A first of its kind survey here shows the pressure young women and girls are facing.
The research by the Shona Project found 89% of teenage girls carry anxiety or worry that nobody knows about.
The report looks at teen girls views on education, self-esteem, safety, misogyny, social media, and emotional wellbeing.
79% say they sometimes feel no good at all and 61% struggle with negative body image.
Two thirds feel school is not safe or welcoming to all, while 70% feel social media negatively affects their mental health.
Some young women, who took part in the survey, say to survive in school they hide in toilets or skip school entirely.
One 18-year-old respondent described the school system as “suffocating,” saying:
“Our education system is causing bright and talented people to crumble beneath the pressure. The points system is archaic and cruel. The jump to third level is too much – and it shows in dropout rates.”
One in five are concerned for their own safety, of which 78% mentioned boys and men as the threat.
One 16-year-old girl reported: “I have noticed boys of my generation heading in the opposite direction when it comes to gender equality which frightens me. I find they have little to no respect for girls and women and see us as a different species to them.”
80% believe their generation faces more challenges than those before and 68% want better support and resources to talk about difficult feelings.
The Shona Project is calling on Government to:
- Recognise and act on the clear findings detailed in the report.
- Collaborate with organisations to deliver evidence-based solutions
- Prioritise the emotional and psychological wellbeing of students within our national education strategy
- Invest in evidence based, community-led programmes that meet young people where they are
Over 1,000 young women and non-binary teens aged 12- 19 took part in the survey.
