NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Être, the mentorship ecosystem closing the confidence gap by bringing girls into companies and face to face with female leaders, launched a new proprietary survey measuring the current state of girls’ confidence and the direct link shown between early mentorship and higher confidence.
The findings expose the staggering decline in self-image and mental well-being, and confirms mentorship is a big part of the solution to closing the confidence gap for young women and girls.
The survey found that between the ages of 13 to 18:
- Girls’ confidence drops by 20%
- Girls who say they feel smart drops by 50%
- Girls who say they feel anxious increases by 88%
- Girls who say they feel stressed increases by 241%
However, the survey also found that there is a dramatic correlation between girls’ confidence and mentorship:
- 91% believe higher confidence is directly related to mentorship
- 93% say a finance mentor would give them more confidence about their future goals
- 86% say they’d be more willing to work toward harder or scarier goals with a mentor
- 70% would be less likely to quit their sport if they had a mentor
Être was founded in 2016 by Illana Raia who, while she was working as a corporate lawyer, realized her daughter was unaware of her job responsibilities. Illana began introducing her to friends in leadership positions and encouraged questions about their diverse, successful careers. The moment her daughter asked her first question, Illana knew she needed to open the door for other girls around the world who didn’t have access to mentorship and networking opportunities.
“Every time I see a girl spinning in a boardroom chair and raising her hand to ask a question, I watch her confidence soar,” said Illana Raia, Founder and CEO of Être. “At Être, we know early mentorship matters. This data confirms that girls who have a mentor exhibit higher confidence levels, a more positive self-image, and a healthier sense of well-being than those who do not. With a disconcerting decline in self-image and mental well-being evident in the findings, it is more important now than ever to bring awareness to mentorship resources and do everything we can to slam that confidence gap shut like a high school locker door.”
Girl-inspired and girl-led, Être is powered by an Advisory Board made up of over 100 middle school, high school and collegiate girls as well as an Executive Board comprised of 11 epic women and girls.
“A mentor makes me feel more confident because they challenge me to step out of my comfort zone,” says Être Executive Board member Selin Ozünaldim, age 21, who is a National Gender Youth Activist for UN Women as well as the youngest representative of UN Women's HeForShe in Istanbul, Turkey. “They provide continuous support and lead by example.”
In addition, Être will be partnering with The Female Quotient, a global equality organization that strategically partners with the largest companies in the world to close the gender gap, to connect global girls with powerhouse women and provide mentor moments as they begin to navigate the workforce. With a strong belief in mentorship in the moment and that the best advice comes from lived experiences, The Female Quotient, which is in the business of equality and has cultivated the largest global community of women in the workplace, will bring women across every category to provide the best advice from the women who have been there and accomplished that.
The research, which can be found here, is based on a national survey conducted by YPulse and commissioned by Être, administered among 1000+ young girls ages 13-18 from December 8 to 29, 2023.
To access the full report and learn more about Être, visit www.etregirls.com and follow @etregirls on Instagram. To date, Être has facilitated mentorship connections for thousands of girls and garnered the likes of nationally recognized female icons including Gloria Steinem, Tyra Banks and Lilly Ledbetter. With clubs in 6 countries, 2 books and 1 NASDAQ bell rung, Être is closing the confidence gap for girls by bringing mentors into their lives exactly when they need them.
About Être
Être is a mentorship ecosystem that brings girls directly into companies and face to face with female leaders. Launched in 2016 by former corporate attorney Illana Raia, Être paves the way for girls’ futures by ushering them into the boardroom. Être has empowered tens of thousands of girls to sit in boardroom chairs, raise hands in UN council chambers, stand on Spotify stages and ring NASDAQ bells, and has garnered the likes of nationally recognized icons including Gloria Steinem, Tyra Banks and Lilly Ledbetter. Être has been highlighted by Forbes, TODAY, NASDAQ and recognized by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas in 2021 and 2022. For more information visit www.etregirls.com.
