13th December 2006

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The lives of young women in Northern Ireland are being blighted by gender inequalities which affect their education, home life, work and leisure experience, according to a major study which examined the views and experiences of girls in the 16-25 years age bracket.

Findings from the research, carried out by YouthAction Northern Ireland and the University of Ulster, and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, will be discussed at a seminar taking place in Belfast today (Wednesday 13 December 2006).

Siobhan McAllister, Project Researcher, YouthAction NI, said: “This research, the first major study of young women in Northern Ireland, provides much needed data on the experiences and aspirations of young women. It shows the reality of life for many young women in Northern Ireland is difficult and that huge barriers to gender equality have yet to be overcome. This work can inform policy and influence the youth sector response to the identified needs of young women.”

Areas covered in the research included family and home life, sex and sexuality, education and training, leisure, health and well-being. A major theme emerging from the work is the persistence of gender inequalities. While many young women identified gender inequality in home life and in paid work as unfair they often perceived it as inevitable.

Key points uncovered through the research include:

• Careers advice was often scant and inappropriate. There was a strong tendency for young women to be guided into traditional female occupations.

• Evidence of a ‘leisure squeeze’ - considerable pressure to excel at school combined with additional pressures such as employment and/or caring responsibilities meant that young women often dropped out of youth and leisure activities;

• Young women are being sold many myths – e.g. that young women cope through talking. There was little evidence of this and a more cited method of ‘coping’ was to ‘get on with things’ or ‘bottle them up’.

• A relatively high number of young women in the sample had experienced traumatic life events, including domestic violence and child abuse. They had often not received sufficient or appropriate help and support and continued to struggle with the impact of these events.

• There were examples of how very difficult situations and traumatic experiences could be addressed by support provided in schools, by foster parents and alternative education and youth provision.


Anne-Marie Gray, University of Ulster, recommended that action needs to be taken in a number of areas. “This includes a greater emphasis on gender issues in the school curriculum, support for teachers and other professionals to deal more effectively with issues such as abuse and self harm and a substantive review of careers guidance and advice. YouthAction Northern Ireland is developing and piloting programmes based on the findings of the research and this will help inform policy and practice in the youth sector.”

For further information, please contact:

David Young
Telephone: 028 90366074
Email: David Young