Report Release: She Has A Plan

Over the past year we’ve seen girls around the globe rising up and leading movements for change. They’re tackling gender inequality and fighting for climate action, and as the leading international charity for girls’ equality, we’re working with them to build a better world.

In our latest research, we asked 1461 girls and young women around Australia to share their hopes, dreams and concerns for the future, along with the people who inspire them the most.

We found that they are overwhelmingly eager to lead change on the big social issues facing their generation (91% expressed this desire) and they look up to fierce, determined and unapologetic female leaders for inspiration.

To celebrate the power and potential of girls, we’re sharing these findings in a special International Day of the Girl report – She Has a Plan: the unique power of girls to lead change.

The report found:

• More than half (53%) nominated climate change as their number one concern facing society, followed by violence against women (18%), gender inequality (9%) and poverty (7%).
• Girls cited sexism as the number one thing holding girls around the world back, followed by lack of education and lack of confidence.
• Their biggest wish for girls around the world was for them to be equal (one in three agreed), followed by ending misogyny and harassment (one in five) and granting free education for all girls (one in six).
• 91% of Australian girls and young women said they had a great desire to be a leader to make positive changes for the future, however they were less confident in their abilities to achieve that leadership.
• They named their mothers as the best person to build their confidence to lead, followed by their friends, teachers, fathers and then siblings.
• When it came to inspirational women, Australian girls and women named Jacinda Ardern, Malala Yousazfai, Emma Watson and Greta Thunberg as their top role models (see the full list in the report).

Read the full report

“It may be International Day of the Girl today but in reality, 2019, has actually been the year of the girl. For every Greta and every Malala, there are hundreds of fearless girl activists across the globe doing extraordinary work every day to combat child marriage, child trafficking, teen pregnancy and violence.”

–         Susanne Legena, CEO, Plan International Australia