International Women’s Day - 20 Year Olds’ Perspective

On International Women’s Day we asked three women in their 20s for their perspectives of what being a woman in 2026 is like.

I love being a woman in 2026. I have grown up surrounded by conversations about equality, confidence, and opportunity my whole life. My parents and teachers always encouraged me to believe I could pursue any career and challenge any outdated expectations that come my way.

In 2026, I feel fortunate to live in a time where more opportunities are becoming increasingly available to me and other women. Female role models are more visible than ever, representing women in business, sport, global politics, and more.

Being a young woman still has its challenges, and no road is smooth. Whilst social media has played a huge role in empowering women and spreading awareness of equality, it has also created many unrealistic expectations of what a woman should be, act like, and how they should look. But being a woman isn’t about being perfect. it’s about having the confidence to be authentically and unapologetically yourself.

International women’s day shows that as a society we’re moving in the right direction for equality and respect for women. Despite still having a long way to go, I feel privileged to be a young woman in 2026.

Lucie

I am 22 years old and growing up was challenging - I found communicating difficult, I dd not have a lot of friends and not having much support with dyslexia held me back. But over the last 6 years, I discovered my passion, I gained more confidence, I have good self-esteem and I know who I am. Also being neuro-divergent will not hold me back.

Choosing not to be on social media has helped me a lot - I have the freedom to live my life without being judged or criticised which is freeing. No scrolling, no pretend life - I would rather live my life authentically rather than be buried in my phone. I reflect every day, stay strong and I surround myself with good people.

I think women of our generation must be guarded because the world can be an unpleasant place. We must fight for our dreams.

LC

Being a 21 year old woman in this day and age can feel empowering - having a collective voice, platforms to be heard on and more choices than previous generations, yet it can also be overwhelming to live in a fast-paced world where expectations are high and comparisons are being made everywhere.

This means we have a constant battle in our heads that we are running out of time because we see women our age with children, travelling the world, achieving crucial goals and then you have someone like me who used to feel I was running out of time…….. but in reality there was and is no race to achieve certain things in life.

Life is not a competition, it is a journey that we are all born to live, and when the journey ends I hope I can look back and see exactly what I achieved was worth while. Do not let anyone who appears to be at the finish line discourage you.

As 21 year old woman my journey has only just began!

Micky S