A Qualitative Exploration of Experiences of Girlhood and Their Lasting Impact Amongst GFS Volunteers

We are a national charity, supporting girls across England & Wales since 1875. Our vision is of a world where girls are free to be themselves and feel proud of who they are. Without this, girls are held back and continue to experience the consequences of gender inequality.

One fundamental question we frequently confront is, ‘Why is it a problem that girls can’t be themselves?’ We are interested in exploring this further amongst the women who make up our volunteer base, many of whom who joined GFS to ensure that the next generation of girls don’t experience the same challenges and prejudices that they did.

Our aim is to build on existing research and knowledge into girls’ experience through the lens of our volunteers age 18-30, improving our understanding and evidence base for the wider and longer-term impacts of girls feeling unable to be themselves. We wish to focus on the nuanced aspects of the barriers and challenges women faced - as girls - in being authentic, the impact it has had on their lives and how their experiences compare to what they see today amongst the younger girls at GFS. We are also interested in finding out if their involvement with GFS has had an impact on any of these experiences, and how the skills or benefits they may have gained through volunteering have affected their perspective.