• Poll of 10,000 Brits examines social isolation and how to foster belonging in the UK
• Women aged 18-24 report feeling lonely more than the general population (51% vs 29%)  
• 40% in this age range also report feeling unsafe walking alone at night compared to just 15% of men overall
• The Belonging Forum is calling on partners and the public to inform practical initiatives to end social isolation and build belonging

Young women in the UK report feeling lonelier than the general population and more unsatisfied with their lives than men, a poll of more than 10,000 Brits has revealed.

The comparative sense of social isolation among women in the 18-24 age range extended to politics and their local community, as they were less confident that the government represented them and less likely to feel their neighbours shared their values.  

The group was significantly more likely to report feeling lonely ‘often or some of the time’ than the rest of the population (51% vs 29%), according to the research by the Belonging Forum.  

A sizeable 40% of women in this age range also report feeling unsafe walking alone at night compared to just 15% of men overall. Furthermore, 72% of men aged 18-24 report being satisfied with their lives, with this dropping to 64% of women in the same age range.  

Young women are more likely to feel pessimistic (-26%) about the statement that the government listens to “people like them” compared to men in the same group (-4%).

When compared to men of the same age, young women aged 18-24 were also less likely to share the same values as their neighbours (34% men, 38% women).

The research aims to examine social isolation and people’s sense of belonging in modern Britain, as well as inform a series of policies and initiatives which the Belonging Forum will campaign for, known as the Charter for Belonging.

For young women, these initiatives are likely to include regularly scheduled ‘connectivity events.’ The Belonging Forum will campaign for private sponsorship for the events and government support, from councils and sources such as the Youth Investment Fund.  

Online, grass-roots communities of tens of thousands of women, who meet regularly to build connections, have grown in recent years. They provide safe spaces for young women to meet each other and often centre around hobbies or shared interests.

The Belonging Forum is also promoting intergeneration social contact events, to provide spaces for different age groups to meet, mix, overcome shared challenges and form lasting connections.

Kim Samuel, Founder of the Belonging Forum and author of On Belonging: Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation, said:  

“Our research—the first of its kind in the UK—identified acute issues drawn along lines including age, disability status and home ownership.  

“But one of the groups being hit the hardest, and who are not talked about as much, are young women.  These findings clearly demonstrate that young women in the UK are facing a raft of issues, from fears around their personal safety to lower levels of connection to others and life satisfaction.

“Our Charter for Belonging will outline common sense and affordable ways to help young women put down roots in their local area and connect with others. We need our public, private and third sectors to come together to take decisive action to address this issue – it is not good enough to simply accept that another generation of women will experience a lesser lot in life than their male counterparts.

“To ensure this and future generations of young women feel that they truly belong and can flourish, there are specific measures we can put in place to help them feel like they belong.”

ENDS

About the Belonging Forum  

• The Belonging Forum was created by the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness, a global organisation that has been working with partners around the world to understand and address social isolation and belonging since 2017.  
• The Belonging Forum is focused on convening partners and the public to generate simple, practical solutions that have cross-party support in the UK.  
• It argues that if belonging is enshrined in policy and decision-making, social problems associated with isolation—such as poor mental health, apathy, and poorly integrated communities – will be reduced.
• It seeks to persuade policy makers and regulators to act and convene charities, not replicate their work, and inspire grassroots action.  
• The aim is to use this landmark research to provide the basis for a Charter for Belonging which will outline simple, proven initiatives communities can implement to address social isolation and build belonging in key groups, including students, younger women, renters, older people and people with disabilities.  
• The polling can be found in a report — The Belonging Barometer— here.  

Notes to editors:

• The research was carried out by Opinium on behalf of the Belonging Forum and surveyed a nationally representative sample of 10,002 UK adults The survey was conducted between 24 November and 13 December 2023.
• The research also included multi-level regression and post-stratification (MRP) analysis of several questions, giving insights into them at a parliamentary constituency level across the UK.
• The Belonging Forum is appealing for input from policymakers, the public and partner organisations on what effective policies to include in a Charter for Belonging that will address the pressing problems identified by the research. Contributions are welcome at belonging@pagefield.co.uk