March marks Women’s History Month, from now into the run up for International Women’s Day on 8 March, we’ll see the same infographics and statistics we see about women’s rights year after year:
- Women are still being paid less than men for equal or higher amounts of work.
- Women are still more likely to be in lower-paid, often part-time jobs.
- Women are still more underrepresented in senior leadership roles.
- Women are still responsible for a disproportionate share of unpaid labour, such as housework and caregiving.
- Women and girls still face significant barriers in accessing education (example: STEM education gap, bathroom access).
- Women still experience abuse at higher rates, and are more likely to experience stalking.
…And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
But gender inequality doesn’t begin in the boardroom, and it doesn’t wait for girls to reach adulthood to cause them harm.
It begins in the classroom, the playground, the youth group – long before girls enter the workforce, and long before most services are available to offer them support.
By age 6, girls have already begun avoiding subjects seen as needing to be “really, really smart” (Fawcett Society)
Before women get the chance to try their hand at leadership, girls are left to fall behind in confidence.
Not because of ability, but because of how they’re seen, treated, and heard in society.
The gender stereotyped assumptions children are taught significantly limit girls’ career choices later on in life, contributing to the gender pay gap, underrepresentation in senior roles, and the gender gap in fields like STEM.
Despite outperforming boys academically in all age ranges, across all areas but PE, girls are much more unhappy in school and much less confident.
Girls’ confidence drops by 30% between ages 8 and 14, while boys’ confidence remains stable
(The Confidence Code for Girls)
At GFS, we’re launching our new campaign, Let Girls Lead today, because to create a world where women can lead and achieve without being limited by their gender, we have to start by creating one that supports and encourages girls first.
There are no women’s rights without girls’ rights.
Inequality starts in childhood. And it ends when #GirlsLead.
GFS provides safe, inclusive spaces where girls grow confident and resilient – and where future equality begins.
Because when girls are listened to, they grow into women who lead, speak up, and shape the world.
Donate to protect spaces where girls grow up heard and unstoppable
Your donation helps GFS reach more girls in communities across the country, providing safe, empowering spaces where confidence flourishes.