One of our PhD students, Amanda Ptolomey, was part of a UK wide research team who contributed to the State of Girls Rights report, which was launched this week. The report shows that girls are ‘fed up and frustrated’ with the lack of progress on gender equality. They are also continuing to face threats to their safety in public, sexism in school, and a lack of control over their bodies, with their experiences still not being listened to. 

Alarming statistics from the report include that two-thirds of women aged 14-21 have experienced unwanted sexual attention or harassment in a public space – and 35% said it first happened while they were wearing school uniform; and 60% of girls aged 14-21 think males are treated better than females in the UK. These girls noticed this difference in the media (72%), at school (41%) and even at home (22%). 

Key priorities have arisen from the report and include the need to make all places safe for girls; to re-model girls' experience of education; to raise girls’ voices; to stop controlling girls’ bodies; to gain better data on girls' rights and lives; and to advance the rights of all girls. 

First published: 23 January 2020

<< News


Press coverage 

Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jan/19/girls-struggle-to-find-safe-place-in-uk-plan-international-report 

 Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2020/jan/19/what-young-women-think-in-2020

 Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/sexual-harassment-women-plan-international-study-2020-a9291761.html 

 Sky News: https://twitter.com/PlanUK/status/1219213338149826560?s=20 (via twitter)