It's time to listen to them -
and act on what they say!
At YWCA, all the girls in their teens and twenties we talk to want to stand on their own two feet, pay their way and earn a living. But they get stuck in jobs with no training opportunities, poor pay and no prospects.
"I was going to do nursery nursing but they turned me down so I went into retail. It's great, tagging prices, price checking, helping customers and things like that.
I didn't choose it, the school did. I'd always wanted to be a police officer." Sarah, 17
Some have no family to support them as they train or go college, while others have responsibilities which mean they can't take on a full-time job or commit to two or three years of training. Others simply don't know where to start to get the skills they need.
Young women need our support and encouragement and a new deal on skills to help them work their way beyond the bottom rung of the career ladder.
Check out the stories of Anna, Hazel, Jenny, Jo, Laura, Sammy, Sian and Stacey. Click on the links on the left.