Why Gender Equality

Young Women

Young Women continue to face discrimination and inequality in personal, social, economic and political terms.

Furthermore, many young women suffer from low self-confidence and self-esteem and subsequently limited life choices. Factors such as friendship groupings, education, childcare and domestic responsibilities can affect young women's social behaviour, expectations and opportunities. Traditional values, limited employment opportunities and lack of identity as a specific grouping, also contribute to young women being socially excluded.

The Gender Equality Unit

The Gender Equality Unit works with those young women who are most excluded from resources and society try to improve their access. The Gender Equality Unit works to raise young women's expectations of what the world has to offer them and generate the skills to achieve these. The Gender Equality Unit challenges traditional expectations of young women which deny the potential of and the opportunities for young women.

The GEU works strategically to redress imbalances and inequalities facing young women, through the development of training, networking, developing models of effective practice, research and influencing policy. Partnerships with statutory, voluntary and community organisations have been forged to promote and develop young women's work. Specific training for those working with young women has been developed, with more general training being delivered to Community Youth students at introductory level and at undergraduate level.

The Gender Equality Unit gives infrastructural support to communities and helps them to develop processes which promote the inclusion of all young women (including the fourteen to twenty-five year age range).

Gender Equality Unit Values and Principles

Through our work we know that young women want to be:

• Equal members of society
• Valued
• Consulted and involved in decisions affecting their lives
• Given equal access to provision
• Included not excluded

Principles of working with young women are:

• Equality empowerment
• Inclusion
• Informed choice
• Partnerships

Approaches of working with young women include:

• Challenging and negative stereotypes
• Innovative programmes
• Challenging inequalities
• Addressing needs