Girls rights in the UK
Despite living in one of the richest countries in the world, girls in the UK are still being denied their rights. Our ground-breaking reports, including The State of Girls’ Rights in the UK, Break the Barriers and Street Harassment: It’s Not OK, show that girls in the UK often don’t feel safe in school, in the street or online.
The evidence is also clear that, when girls’ voices are strengthened and they’re given the power to speak and lead, we can challenge the systems of inequality and create long-lasting change. That’s why our vision is to connect girls across the country with their rights through campaigning and programmes.
Together, we’ve already secured a period emoji and seen the UK Government recognise street harassment as a form of gender-based violence. We’ve also set up our first UK programmes, working with girls to tackle period poverty, change perceptions and attitudes towards girls and create a safe space for girls online.
UK girls: Our voices
Girls are facing harassment at school. They don’t feel safe online. They’re judged by the way their body looks. And they’re scared every day on the street. We spoke to girls from different backgrounds and regions of the UK and asked them to tell us, in their own words, what it means to be a girl growing up in the UK.
"I feel there is always this pressure to create an image and a desirable life. I don’t want to be part of that – I feel it takes away so much [that is] genuine in life.” - Areena
OUR UK CAMPAIGNS
Street harassment: It's not OK
Every day, girls across the UK are being harassed in public places – and told it’s just part of growing up.
Locked out
It’s time to stop locking girls out of school toilets when they have their period.
Relationships and Sex Education: It's my right
Young people are calling for mandatory sex and relationships education, stand with them
RECLAIMING THE INTERNET FOR GIRLS
Girls have the right to be online and express their views safely. But what should be an empowering space can quickly become threatening. Not only are girls facing immense pressure in the digital world, they’re also more at risk of harassment, abuse and being pressured into sending explicit images than their male counterparts.
As a result, girls are censoring what they say and in some cases withdrawing from the digital space altogether – losing their voice online. That’s why we’re calling for change at an international level, to recognise girls’ digital experiences and their right to be online.
Our work in the UK
Through our UK programmes, we’re working with girls on the issues they’ve told us matter most to them. We’re delivering Let’s Talk. Period to address the toxic trio of period poverty. Our Girls Shout Out programme is providing girls with a much-needed safe space online, while Champions of Wales is changing perceptions and attitudes towards girls, so they can live free from gender inequality.
We also work closely with the Youth Advisory Panel. Together, they provide a youth perspective on all our work, ensuring children are at the heart of everything we do and campaigning for young people’s rights around the world.
Our UK reports
The state of girls rights in the UK 2016
Plan International UK's groundbreaking 2016 report puts the spotlight on UK girls and finds the best and worst places to be a girl in the UK
Street harassment: It's not OK - report
Read our report on girls' experiences of street harassment in the UK.
Break the Barriers: Girls' Experiences of Periods in the UK
How a culture of stigma and silence have turned periods into a hidden public health issue.
Girls’ rights in the digital world
The future is digital and girls must be in it, but harassment online and a lack of rights is driving them away. Download our ‘You can’t live without it’ report.