New research from The Young Women’s Movement finds that 1 in 2 young women in Scotland do not trust politicians to represent them or advocate for their rights. 

“Women experience sexual and gender-based violence at catastrophic rates, and it has been extremely harmful on our physical and mental health and wellbeing, safety in our own homes, ability to access healthcare, and ability to achieve justice” – anonymous survey respondent 

The Young Women’s Movement, Scotland’s national organisation for young women and girls’ rights, has released new research into young women’s human rights in Scotland, exploring topics such as access to healthcare, political engagement, access to justice, and gender equality. The report, Status of Young Women in Scotland 2024 –2025, includes the experiences of more than 600 young women living in Scotland, collected over the past eight months. 

The research found that young women are anxious about a regression in their rights, citing changes in society, culture and politics which make their rights feel more precarious than ever. Specific concerns around the rise of far-right politics at home and globally; increasing misogyny and the radicalisation of young men online; and the persistence and prevalence of gender-based violence were raised as barriers to young women’s human rights being fulfilled. 

Young women’s top concerns in regards to their rights are around safety and ending violence against women and girls, access to adequate healthcare, and fair and equal pay. Young women rated public transport as the place they feel most unsafe, with one saying: “I often feel unsafe in public places. Every woman I know has at a minimum been harassed by men on public transport; in their place of work or education; on the street, etc.” 

Key statistics uncovered by the research include: 

• 1 in 2 young women do not trust politicians and decision-makers to represent them and advocate for their human rights, and 58% feel they have no say in decisions about how Scotland is run 

• 1 in 4 young women feel they haven’t had the same access to employment and educational opportunities as young men 

• 1 in 4 young women don’t trust service providers and public authorities to uphold their human rights 

Jenni Snell, CEO of The Young Women’s Movement, said: “Ten years on from the first Status of Young Women in Scotland research, this report returns to many of the same issues in a markedly different world and context. The report makes for hard reading in places, with stark but unsurprising findings showing the hardships of being a young woman in Scotland today – particularly in regards to the criminal justice system and the widespread lack of access to justice for victims of gender-based violence. We were incredibly inspired by young women’s stories and their resilience in the face of adversity, and I’d like to thank every young woman who took the time to speak with us about their experiences of human rights in Scotland.” 

The report is the seventh in the Status of Young Women in Scotland research series released by The Young Women’s Movement, and marks 10 years since the publication of the first of these. The full report can be found at youngwomenscot.org/syws. 

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Notes to editors 

Please direct all media requests to Abi Baross, Communications and Influencing Lead at The Young Women’s Movement, at abi@youngwomenscot.org or on 07733 025610.   

Please note, The Young Women’s Movement operates on a Monday–Thursday 4-day week. 

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The Young Women’s Movement
The Young Women’s Movement is Scotland’s national organisation for young women and girls’ leadership and rights. We are local in action and national in impact.  

Young women are at the heart of everything we do. They inform, shape and lead our organisation and the work we do. We work alongside young women to amplify their voices and take action.  Our vision is a fairer Scotland for all self-identifying young women and girls. 

For 100 years, we have been a collective force changing things for the better for young women in Scotland. Our work with young women and girls across Scotland includes supporting them to lead campaigns on issues that matter to them; amplifying their voices in decision-making spaces; and shaping national and local policy and practice in their interests. 

Find us online at youngwomenscot.org, or at @youngwomenscot on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.