Teenage girls and young women in the United Kingdom overwhelmingly believe they face a future of discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere, with half worrying that their careers will suffer if they have children, according to a survey by the Girl Guides.
A report based on a poll of more than 3 200 girls and young women involved in guiding, aged from five to 25, found a generation of career-minded, ambitious, independent people — much like the small group of girls who turned up at the first Scouts’ rally at the Crystal Palace, London, in 1909 and insisted they wanted the same opportunities as the boys.
But, just as those Edwardian girl Scouts found their activities condemned by some as ”a foolish and pernicious movement”, today’s guides say they too face pressures and inequalities. Three-quarters of those aged 16 to 25 believe young women are stigmatised for behaviour that young men would not be criticised for, and a third report receiving different careers advice because of their gender.
As well as worrying that their careers will be negatively affected by motherhood, almost four in 10 fear they will be paid less because they are women, says the study.
The same age group also resent what they see as external pressure over their appearance, with just over half 16 to 25-year-olds — and a quarter of those aged 10 to 15 — saying the media make them feel the most important thing is to be pretty and thin. The ”worst things about being a girl” according to this older age group were a lack of respect from the media and young men, fewer job opportunities and worse pay than male counterparts and pressure to choose between a career or a family.
Fears that teenage girls are suffering perpetual pressure to conform to a rigid stereotype of attractiveness have been highlighted amid continued resistance in the fashion industry to ban ultra-thin models.
The concerns over equality do not appear to translate into lowered career ambitions, however. Eight out of 10 older teenagers and nine in 10 aged 10 to 15 believe women can do any job they choose, while four in five of the older age group say they will not depend on their partners financially.
A formidable 94% of older girls expect to go back to work after having children. More than six in 10 older guides say a career is very important to them, while just under half say the same about marriage.
Perhaps surprisingly, given the resistance often shown by young women to the term, two-thirds of 16 to 25-year-olds would not be embarrassed to be thought of as feminists. Guides’ heroines, too, diverge distinctly from conventional celebrity stereotypes: 86% of older girls chose the athlete Kelly Holmes from a list of well-known women.
Highlighting the contradictions between external expectations and personal beliefs wrestled with by teenage girls, more than 95% believe Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham have the greatest influence over young women, yet only 2% and 5% respectively see them as positive examples. — Â