4 in 5 UK parents fear for their daughter’s safety

New research from charity Plan International UK reveals growing concern that progress on gender equality is reversing in the UK, with many parents lacking the tools to help their children navigate these issues. 

A survey of UK parents found that the vast majority (80%) fear their daughters will grow up feeling unsafe in public, and 40% believe this will happen at an earlier age than it did for them. 

Despite these concerns, many parents are not having key conversations with their children about equality and safety. More than two in five (42%) have never spoken to their children about gender equality, while 36% have never discussed consent. Over a quarter (27%) of parents also said they feel unequipped to protect their children from harmful content online. 

Parent fears reflect broader unease about women and girls’ rights and safety 

Against this backdrop, many believe progress on gender equality is moving in the wrong direction. Two in five women (41%) say equality for girls and women is going backwards, while more than half of UK adults (51%) say they are more concerned about gender equality than they were five years ago. 

These concerns reflect women’s daily experiences. Nearly two‑thirds of women (63%) say they have felt unsafe in public, while over half (58%) report experiencing unwanted physical or sexual harassment. 

The findings are published as Plan International UK launches The Fine Print campaign, highlighting the unequal conditions girls are born into — from exposure to gender-based violence and online harassment to unequal expectations around unpaid labour and limitations on their bodily autonomy. 

Reacting to the findings, Rose Caldwell from Plan International UK said:  

“From feeling unsafe in public to navigating harmful content online, girls are still growing up with inequalities that shape their choices and limit their freedom. At the same time, many parents are being left to deal with these challenges without the support or tools they need. 

Some people say that gender equality has gone far enough, but these findings tell a very different story. Many women feel progress is going backwards, and their everyday experiences show why. 

But this isn’t inevitable. Together we can change the conditions girls are born into. It’s time to take gender inequality seriously and ensure we don’t lose the progress that has already been made.” 

To find out more, visit plan-uk.org/what-you-can-do/change-the-conditions  

ENDS

Methodology: 

• Opinium Research ran a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults between 3rd and 7th April 2026. 
• Opinium Research also ran a nationally representative survey of 1,114 UK parents of under 18s between 3rd and 10th April 2026.