Skip navigation

North East girls in the spotlight: Girl-Kind event explores growing up as a girl in the region

Girls and women in the North East are being invited to take part in a unique project exploring what it means to be female growing up in the region.

The Girl-Kind North East project, which is being coordinated by Northumbria University and Newcastle University, aims to give girls a chance to celebrate their achievements, address their struggles and let people know what they’re thinking.

It is being held to coincide with UN International Day of the Girl – a global event held annually on 11 October, which raises awareness of the rights of the girl, and celebrate girls’ lives throughout the world.

As part of the Girl-Kind North East project, 40 girls from in and around Newcastle have been making films, painting placards and choreographing dances in preparation for a special North-East celebration, taking place at Northumbria University on 11 October. Friends, family, colleagues and students have been invited to watch the performance and hear what the girls involved have to say about growing up today.

Research shows that there is a stark geographic contrast between the life prospects of children growing up in Britain today. Those growing up in urban areas of the North of England face the greatest struggles in terms of life expectancy, poverty and educational outcomes.

Girls also face the additional burden of gender stereotyping, harassment, unwanted sexual touching, and pressures regarding physical appearance.

Members of the public can also get involved. There will be a memory booth collecting stories of growing up as a girl in the North East. The booth will be located on Northumberland Road of the Northumbria University campus on Saturday 7 October and Sunday 8 October, from 10am to 4 pm, and any woman over 18 can share their memories. 

The project has been co-organised by Dr Sarah Ralph of Northumbria University and Dr Sarah Winkler-Reid of Newcastle University, who both conduct research on girls’ lives and growing up in Britain. The project is funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Dr Sarah Ralph, Senior Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies, said: “Hearing about the struggles girls face daily has been sobering, we still have such a long way to go. But the girls are so insightful, articulate and full of creativity. We can’t wait for people to see and hear all the amazing things they have created to tell us about their lives.”

Latest News and Features

Student general
Headshot of Helen Fairfoul
Professor Neil Beattie
Northumbria staff and students took part in a carefully curated schedule of activities which ran in parallel with the online Design for Planet Festival, embracing the key themes of the event.
John Bloom Law Bursary
While the cold of winter is a threat to most wildlife, it can be endured. Image: Pixabay
Dr Ulugbek Azimov (right) and Research fellow Iftheker Ahmed (left), holding new biopolymer material samples.
FA sanctioning

Moving the goal posts

On 9 December 2022, the English Football League (EFL) unveiled a Supporter Sanctioning Guidance…

Pictured l-r, Hazel Muse and Kirstie Wallace, both Heart Transplant Co-ordinators; Newcastle Hospitals Charity Director Teri Bayliss; and Associate Professor Jamie Steane, of Northumbria University’s School of Design.
Amelia Wright
L-R - Dr Tony Soteriou, Director of Commercialisation, UKRI and Dr Gosia Ciesielska, Associate Professor of Organisation Studies, Northumbria University
From l-r: Bookbinder Alexandra Marsden, Dr Claudine Van Hensbergen and Dr Gareth Roddy at the Books as Treasures event at the Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead.
Northumbria student to represent Great Britain in Goalball World Championships
a sign in front of a crowd
+

Northumbria Open Days

Open Days are a great way for you to get a feel of the University, the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the course(s) you are interested in.

Research at Northumbria
+

Research at Northumbria

Research is the life blood of a University and at Northumbria University we pride ourselves on research that makes a difference; research that has application and affects people's lives.

NU World
+

Explore NU World

Find out what life here is all about. From studying to socialising, term time to downtime, we’ve got it covered.


Back to top