Girls and young women are told they can be anything. But when they look at the workforce, education, government, and healthcare system, they see a world where women are still the exception—not the norm. Underrepresentation isn’t a coincidence. It’s a system failure.
The National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) has a new campaign focused on helping young women and girls SEE their potential, build their confidence, and achieve their dreams. “She is Not a Footnote,” highlights the underrepresentation of women in history books that has contributed to the inequities continuing today.
For young women to see themselves as future leaders, NWHM’s first initiative in the Footnote campaign is the release of a study that reveals the barriers they face and makes suggestions for the steps needed to help them succeed.
Download and read “Young Women and Girl’s Aspiration Report” to learn more. This report examines the current state of gender disparities and the voices of more than 1,100 young women (ages 13–27), sharing what they believe would improve representation and revealing just how deep the gaps go—and just how fed up they are. It also offers solutions to and areas of focus for the biggest challenges these young women identified.
It all starts with more representation. When women are equitably represented in decision-making roles across all industries, the nation harnesses the full spectrum of talent, leadership, and creativity it can offer to tackle today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. That increased representation also leads to better decisions for everyone and progress toward closing the gender parity gap.
The stories we tell shape the future we build, says NWHM president Frederique Irwin. “There are 22 million girls and young women in the U.S. today. Their success is America’s success. As one young woman told us, ‘One day, we won’t need Women’s History Month—because women’s achievements will be woven into every story we tell.’”
Discover action steps to take and find more information on www.SheIsNotAFootnote.org. Learn more about National Women’s History Museum on www.WomensHistory.org.
