Plan International UK’s ‘State of Girl’s Rights in the UK’ report surveyed nearly 3,000 girls and young women aged 12 to 21 from across the UK, and found that they feel let down by a lack of progress on gender equality and safety concerns.
The lives of girls were found to be to be tougher in specific parts of the UK, with Grimsby and Cleethorpes ranking as the toughest, followed by Blackpool, Barrow-in-Furness, Rochdale and Knowsley.
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Places which were ranked higher included East Dunbartonshire, Sutton, in Surrey, and South Oxfordshire. Researchers ranked regions after looking at girls' participation in education, employment and training, healthy life expectancy, gender pay gap and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) uptake at A Level.
A spokesperson from North East Lincolnshire Council said: “Like many young people across the country, those growing up in our area do face challenges but there are also both tremendous opportunities and exciting plans for the future in North East Lincolnshire. We are working hard with our community and our partners to support our young people as they grow, giving them greater opportunities to thrive and succeed.
“The work to build the area’s first OnSide Youth Zone in Grimsby will provide a new resource to boost the opportunities for our young people to succeed in life.”
Elsewhere in the report, 85% of girls and young women said they were happy to some extent, with relationships and friendships being their primary source of happiness, however happiness decreased with age.
Nearly half of young women agreed that societal expectations hold them back, and only 5% of girls felt completely safe in public spaces.
Young women are calling for comprehensive relationships, sex and health education as only 56% felt as if they were taught what they needed to know in schools.
Additionally, one in five said they don’t trust the police, and just 54% feel they have the same educational and employment opportunities as males their age.
More than half of young women and girls say they are anxious about their futures.
Rose Caldwell, chief executive at Plan International UK, said: “Our report should sound the alarm for all politicians and leaders. Girls want to have their voices heard. The new UK government must do more to create meaningful change that tackles inequality and ends discrimination for girls.”
Additionally, just 40% said they trusted politicians.
A recent study by the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition found that most people feel politicians don’t care about their mental health.
