More than half (52%) of women between the ages of 18 and 30 claimed that they were discriminated against at work, up from 42% in 2022. Young women from ethnic minorities saw a sharper increase in discrimination, from 44% in 2022 to 61% in 2024.
Meanwhile, 30% of managers with responsibility for HR and recruitment decisions reported instances of young women being discriminated against in the past year.
“It is troubling to hear that discrimination has reached a three-year high, creating another barrier for the next generation of women in the workplace, at such a crucial point of their careers,” said Geeta Nargund, chair of gender parity consultancy The Pipeline, speaking to HR magazine.
“Discrimination can be a big knock-back for female progression, potentially impacting people's confidence to raise issues such as flexible working arrangements or pay discussions.
“HR teams must work together to reverse this and protect young women, ensuring that they have a voice to raise concerns, report misconduct and advocate for themselves and their progression.”
Read more: Young women feel less supported at work than men
The increase in reports could be due to more young women being aware of discrimination, suggested Claire Reindorp, chief executive of the Young Women’s Trust.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “Our data shows that young women are reporting more incidents of discrimination year on year. It’s devastating that they’re now more likely to experience it than not.
“We don’t know exactly why this is the case but 86% said that they would be able to recognise discrimination if they experienced or witnessed it, so perhaps there’s increased awareness and lower tolerance.”
Discrimination against young women is multi-layered, the research noted. Young women reported prejudice based on age (28%), sex (16%), appearance (18%), caring responsibilities (25%) and long-term health conditions (35%).
Young black women also cited a rise in racial discrimination, from 31% in 2022 to 39% in 2024. Young Asian women saw an increase from 24% to 31% in the same period.
The report also noted that young women faced lower pay and fewer opportunities for career progression than their male counterparts.
HR professionals should ensure that organisations have an anti-discrimination charter, Nargund advised.
She continued: “One way that HR teams can look to enact positive change is by ensuring businesses are leading from the top and ‘walking the talk’ when it comes to diversity and inclusion.
“This means having parity at the core of business strategy, such as a diversity or anti-discrimination charter that is at the forefront of their work, and actively demonstrating a personal commitment to change.”
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Having women in leadership positions could provide a positive influence for younger female employees, Nargund noted.
“Having female leaders can prove that progression is achievable and that their voices will be heard,” she said.
“This must change before it becomes yet another setback on our journey to gender parity. Ultimately, businesses will lose invaluable talent if they don’t take action now.”
Managers should be responsible for preventing discrimination against young women, according to Reindorp.
She added: “What’s important now is that managers responsible for recruitment and HR decisions know what to do to improve working practices and give young women the chance to thrive at work.
“Managers need to drive a culture of zero tolerance for discrimination, with well-communicated and simple processes for reporting it, ensuring that incidences are properly investigated and addressed and that support is in place for anyone who has faced discrimination.”
Nearly a fifth (18%) of young women reported that they did not know their rights when it came to workplace discrimination, the research showed. A quarter (24%) indicated that they did not feel comfortable reporting discrimination when it happened, and 38% reported not being confident in challenging pay inequality.
The Young Women’s Trust surveyed 3,977 women between the ages of 18 and 30 in England and Wales from 22 July and 3 August 2024. They also surveyed a comparison group of 1,051 young men, and 917 HR and recruitment professionals.
Its 2023 survey was conducted between 19 June and 1 July 2023, with a sample size of 4,061 young women and 1,049 young men.
