Girls’ Attitudes Survey key findings
Since 2009, Girlguiding has given girls and young women a platform to speak out on the issues that matter to them through the Girls’ Attitudes Survey. Now in its 14th year, this flagship research asks girls and young women how they feel about their everyday lives.
In 2022, our survey asked more than 3,000 girls and young women aged 7 to 21 how they feel about the pressures they face today, and what these mean for their happiness, wellbeing and opportunities. We spoke to girls and young women both inside and outside of guiding. Each year we also work with advocates, Girlguiding’s youth panel, to develop the questions.
A huge thank you to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for their invaluable support for our survey.
In 2022 we focused on girls and young women’s views on their lives and society after the pandemic, their safety, their experiences of sexism and stereotypes, their involvement in social and community action and their mental health. Here are some of the key statistics we found:
Society after the pandemic
Girls and young women think the pandemic will have a long-term negative impact on them. The number who think this is higher in some regions than others. They also think the past year has made some societal issues and inequalities worse. When it comes to the climate crisis, girls and young women think their government are not doing enough.
‘I’m worried about mental health declining because of the pandemic’
Young woman, 17-21
Community and social action
Girls and young women play a big role in their local communities. They’re active in standing up for what they believe in and they’re passionate about fairness, diversity and inclusion. They take part in youth groups ranging from sports to music. This helps them develop confidence, skills and a sense of wellbeing and safety.
‘You need to treat people the way you want to be treated and respect people’
Girl, 7-10
Sexism and stereotypes
Girls and young women often see or experience sexism. They face barriers to accessing sport and physical activity. They also say gender stereotypes hold them back at school. More girls and young women consider themselves to be feminists than a decade ago.
‘If I could change one thing to improve girls’ lives, I would stop sexism and mocking’
Girl, 7-10
Safety
Girls and young women don’t feel safe in their daily lives – at school, in public or online. Worryingly, not enough is being done to change this. Not all girls and young women are learning about healthy relationships and harassment at school, despite this now being part of the curriculum in England.
‘In the future I hope I can feel safe leaving the house and going somewhere on my own, even at night’
Girl, 11-16
Mental health and wellbeing
Last year we reported a decade-long decline in girls’ happiness and wellbeing, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2022, there are signs girls’ and young women’s wellbeing is recovering but it still decreases once they start secondary school. And there are regional differences in girls’ and young women’s happiness and confidence in their appearance and skills.
‘It’s important to learn about wellbeing and mental health so if you struggle you know how to ask for help’
Girl, 7-10
About Girlguiding
Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK with nearly 370,000 members, 80,000 volunteers and 24,000 groups meeting weekly. We build girls’ confidence and raise their aspirations. We give them the chance to discover their full potential and encourage them to be a powerful force for good. We give them a space to have fun.
Find out more about us on our website.
To find out more visit girlguiding.org.uk
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