Girls ‘feel boys are treated better’, study finds

GIRLS IN the modern-day UK feel unsafe in public, held back by sexism in school and that boys are treated better than they are, according to a new study.

Their opinions on issues like Brexit are not heard and overall they feel “fed up and frustrated” with empty messages of female empowerment, according to a Plan International UK survey of more than 1,000 girls and young women aged 14 to 21.

A total of 60 per cent of girls felt that males are treated better than females in the UK, and 57 per cent said they had been in a situation where they believe they would have got better treatment if they were a boy.

Of the girls questioned, 72 per cent had spotted differences in the way females were treated in the media, while 41 per cent noticed a difference at school and 22 per cent said there were differences at home, the State of Girls’ Rights in the UK 2020 report found.

Among the issues raised were feeling unsafe in public, hampered by stereotypical subject choices and sexual harassment in the classroom, believing that their opinions are not heard and an anxiety-inducing pressure to look a certain way.

Plan International UK’s chief executive Rose Caldwell described it as “extremely saddening but not surprising” that girls still feel disempowered, while the NSPCC said “far too many” girls are being harassed and work needs to start in primary schools to help society protect them from abuse.

Blackpool was named as the toughest place to be a girl in the UK based on a range of life quality factors including child poverty, life expectancy and those who were not in education or jobs.

Liverpool, Nottingham and Kingston upon Hull were also among the 10 lowest performing local authorities.

Orkney Islands, East Renfrewshire, Wokingham and Kingstonupon-Thames were among the top 10 performing local authorities for a girl to live in.