A world not designed for us

Introduction

My name is Christal Kihm and I’m a peer researcher and campaigner for Young Women’s Trust. As a peer researcher, I have interviewed young women and non-binary people to understand their experiences of insecure work and progression. It was difficult to hear some difficult stories, but reassuring to know that I was not alone in my experience.  It was appalling to hear how strong, resilient and adaptive young women and non-binary people need to be in order to simply survive. As a Black young woman with a chronic illness, I constantly have to be resilient, confident, and beat the odds. My experience resonated with so many stories gathered for our research. Trying to survive in a world that was not designed to help us thrive can feel exhausting. 

This report brings into focus the scale of these experiences. Discrimination – particularly the combination of racism and sexism - is on the rise. Work is rarely siloed from the discrimination young women and non-binary people face daily. Racially minoritised young women are much more likely to be affected by insecure work, discrimination and lack of progression opportunities. They are more than twice as likely as white young women to be worried about discrimination at work.  

Insecure work is another big issue highlighted in the report. In 2024, we found that 63% of white young women and 80% of racially minoritised young women would like more regular or predictable working hours. How is one expected to plan and live without this fundamental stability? At a time when we are told that we should have fun and be carefree, most of us are struggling financially and subsequently mentally. This report showed me that when things are designed without us, we are too often left behind.  

On the bright side, we found that when young women and non-binary people are involved with Young Women’s Trust or have accessed our information about rights at work, they are more likely to feel confident to challenge discrimination and inequality. Whilst we support people’s agency to stand up for their rights, we cannot rely on some “girl boss babe” feminism. We must simultaneously address structural barriers and inequalities that keep us from progressing, thriving and achieving true economic justice and equity in the workplace. I want a world where we no longer have to survive, but where we can thrive. 

Christal Kihm
Peer Researcher

For the third year running, our survey shows that young women are still much worse off financially than young men, across a whole range of measures. 

And there is a clear negative trend: year on year, young women are more likely to be experiencing job insecurity and discrimination, and more worried about whether they’ll be able to progress. Some groups of young women, particularly young single mums and young women on benefits, are even more likely to be struggling financially. 

Because they earn less than young men and have much less of a financial buffer, young women remain much more exposed to the cost of living crisis.  They are more likely to be going hungry, falling behind on bills and getting into debt.  

It’s not surprising, then, that large numbers of young women are feeling stuck and unable to move forward in life. The survey found that young women are feeling much less hopeful than their male peers about the future.  

Young women are less likely than men to be thriving at work. They are paid less, working fewer hours, getting less support and fewer opportunities to progress. And with discrimination at a three year high, they are now more likely than not to face it in some form – racially minoritised young women even more so.  

Employers are also still too often acting in a way which perpetuates gender pay gaps, by advertising jobs without salary details and asking applicants for their current salary.  

Despite young women having many more financial and employment worries than men, and being more likely to face discrimination, they are much less likely to have the support they need at work.  

With discrimination and job insecurity growing blights on young women’s working lives, the government’s Employment Rights Bill can’t come soon enough. But our survey highlights the urgent need for stronger enforcement of both new and existing rights. There is continuing evidence of unequal pay for equal work still happening – despite this being illegal. And worryingly high numbers of young women report that they haven’t even been paid the basic minimum wage. 

The new government has earned more trust from young women than the previous one to listen and respond to their needs, and improve their lives. It’s now time for them to act on their promises. The very least young women deserve is a secure job, a decent wage, and the opportunity to fulfil their potential, yet for far too many that’s still a distant dream.