Illana Raia, the founder of Être, a mentorship program that brings girls into companies to meet female leaders, wanted to know if the confidence boost that those interactions can bring was more than just anecdotal. So, she partnered with YPulse to commission a national survey among 1000+ girls ages 13 to 18 to explore and understand the current state of next-gen girls' confidence levels, where they’re looking for guidance, and the impact it has on their emotional lives. The survey included respondents from all U.S. regions, with a range of grade levels, perceived household incomes, a mix of races and ethnicities, and 1001 girls and 539 boys, 64 of whom identify as non-binary, transgender, and other genders. The findings showed that while girls at age 14 are 20% more confident now than they were five years ago, that confidence level drops steadily from ages 14 to 18.
At the age of 13, girls are more likely to describe themselves as confident, smart, happy, and creative than at 18. However, a significant decrease in self-confidence is observed for girls between the ages of 14 and 15. According to Laura Barajas, Chief Research Strategy Officer at YPulse, this decrease is likely due to the pressures that girls face at this age. Fortunately, mentorship can help to prevent this negative shift in self-confidence.
Girls are more likely to feel confident if they have a mentor in their life. According to a survey, 93% of girls interested in finance, 86% of those interested in STEM, and 69% of those interested in sports said that having a mentor would be helpful for their future. Raia believes that mentors can help boost a girl's confidence during her teen years, which is essential for success in today's competitive job market. Grades and hard work are important, but having a mentor can help girls reach goals that may seem intimidating or out of reach. Mentors can give girls the extra push they need to reach their goals.
Through a visit to TikTok with Être, young Ava Liu was inspired to learn that following one's passions can lead to finding the right job. Raia's research shows that mentors can be the key to helping adolescent girls and young women realize their full potential and break through barriers in male-dominated fields. To make this happen, Raia is on a mission to provide girls with the chance to observe successful women in action in prestigious companies. According to Raia, “Confidence in boardrooms is not just anecdotal; it is essential. If we want to see more women in boardrooms, we need to start making room for girls in middle school.”