Young women do not feel equal.
Dellwyn Stuart
Experienced CEO, passionate about real impact, intersectional feminism and philanthropy
Today is international day of the girl – a wonderful opportunity to focus on our young women. How are they doing in Aotearoa NZ?
On the brink of 2020 surely, we have solved gender-based discrimination and it is not a factor for this generation? Sadly, shockingly, this is not the case.
The Y works with young women every day and we know that the popular idea of a girl’s life at 17 or 18 is a long way from reality.
Of all the cohorts of NZ’s women, it is this age bracket that is most stressed and anxious. The messages they hear on a daily basis are a mix of:
· The climate is in crisis and may collapse
· AI is coming for their jobs
· And they’ll never be able to afford a home
Many are living in a household where they have to contribute financially, they pick up most of the unpaid work in the home, and they are expected also to be excellent students.
The pressures and expectations they face are enormous.
This week we put a small survey into social media to test out a few things we are seeing in our day to day contact and it confirmed that young women do not feel equal.
Less than a third reported that they think their opinions and expectations are heard and valued. Less that a third. The survey also found that less than a third think they have equal opportunity with their male peers.
It is 2020 in just a few months and we seem to have failed our girls. In not hearing their opinion and perspectives we miss out on half the picture – and as a result, we are perpetuating the patriarchal system.
At the Y we are determined to create a platform for our young women and to find new ways to amplify their voices. We are kicking off a national wide annual search for 25 young women under 25 who are changing things up. The Y25 is open for nominations from today. www.Y25.co.nz
And in a couple of months we’ll launch 18X18 – a deep dive into the real lives of our 18 year olds – what they think and feel as they transition into adulthood. This won’t be enough, but it will be a start.
What can you do to hear from our girls, to lift up their voices and ensure their perspectives are woven into the world we are creating?
Innovation, tranformation and governance professional
5 年Great idea, but how about having some spots for the girls whose voices aren't already being amplified, who are the ones who are saying that their opinions aren't heard, so they can be mentored to be the changemakers.
Researcher, Coach: PhD Candidate: MBA: Masters in Advanced Leadership Practice: CPC.
5 年4 years ago I did a presentation at work highlighting how my then 16 year old daughter was faced with the same challenges I had faced at the same age. A lot has changed and yet a lot has not. We need to find more ways to show young girls more examples of were they are equal and where things are possible because if they believe it can be then it can.
Chief Customer Officer at Market Harborough Building Society
5 年Hi Dellwyn, one thing I can offer in relation to some of the challenges you mention in your article is to share with you my experience of owning my own social marketing business. It was successfully launched into NZ about 4 years ago now (although it is a 40 year old business so has a stable and rich heritage) & we have some truly incredible NZ based leaders paving the way for others. On the face of the business, sometimes people just see health & wellness products but it’s much more than that. It provides all of us with an opportunity to be part of something greater, to be part of a positive and uplifting community and an opportunity to build an income alongside whatever else is important in their lives too. I would be very happy to share more information with you or with any of the ladies who might be interested in taking a look. Warm wishes - you are doing great work in focussing on such an important group of young women.
MBA | Kaiwhakahaere Hangarau : Tech Mgr | Advocate for Women & Non-Binary in STEM | She/Her
5 年Dellwyn...I have a 16 year old daughter and although I've been striving to create a more equal working world for her and her brothers to enter, it breaks my heart that they already feel 'less' before they even start the journey. I still think, though, that the best I can do is encourage her to find two important places / communities to be a part of now and into the future; 1. A safe place (perhaps a Womens network) where she feels fully unencumbered to be herself and speak up, 2. A shared space, where she is a part of a collective, diverse set of voices and where she sees the power of all voices being raised together to empower change. P.s. this is just as important for my other teens too, especially my youngest starting out on their LGBTI+ journey