Report details young women's ongoing anxiety

The Young Women’s Movement has released new research into young women’s human rights in Scotland.

The research found that young women are anxious about a regression in their rights, citing changes in society, culture and politics which make their rights feel more precarious than ever.

Specific concerns around the rise of far-right politics at home and globally; increasing misogyny and the radicalisation of young men online; and the persistence and prevalence of gender-based violence were raised as barriers to young women’s human rights being fulfilled.

Young women’s top concerns in regards to their rights are around safety and ending violence against women and girls, access to adequate healthcare, and fair and equal pay. Young women rated public transport as the place they feel most unsafe, with one saying: “I often feel unsafe in public places. Every woman I know has at a minimum been harassed by men on public transport; in their place of work or education; on the street, etc.”

Key statistics uncovered by the research include:

• 1 in 2 young women do not trust politicians and decision-makers to represent them and advocate for their human rights, and 58% feel they have no say in decisions about how Scotland is run
• 1 in 4 young women feel they haven’t had the same access to employment and educational opportunities as young men
• 1 in 4 young women don’t trust service providers and public authorities to uphold their human rights

Jenni Snell, CEO of The Young Women’s Movement, said: “Ten years on from the first Status of Young Women in Scotland research, this report returns to many of the same issues in a markedly different world and context.

The report makes for hard reading in places, with stark but unsurprising findings showing the hardships of being a young woman in Scotland today – particularly in regards to the criminal justice system and the widespread lack of access to justice for victims of gender-based violence.

"We were incredibly inspired by young women’s stories and their resilience in the face of adversity, and I’d like to thank every young woman who took the time to speak with us about their experiences of human rights in Scotland.”

The report is the seventh in the Status of Young Women in Scotland research series released by The Young Women’s Movement, and marks 10 years since the publication of the first of these.