The National Women’s Law Center’s 2017 Let Her Learn Survey2 of 1,003 girls ages 14-18 shows that being called a racial slur is a common experience shared by all girls of color, with one third to more than two in five of them saying they have had this experience (Asian and Pacific Islander girls reported the highest rates), compared to just over one eighth of white girls.3 The Let Her Learn Survey also reveals that more than 1 in 5 girls (21 percent) have been sexually assaulted,4 with LGBTQ girls5 reporting even higher rates. Widening the lens, almost 1 in 3 girls (31 percent) reported experiencing either sexual assault or other violence.
These traumatic experiences not only affect girls’ mental and physical health, but also their ability to concentrate, feel safe, and stay and do well in school. And if girls do not graduate, they pay a high price. Compared to boys, girls who do not graduate from high school are more likely to be unemployed, to earn low wages if they have jobs, and to depend on public support programs to take care of themselves and their families. Yet despite the obstacles they face, girls are resilient and optimistic about their future, and many see themselves as leaders.
Let Her Learn: Stopping School Pushout is a series of reports that centers the experiences of the following groups of girls, examining the educational barriers they face and offering recommendations to address them:
• Girls who have suffered harassment and sexual violence
• Girls who are pregnant and parenting
• Girls of color
• Girls involved in the juvenile justice system
• Girls in foster care
• Girls who have experienced homelessness
• Girls with disabilities
• LGBTQ girls
The 12 page report is attached.
Visit the National Women's Law Center website for more reports and tool kits.
https://nwlc.org/resources/sto...ew-and-key-findings/
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