Ofsted identified that girls generally outperform boys academically, but this doesn’t translate into career or pay advantages later in life.
Education leaders in the SW have reported that girls often set limitations on their career goals. They believe this results from lack of support networks, role models, confidence, self-esteem and opportunities to enable them to achieve their potential. This is compounded in rural areas and for disadvantaged cohorts. One headteacher described a notable difference in the ambition and attitude of girls in this area compared with a city she previously worked in.
Women make up almost half of the UK’s workforce, but 75% of women end up caring, catering, cashiering, cleaning and clerical jobs.
By age-6, children classify jobs as ‘male’ and ‘female’. By age-12, 50% of girls aspire to gender-stereotyped jobs. This impacts on future education & career decisions & perpetuates the gender pay gap, with teenage girls wanting jobs that pay up to 27% less than jobs boys aspire to.
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