Tomorrow Woman and Tomorrow Man acknowledge that our offices are on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nations.
Acknowledgement of Country
Tomorrow Woman acknowledge that our offices are on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nations. We pay respect to elders past, present and future, and all First Nations people.
Girls across Australia are facing a quiet crisis in wellbeing that often goes unnoticed. Behind smiles and achievements, many struggle with body image, perfectionism and pressure to please. In classrooms this shows up as silence, withdrawal and hidden distress. Schools that create safe spaces and listen deeply can help girls feel seen, valued and confident to speak.
September 26, 2025
Body image. Perfectionism. Shame.
In classrooms across Australia, girls are internalising these silent struggles often without any visible sign that something’s wrong. They’re showing up. They’re smiling. They’re achieving. And yet, many are not okay.
At Tomorrow Woman, our facilitators are hearing the same thing in rooms around the country:
“I feel sad and exhausted.”
“It’s like we’re supposed to be strong, but never angry.”
It’s what we call the quiet crisis. And if we’re not intentionally listening for it, we risk missing it altogether.
We know that girls often face different, but no less serious, wellbeing challenges than boys. Research tells us this. So do our facilitators. And so do the girls themselves.
In our workshops, girls share how often they feel the pressure to be good rather than real, to please others, avoid conflict, and push down discomfort to keep the peace.
And the impact is showing up in the classroom:
“Body image has stopped 50% of girls from raising their hands or even going to school.”
– Tomorrow Woman, Facilitators’ Insights
Instead of speaking up, many girls go inwards. They disengage quietly. They mask their distress. And because they’re not disruptive, their struggles are easier to overlook.
It’s not that schools don’t care. Teachers are doing incredible work, often with limited resources. But if we don’t recognise the unique patterns of distress that show up in girls, we can’t design support systems that meet them where they are.
A one-size-fits-all approach to student wellbeing isn’t working.
For girls, the mental load is often invisible. It’s comparison culture. It’s chronic self-doubt. It’s the unrelenting pressure to look a certain way, succeed academically, show empathy, keep others comfortable, and never take up too much space.
We see it in their words:
“I’m afraid of when it will happen to me.”
(said about the impact of gender-based violence on women in Australia)
“I’m going to try to stop judging these girls so much.”
(shared after a discussion on sisterhood and empathy)
“I feel lighter. I feel empowered. I am enough.”
(written on a reflection card at the end of a Tomorrow Woman session)
These aren’t just reflections. They’re deep vulnerable shares. They reveal what’s possible when girls feel safe, seen, and supported.
But they also reveal what’s missing in many school environments: time, space, and trust.
“We LOVE the Tomorrow Man sessions—but do the Tomorrow Woman sessions work? We don’t want to open that can of worms with them.”
– Shared by school staff after a Tomorrow Man workshop
Let’s be honest,there’s still scepticism about girls’ empowerment programs. Some schools worry about “opening up” complex issues. But the truth is, those issues are already present. Girls are carrying them anyway. The choice is whether we offer space to explore them or let them simmer under the surface.
The quiet crisis doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s unfolding against a backdrop of rising gendered violence, cultural misogyny, and harmful online content.
Our recent Unmasking Influence report, in partnership with YouGov, uncovered alarming trends:
And the ripple effects are just as concerning:
Girls are navigating these pressures while also navigating puberty, identity, and belonging. That’s a lot to carry. And while we’re supporting boys to unpack their own gender expectations (which must continue), we can’t forget that girls are being affected too - and differently.
“These experiences are not new. What is new is learning that we don’t have to stay silent about them.”
– Workshop Participant
We champion boys’ voices. We invest in their growth. And that’s essential. But if we want true gender equity, we have to ask: are we really listening to girls?
This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing it differently.
It means:
“Strong relationships between teachers and students lead to better academic performance, fewer disciplinary problems, and more engaged students.”
– Tomorrow Woman, How to Connect with Your Students
Schools that build trust, empathy, and curiosity into their culture don’t just see better wellbeing outcomes they see stronger learners, more confident voices, and lasting community change.
In Tomorrow Woman sessions, we create space for girls to speak openly, often for the first time.
The stories they share are raw. Courageous. Unfiltered.
“This is the first time I’ve spoken in front of people and I like it.”
“I’m going to check in with my friends and tell them how I really am.”
These aren’t just powerful statements. They’re proof that change is happening right there in the room.
At Tomorrow Woman, we work in hundreds of schools across Australia facilitating workshops that help girls explore who they are, what they value, and how they want to show up in the world.
We don’t deliver cookie-cutter content. We facilitate spaces for courageous, grounded, and hopeful conversations designed to strengthen individual agency and collective connection.
“I feel hopeful. I want to be part of the change for us.”
– TW Participant
If your school is ready to move beyond awareness and into action, we’d love to work with you.
Here’s how you can respond to this quiet crisis with confidence:
Let’s stop asking girls to just be resilient.
Let’s give them a reason to believe they’re already enough.
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The Gender Pay Gap Starts in School: What Educators Can Do About It
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What Every School Should Know About High Impact Wellbeing Strategies
This guide breaks down the 6 High Impact Wellbeing Strategies (HIWS) developed by the Victorian Department of Education and shows how they can be embedded into daily school life. From emotional check-ins to student voice, discover how small, intentional practices can create safer, more connected classrooms and how Tomorrow Woman’s workshops can support the work.
Women Lead Differently and That’s Exactly What We Need
Empathy, collaboration, and intuition aren’t soft, they’re powerful leadership traits. From Jacinda Ardern to Malala Yousafzai, discover how embracing feminine leadership can reshape schools and society, and how educators can help the next generation lead with confidence.
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Tomorrow Woman is a social enterprise in partnership with Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Architects. Our offices are located in Sydney and Melbourne – and we travel everywhere across Australia.
Acknowledgement of Country
We respectfully acknowledge the first custodians of the land on which we live and work, the Wurrundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. We pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging and to all First Nations People. Sovereignty was never ceded and treaties were never signed.
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