‘When You Go Out Walking, Girls Have to Look Around … Like Be Really Aware’: A Qualitative Exploration of Young Women’s Understandings of Sexism

Postfeminist and neoliberal ideologies limit young women’s ability to identify and respond to sexism. Although some young women can identify sexism, many find it difficult to reconcile that sexism continues to persist. This study explored the ways young women understand and navigate sexism. In-depth interviews and a focus group were conducted with 11 young women (15–16 years old) from an all-girls’ secondary college in Melbourne, Australia. Young women discussed sexism in multiple ways—sexism as fear, as double standards and as something of the past. Although not naïve to the impacts of gender, these young women were resigned to sexism being an inherent part of girlhood. Centring the voices of young women on the issue of sexism, this study fosters understanding of the ways in which young women negotiate sexism so they can be supported to develop their critical awareness and responses to sexism.