A national charity is helping female role models to reach out to teenage girls from Brighton and Hove – not just on International Women’s Day today (Sunday 8 March) but every day.
The Girls’ Network has recently started working with pupils at Cardinal Newman Catholic School. The charity already works with Hove Park School and the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA).
The need to offer support was highlighted last month by Barclays boss Antony Jenkins.
He told the Sunday Times that too many teenagers were socially awkward and lacked the confidence to shake hands, make eye contact or even smile at a stranger.
The director of the Girls’ Network in Brighton and Hove, Rachel Carter, said: “In September 2014 a national charity was set up locally in Brighton and Hove following a successful launch in London two years previously.
“The Girls’ Network offers a mentoring programme to girls from the least advantaged backgrounds and, as in the Sunday Times article, it is clear that across the board, it is all too common to find girls held back by a lack of self-confidence.
“The ability to communicate is vital as is the right to speak and to be heard, which is more often knocked out of girls than boys.
“This is of particular relevance for girls from communities commonly undervalued and talked of disparagingly.
“Add this to the fact that those from the poorest families are more likely to have grown up in an environment where many of these skills and experiences are less common and their value therefore not necessarily understood.
“An expectation from the girls themselves, and often those around them, that they won’t or can’t go to university, get high-paying jobs or have the freedom to make choices about their future, can hugely impact on their self-esteem and perception of self.
“They won’t take risks for fear of failure. They do not put themselves forward for opportunities or recognise their skills and achievements.
“Mentors give girls the one-to-one support that helps to build self-esteem – because someone cares enough to give up time just for them and because they have new skills and experiences in which they can be confident, regardless of context.
“The mentors work with the girls to build confidence and communication skills. They support the girls to progress in practical ways – interview skills, personal statements, work experience.
“They talk about the importance of asking questions, of being curious, taking risks and embracing failure.
“All this encourages the participants to believe in themselves and build their social confidence.
“With increased confidence and self-value, comes a renewed energy to persevere when things get hard and a willingness to ask for help.
