Half of young women do not trust politicians to advocate for their rights – poll

Half of young women do not trust politicians to advocate for their rights, a new survey suggests.

The research, done by the Young Women’s Movement, spoke to 600 women between the ages of 16 and 35 for a new report through an online survey and in-person events.

Among the respondents, trust in politicians was low, with one in two saying they do not trust elected officials to “represent their needs and advocate for their human rights”.

“Trust in politics has reached a record low amongst young women,” the 58-page report said.

“Many young women do not feel empowered to affect change.

“Many young women described feelings of hopelessness, believing their singular voice could not make a difference, and that their opinions and views do not matter.

“They recognised that as a young person it was harder to influence the way Scotland is run. Many also described their working-class background and how this adds to feeling powerless.”

Some 58% of respondents said they feel as though they have “no involvement” in decision making in Scotland.

“Young women described how a lack of representation in politics does not support their ability to have their needs met in decision making or feel like they have any influence in how Scotland is run,” the report added.

“Some expressed frustration or feelings of powerlessness due to Scotland being governed by Westminster, and how this impacts how they feel about decision making in Scotland.

“Others recognised how under-represented they are in politics, feeling like those in power do not represent their views or values.”

Personal safety was one of the top three concerns among those surveyed, with two thirds saying they carried their keys in their hands while walking home at night in case they were attacked and a further 60% said they would share their locations with friends and family.

As well as the research, the report also made recommendations to the Scottish Government, including intensifying efforts to combat “misogyny and negative gender stereotypes in schools and educational settings” as well as introducing its Bill to tackle misogyny.

The Bill has been mooted since the passage of the Hate Crime and Public Order Act, with the Government deciding to leave sex out of the legislation in favour of creating a standalone offence.

Jenni Snell, the chief executive of the Young Women’s Movement, said: “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.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Equality for women and girls is at the heart of our vision for a fairer Scotland.

“We are working across all parts of society to deliver this, including implementing the ambitious recommendations from the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls, delivering the Women’s Health Plan and investing £21.6 million in Delivering Equally Safe projects to support survivors of gender-based violence.”