Are we raising strong young women?

“It would be nice to see women in positions of power who didn't have to look good at the same time.”

This is a statement by a 10-year-old Victorian girl from a recent survey on gender equality – and she’s not the only one who feels this way.

The recent research from Plan International found that, of 1,742 Australian girls aged 10 to 17-years-old, 93 per cent thought it would be easier to get ahead in life if they weren’t judged on their appearance.

While this focus on looks isn’t anything new, it has been heightened in recent years – for women, especially – by the rise of social media. In her work with young people, psychologist Helen Thomas has witnessed first-hand the growing attachment to apps like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.

“There’s a focus on appearance,” she says. “Social media has really magnified the pressure and expectation to look good.”

Snapchat and Instagram in particular have introduced a new tension where young people feel the need to be involved 24/7.

“It’s this idea that you need to keep up with the peer group or you’ll be left out,” says Helen. “[That you should be] always posting selfies where you’re supposed to look amazing, like a supermodel. It can be exhausting.”

Among other data, the survey found as girls get older, their aspirations and leadership dreams diminish; 56 per cent of girls view themselves as confident at the age of 10, but this drops to 44 per cent by the age of 17.

This boils down to feelings of inequality. At all ages, in all spaces, the survey found that girls don’t think there is a level playing field. Almost all of the girls surveryed – between 96 and 98 per cent – said boys and girls receive unequal treatment.

Hayley Cull of Plan International Australia says these attitudes and feelings reflect what young women are seeing all around them. “This speaks to the gender inequality that girls are seeing in other positions of leadership in life,” she explains.

“We know that in Australia, women hold less than a third of seats in Parliament. We see that there are countless businesses that just have one or two women on their board, and very few that have female CEOs.

“Girls are witnessing these realities during the years they’re forming their future aspirations; when they’re deciding what they can be, and how much opportunity there is for them.”

Plan International has conducted girl ‘takeovers’ around the world, where groups of young women shadow people in power (in government and big tech companies) to help alter this perception.

But both Helen and Hayley agree we all have a role to play when it comes to fostering strong young women.

Helen suggests adults and parents try to educate young women to access their smartphones and the media in an informed way – and outside the confines of scrolling.

“There are so many great apps and websites that [young people] can use on their smartphones,” says Helen. “Mental health apps such as Headspace – that’s free and accessible – will help them broaden their smartphone and social media experience.

“Another thing that can be incorporated is teaching young girls that lots of the images we see in the media are actually doctored and airbrushed,” she says. “Making it clear that that’s an unrealistic thing to attain and work towards can be helpful.”

Hayley hopes gathering data and making public calls to action will help young girls believe change is possible.

“When we had girls shadowing MPs in Parliament House this week,” she says, “it broke down the barriers for those girls. It’s shown them that girls belong in Parliament House – that it’s a place where they can feel confident and aspire to be.”

Staff writers come from a range of backgrounds including health, wellbeing, music, tech, culture and the arts. They spend their time researching the latest data and trends in the health market to deliver up-to-date information, helping everyday Australians live healthier lives. This is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.

Disclaimer:
The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional, tax or other advice. It does not take into account any individual’s personal situation or needs. You should consider obtaining professional advice from a financial adviser and/or tax specialist, or medical or health practitioner, in relation to your own circumstances and before acting on this information.