A second community workshop to explore and discuss the growing crisis facing girls in Florida will be held Thursday, October 16, from 3-5 p.m., in West Palm Beach.
The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach will convene a panel of experts to talk about a study — The State of the Florida Girl — that documented the significant disparities affecting more than 2 million girls across the state — from academics to emotional wellness. It tells the story of the pressure Florida girls feel, and the toll it takes on them.
Elle Harrigan, chief advancement officer for the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, will be keynote speaker at the workshop.
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Her remarks will be following by a panel discussion among top community leaders, including Karen Brill, Chair of the Palm Beach County School Board, and Annie McGrath, LWVPBC member, educator, Miss South Florida Fair 2025. A Girl Scout representative will also share her living experience.
Commissioned by a coalition of six Girl Scout councils and rooted in public data — including the U.S. Census, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Florida Department of Education — the "State of the Florida Girl Report" sheds light on physical health, academic performance, emotional wellness, and social well-being.
"Girls in Florida are as diverse and complex as the challenges they face," wrote the report's authors. "Under a combination of circumstances unique only to girls, they navigate contradictory social expectations both online and in the real world, alarming levels of violence, significantly higher rates of substance use than boys, and escalating mental and emotional health challenges unrealized in prior generations."
Among its key findings:
- More than half (52%) of high school girls reported feeling sad or hopeless for two weeks or more, marking a 40% rise in depression over the last decade.
- One in 4 girls seriously considered suicide — an increase of more than 60% in ten years.
- Nearly 1 in 8 girls missed school due to feeling unsafe.
- Girls were 1.5 times more likely than boys to use nicotine products like vapes, with around 20% of high school girls engaging in such behavior.
- Academic performance also suffered: 43% of girls scored below grade level in English language arts, and 46% fell short in math.
- Girls were found to be three times more likely than boys to experience sexual violence, with 1 in 6 high school girls reporting such an experience in the past year.
- High school girls were also more prone to substance misuse —particularly misusing controlled substances.
The report, originally released last December, notes some progress: teen birth rates have fallen by 50%, and graduation rates for girls surpassed those of boys by about 5%.
The report found that many of the troubling trends stem from pervasive social pressures — from body image expectations to heightened anxiety.
“Unboxing her potential means allowing girls the space to not fit a mold,” wrote the report's authors.
Admission is free, but advance registration is required due to limited seating. To register, please visit League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County.
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IF YOU GO
What: Florida girls face alarming pressures: League of Women Voters and Girl Scouts host community workshop to address crisis
When: Thursday, October 16, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, 411 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.
