What you probably already know: Girls and young women are keenly aware of the struggles of women in general. The Young Women and Girls’ Aspiration Report released by the National Women’s History Museum — in collaboration with DoSomething strategic — surveyed more than 1,100 girls between the ages of 13 and 27 to gauge their views on representation, opportunity and their future prospects. The findings paint a stark picture of inequality, noting that “girls and young women are told they can be anything. But when they look at the workforce, education, government and health care system, they see a world where women are still the exception, not the norm. Underrepresentation isn’t a coincidence. It’s a system failure.”
Why it matters: Women hold just 28% of seats in Congress and 11% of Fortune 500 CEO positions. There are only 13 women governors. Despite growing cultural conversations about gender equality, young women and girls clearly see systemic barriers, and the implications are significant. The country is at risk of losing a generation of potential leaders, and inequities will persist without intervention from policymakers, educators and employers. “Policies need to stop penalizing women for seeking the same opportunities as men,” the analysis says, noting that cultural barriers create ubiquitous perceptions of inequality. “It’s time to shatter outdated gender norms. How women are portrayed in media influences how they are perceived as leaders.”
What it means: This is the first initiative of the Museum’s “She is Not a Footnote” campaign, described as a “call to action” to encourage girls and women to come together to create change. Forty-seven percent of Gen Z women — considered the most left-wing group in U.S. history — believe women already have equality in the U.S., compared to 67% of Gen Z men. Girls and young women say they notice barriers to advancement and overwhelmingly believe they must work harder to achieve success. Less than half believe they have the same access to career opportunities as men. “The message young women are getting? Talent and hard work aren’t enough,” the report notes. “The system is still stacked against them.”
What happens next: The report says “it’s time to break the marble ceiling,” urging policymakers, educators, employers and community leaders to meaningfully focus on pay equity, expand financial aid and student debt relief, strengthen health care (with a focus on mental health) and increase leadership opportunities. Mentorship is particularly important, as is tackling misogyny head-on. "Representation shapes possibility. If we continue to sideline half the population, we are choosing to be weaker as a society," says Frédérique Irwin, president and CEO of the National Women's History Museum. “Our Young Women and Girls' Aspiration Report is not just about awareness. It's a blueprint for action.”
