This paper presents results from a narrative review that is based on 85 studies (1975–2024) and examines how gender role attitudes have changed across time and contexts, what explains variation by gender and age, and whether recent polarisation and reversals are being observed. By integrating findings from major cross-national surveys (ISSP, ESS, WVS, EB), three key findings emerge. First, substantial liberalisation from the 1970s through the mid-1990s stalled thereafter, with public sphere attitudes continuing to liberalise while private sphere attitudes stagnated. Second, persistent gender gaps appear to be widening among younger cohorts, as Generation Z men show more traditional attitudes in certain domains than older male cohorts in several European countries. Third, more than half of respondents hold multidimensional views, combining progressive public sphere attitudes with traditional family beliefs. These findings suggest that attitudes towards gender equality operate through domain-specific, non-linear trajectories shaped by individual characteristics and institutional contexts. The documented reversals and polarisation carry implications for understanding contemporary political backlash and for designing policies that address the complexity of multidimensional gender attitudes.