“Being a girl is juxtapositional. I am too big and too small, not enough and too much all at once. But being a girl is also gossiping with friends in a way boys will never understand. Feeling joy when you can finally express yourself. Secret personalities only shown to other girls. Imagine if we could be like that all the time” 

At The Shona Project, we’ve been working with teenage girls across Ireland for years. One of the great privileges of our work is to hear their stories. Some are shared with anger, because they are frustrated with how the world that they will inherit is changing, and some are barely a whisper, because they are their most precious private thoughts and fears. These stories matter and need to be heard by those who make decisions that will impact their futures. 

That’s why this year, we partnered with The Outcome to conduct a national survey, exploring the experiences of the young women and girls of Ireland. The findings will help us to advocate for policy change in areas such as mental health, education and equality, but most importantly, it will help us to ensure that the voices of young people are central to shaping meaningful support and interventions when needed. The survey was conducted between October 8th and December 8th 2024 and collected 1035 responses from respondents aged between 12 and 19.

The results from our survey paint a complex picture of life as a teenager in Ireland today. While many respondents express ambition, resilience, and hope for the future, they also report significant concerns about self-worth, gender equality, personal safety, and societal pressures. Findings highlight a deep-seated struggle with self-confidence, particularly in relation to body image, as well as growing anxieties about climate change, financial insecurity, and future opportunities.

• 67% say their school environment is not a safe or welcoming space to all
• 89% carry anxiety or worry that no one knows about
• 79% sometimes feel “no good at all”
• 80% believe their generation faces more challenges than those before
• 70% feel social media negatively affects their mental health

 

Understanding these perspectives is critical for shaping policies, programmes, and initiatives that genuinely address the needs of girls. The findings underscore the importance of early, sustained support for self-esteem, mental health, and gender equality. By providing robust, data-driven insights, this research equips educators, community organisations, and policymakers with a clear mandate for action. More than just a dataset, it is a call to ensure that the voices of young people are not only heard but acted upon in shaping a more supportive and equitable Ireland.

Read the full report below, and get in touch at [email protected] if you’d like to find out more…