In Pursuit of Happiness: Girls' striking optimism in a time of crisis
A data & policy brief on adolescent girls’ life satisfaction and happiness
In contrast to measures of objective well-being – which capture the material living conditions and experiences of people across a range of dimensions, including health, education, physical safety and economic security – subjective well-being measures individuals’ own assessments of their well-being, or self-reflections of the quality of their lives. Despite growing recognition of subjective well-being as an important goal in itself, policies and metrics related to the Sustainable Development Agenda often overlook the happiness of and life satisfaction of women and adolescent girls.
Using data on adolescent girls’ subjective well-being collected in the UNICEF-supported Multiple Indicator Clusters Surveys (MICS), this brief sheds light on how girls feel about their lives as well as their hope for the future.
Life satisfaction varies widely among adolescent girls across countries
The analysis presented in this brief shows that life satisfaction varies widely among adolescent girls across countries. Moreover, differences in life satisfaction and happiness are observed within countries based on schooling status, household wealth and where girls reside. On average, for example, adolescent girls in school are more likely to be very satisfied with their lives and happy than adolescent girls not in school.
Gender inequality, as measured by the Gender Inequality Index, is also associated with adolescent girls’ life satisfaction. In the Central African Republic and Sierra Leone, two of the countries in the sample with the highest levels of gender inequality, only about 1 in 3 girls express high satisfaction with their lives. Conversely, in Belarus, Montenegro and Serbia, which are among the countries with the lowest levels of gender inequality, approximately 80 per cent or more adolescent girls report high life satisfaction. These findings suggest that besides the well established benefits of investing in gender equality for children,women, and their broader communities, promoting gender equality through policies and programs can also enhance the overall life satisfaction of adolescent girls.
Despite the barriers they face, most adolescent girls are hopeful for the future.
Although adolescent girls face profound challenges, they are largely optimistic about the future. In the majority of countries and territories with data, 80 per cent or more of adolescent girls believe life will get better in the next year. This remarkable optimism should prompt us all to reflect: adolescent girls are envisioning a better world, actively striving for it, and holding firm belief in its attainability. We must work with them to make this happen.
