work and having a family life, according to a new study.

A YouGov poll asked both men and women in 17 countries whether they can rise to the top in their field while also being a good parent at home.

They found that only 41 per cent of British women with children under the age of 18 thought they could dedicate enough time to their career to rise up the ladder while spending enough time at home.

This is compared to half of men (51 per cent) who thought they could juggle both responsibilities well enough to progress.

The data was revealed following International Women’s Day when thousands of women “went on strike” to protest the continued undervaluing of so-called “women’s work” like child-rearing and cleaning.

Britain was the least optimistic of the countries surveyed. In other countries people were more likely to believe they could successfully balance both roles.

Although in all countries surveyed men were more confident than women about their prospects.

In Canada 76 per cent of fathers said they could “have it all” compared to 58 per cent of mothers.

Another country with a big gap is Sweden: 16 points between the two (73 per cent versus 57 per cent). In Singapore there’s a 14 point gap (69 per cent for fathers, and 54 per cent for mothers).

The gender pay gap in the UK continues to sit at 17.3 per cent according to the Office of National Statistics.

It is now three years since organisations with more than 250 employees were forced by the government to start publicly disclosing their gender pay gap data.

As a result of the ongoing gender pay gap women work an average of two months free each year compared to their male counterparts.

Analysis conducted by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) shows because of the gender pay gap women have to get 63 days into the year before getting paid compared to the average man.

This gap is having an impact on young women's ability to plan for the future; more than a third (40 per cent) of young women in England and Wales always "struggle to make their money last" until payday, according to research published by the Young Women’s Trust.

Many of those surveyed said they live in daily dread of debts such as unsecured loans including credit cards, personal loans, store cards and overdrafts and one in three said they did not expect to be free of personal debt until they reach 40.