Young women are worn down: study

LONDON: A generation of young women is racked by anxiety, lack of confidence and despair, a report said yesterday.

It found large numbers in their late teens and twenties are worn down and defeated by financial, work and housing problems.

Dr Carole Easton, of the Young Women’s Trust which compiled the study, said: “While life is hard for many young people, our survey shows it is likely to be considerably tougher if you are a young woman. We are talking about a generation of young people in crisis.”

But critics pointed out that women far outnumber men in universities, women under 30 are likely to earn more than men of the same age, and young men are more likely to be unemployed than young women.

A survey of more than 4 000 young people, carried out by Populus Data Solutions, found 54% of women and 39% of the men lack confidence. Nearly half of young women, 46%, and 38% of young men, said they felt worn down.

Almost four in 10 young women said they were worried about their mental health, against nearly three in 10 young men.

Some 39% of the women said it was a struggle to make their money last to the end of the week, compared with 27% of men. – Daily Mail